My trainer highly recommened the Centaur dressage saddle built by Michael Stokes a master saddler that also lives conveniently close in Appomattox, VA. Of course in this horrendous economy, buying a brand new saddle wasn’t in my budget and the only way I could get my husband on board with this plan was to explain that I would buy used and sell my County.  That made the search a little more difficult because used Centaur saddles can be difficult to find no matter finding the right seat size, tree width, and flap length.  Luckily, I did find a saddle in Northern VA of all places!  She was going to allow me a 7 day trial so I figured what would I lose, but shipping costs.

The Centaur dressage saddle I purchased on Kerry, 17.5" seat, short flap

The saddle was sent to me and I have been riding in it for the last 6 months.  I LOVE this saddle!  Coming over from a County there were a few things I had to get used to.  The twist in the tree is more of a medium twist.  It was a little disorienting at first and even now I will say it takes me a few minutes to “settle” into the saddle, but once I am settled it is much more comfortable than the narrow twist of the County.  The Centaur saddle is flatter and has a more open seat than my competitor did.  At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it,  but then once I found my balance it was a very freeing feeling!  The saddle was no longer in my way.  It is as if the centaur tells me to “sit here” and then stays out of my way.  I also found that the short flap is great!  I am a shorter rider standing at 5’1″, but I have always ridden in a regular flap dressage saddle.  I felt in the short flap like I had much more communication and feel with my leg.  If you are a shorter rider like me, I highly recommend a short flap saddle! 

Another great thing with this saddle, was I was able to take Kerry and the saddle over to Michael’s to be fitted and readjusted.  He did a reflock of the saddle and a small head adjustment on the tree.  We did a refitting about a month later.  Michael and his wife are very helpful and good at fitting the horses.  They keep all of their saddle’s information on file.  Before I bought this saddle, I got the serial number from the seller, called Michael, and we were able to have a discussion over the phone if we thought this saddle would work for Kerry and I.  Here are a few of my comments about the Michael Stokes saddle.

- Medium twist tree takes a little getting used to coming from a narrow twist, but much more comfortable once adjusted.

- Flatter seat then the County saddles and well balanced.

- Saddles can be custom made by Michael or used saddles can be reflocked and refitted (I would love a brand new one sometime, they are gorgeous!)

- Most of all Kerry seems to like the saddle. I think her back is developing better with the Centaur.  The Centaur has a wide gullet and Michael explained to me the wider twist is better for weight distruibution onto the horse’s backs.

Something I  thought about today when I was preparing for this article, is the fact that I don’t think about my saddle anymore when I’m riding.  I think about improving my position and balance, but it never crosses my mind anymore that I can’t do something because I feel like my saddle is interfering.  Now I just hop on and ride.  Kerry is happy, I am happy, so we are sold on it!   I have Michael’s website listed below.  Sold my County on ebay .

Centaur Saddlery

 http://www.centaursaddlery.com/

I do quite a bit of reading and researching  just like any good horse owner and rider.  Beginning this fall, I started to contemplate the current saddle I was riding in and wondered if that was the best for us to be working in.  Currently I was riding in a County Competitor dressage saddle.  It is a very nice saddle, but as we are progressing to schooling Second level,  I was beginning to find the deep, secure seat was becoming a little too “secure.” In my quest to allow for more movement, I felt my saddle was becoming more foe then friend.   So I started reading and reading and reading….  I love discussion boards because I feel you can get a better idea of a products value due to “real people’s opinions.” I came across a saddle that I found very intriguing.  This saddle was labeled as a “soft tree” saddle.  The cantle of the saddle is the only rigid structure on the saddle. The rest of the saddle is made of a flexible foam that forms to the horse’s shape.    The Fhoneix “Vogue” dressage saddle had received very good reviews, http://www.fhoenix-saddles.com/vogue.php.  One thing that also interested me was the ability to use the saddle on more than one horse. After lots of reading and contemplating, I decided to give the saddle a trial.  The company will send you demo saddle and you get a week trial.  You have the option to buy the demo or return it to custom order a saddle.  These saddles are pretty popular in Europe.  There is only one distributor of the saddles in the U.S. and she lives in Washington State.  Since I live on the opposite side of the contential United States it took a full week to receive the saddle.

Fhoenix Vogue Dressage Saddle

When the saddle arrived, the first thing I noticed is the leather is really beautiful.  Very soft.  It is supposed to be made of Italian leather.  The saddle is a bit different looking than your average saddle, but not as different in person as I thought it would be.  The “tree” of the saddle is a dense type of foam that was more stable than I thought it would be, but you could tell it will give to fit the horse.  The stirrup bars are set further back, which is one of the reasons I wanted to try the saddle.  I felt like the County kept putting me in too much of a “chair seat.”  The saddle was sent with many fitting options. The panels of  the saddle are removable and can be changed.  The panels that come with the saddle are a dense foam.  You can also purchase wool panels which are supposed to be better for larger moving horses.  Since sitting the trot is difficult on my mare, I thought the wool panels may be good to try.  They also sell something called a “smart panel” which is made of cork fibers.  You can remove the panels and just attach the smart panel or you can put a thin smart panel under the regular panels for a more customized fit.  Are you confused yet?  Yeah I felt the same way.  I do like expanding my horizons occasionally so this was me…expanding. 

