Re: Sore shoulders, etc

[Sally Spangler <stepnout@swva.net>]

Hi Linda,

We're BAAACK, all in one piece and then some.  Diagnostics:  the sore tail
is a tick bite that has a granuloma and probably a small abscess...now I
recall having removed a tick a few weeks ago!  No wonder that tail was high.
Misty's sore shoulders have recovered pretty much; I didn't detect anything
off, nor did the ride vet.  Trots were superb at vetting in & out.  Now
then...for the real surprise.  I borrowed a SportSaddle that fits a HW
rider, plus a girth fitting a 14.3 Arab, used NO crupper, and rode all the
downhills in the only place possible: almost on Misty's neck.  Yep, we
trotted part of the time in spite of my affirmations (gave up swearing) we
would walk. Fortunately it was only 23 miles, half uphill.  We came in
perfectly sound, good attitude, and I stayed mounted, if loosely.  Misty won
the Novice sweepstakes for high point novice horse!  Well, she IS easy on
the eye, and impeccably behaved when she's not hurting (or bored)...so I was
pleased someone else noticed.  Then I won 2nd place novice
horsemanship--must mean I should ride on her neck all the time. (Except I
got dinged a point for a breast collar too long--which is what it is when
the saddle is on the withers.  I will now invent an auto-retractor like that
for seatbelts, have it work for the breast collar, crupper, and girth, maybe
the reins too.  Heck, why not for the rider, and maybe an airbag on the
pommel.  Don't laugh, that's invention # 74 on my list of great ideas...)  

Great fun.  I have to say NATRC is quite a different game from AERC.  It's
family sport, and the family revolves around the equine members.  I really
appreciated the emphasis on "community." 

Still haven't a real plan for a saddle since the crupper issue is hanging
fire, waiting for the lesion to resolve...but I may just get a SSaddle and a
shorter girth and wing it for awhile.  Thanks, Gwen Dluehosh and Christy
Izard, who loaned me the saddles and etc so we could ride!

Anyone want to sell me a used SSaddle (14-15") with a reiner front?

Mustang Sally in Floyd, VA (stepnout@swva.net)