I was instructed to put the saddle on Kerry with just the wool panels for our first ride.  Then I can change to the other panels and try them out as well.  I tacked up Kerry and this is what I found.   When you originally put the saddle on it doesn’ t really look like it fits at all.  You have to sit in it to allow it to mold to the horse.   I was aware of its possible strange appearance at first, so I tightened my girth and hopped on.  The twist in the saddle is supposed to be narrow, but I think that is narrow compared to other treeless saddles.  For me, I found the twist very wide.  After about 10 minutes of walking the saddle does settle some and become more comfortable (a good time to tighten your girth too!).  The stirrups are set further back, which I was expecting, but I felt the stirrups were a little to far back for me and pitched my upper body forward.  With the extra wide feeling and the set back stirrups I felt like a fairly ineffective rider.  The biggest problem for me was that  I felt like there was too much in-between me and my horse.  I couldn’t feel her movement well and wasn’t able to sit well either.  I did a second try with the saddle using a different panel and had the same overall feeling.  Unfortunately this saddle wasn’ t for us.  Here is a summary of my findings:

Likes

• Leather is very soft and supple (a little concerned though if the leather could be “too soft” and wear quickly?)
• Saddle does closely resemble a normal saddle with a modern styling.
• The seat itself is very comfortable made with a memory foam padding.
• Like the idea of adjustable knee blocks to fit a variety of riders
• Nice to be able to use one saddle on a variety of horses

Dislikes

• Saddle still felt very wide even though it was supposed to have a “narrow twist”
• Felt like there was a lot inbetween me and my horse
• Set back stirrups are good, but they felt too far back for my balance
• The trial came with the decorative stitching which is a little to “modern” for my taste, but someone else might like it.  

Final thoughts:  I feel like it was still a good experience to try out this saddle. This company seems to be constantly making improvements on its saddles so who knows what future models will look like.  I think if you have a very difficult to fit horse that is having back trouble, I wouldn’t hesitate to try out the saddle.   It may work well for you and your horse.  The saddle may also work well on young horses  whose backs are constantly changing. I found the owner of the US distributor to be very kind and accomodating and had no issues receiving the saddle or returning the saddle, http://www.promisefarmandalusians.com/fhoenixhome.html .  

Anyone else ever try a treeless or “soft tree” saddle before? Please feel free to comment.  I would love to hear your experience too!

Petzel Zipka similar to the one I have. It has a retractable cord that works well, but you have to be careful of your hair!

Enter my savior… the head lamp.  I too spent my evenings with a flashlight in my mouth trying to mix feed and fill the “feeding” wheelbarrow with hay.  Then, I would hold it in my hand while trying to push the wheelbarrow.  The beam would be partially blocked by the hay with only a fraction of the beam actually lighting the way… not at all in front of where I am going. This was frustrating, especially with two hungry girls sneaking around me snatching hay out of the wheelbarrow as I bumbled my way in the dark to their shed. 

The idea of a headlamp came last year.  I was trying to work on my fitness and get in a run when I got home in the evening.  I did some research and found these super light, fairly inexpensive headlamps. I asked my husband to get me one for Christmas.  Well…he did and our lives became much easier!  The headlamp works great.  It is super bright and lights a large area.  You can use both hands.  When pushing a wheelbarrow you can actually see where you are going and…….if one of those sneaky horses trys to steal food you can blast them with it. They can’t see you or most anything and allows you the opportunity to actually make it to the shed with ALL of your hay.  O.K. it only really works for a while until they figure it out shut their eyes and steal hay anyway… darn smart horses.

The headlamp I use is a Petzl .  I believe there are lots of other brands as well.   I bought my husband one after he kept stealing mine all the time and then I was stuck with a flashlight again.  The nerve!  I got a pretty good deal on his from ebay.  They work great for sticking  in a stocking.  You know what else I find funny… when I go back and read this post it sounds just like an infomercial…  Just to make sure…I have no association with any headlamp company.  This post was just an idea that has helped me.   If anyone else has suggestions about dealing with less and less daylight, please feel free to share.  I would love to hear your thoughts!

County Logic Girth

I kept the girth in the back of my mind and decided I wanted to see if I could find something a little less costly.  I found several other brands M. Toulouse, Prestige, Le Tixerant, and Jaguar.  These boast the same kinds of results as the Logic and many were just expensive.  I decided that I would team up with my good friend EBay and hope a used Logic in the size I needed would make its presence known.  I waited for several weeks and did some more research on the girth while I was waiting.  I’m glad I did my research, because you will find out with the Logic, that you have to order it about 4 inches shorter than a normal girth. This is because the Logic has elastic on both sides so it is pretty stretchy and it has a fairly long extension of leather after the buckle rollers.  I had a 30″ Wintec on my mare, so I ordered a 26″ Logic girth.   It ended up being just right on her.

After a little more time, finally a Logic appeared on Ebay in the size I needed.  I scooped it up for $100.00.  That definitely beat $225 new and any other competitors prices as well.  Listed below are my likes and dislikes from my four month use of the the County Logic Girth.

Likes

• Nice quality leather and buckles
• The stretchy elastic seemed more comfortable to my mare than my Wintec which didn’t have much stretch at all.
• Nice sized, wide girth to spread out girth pressure on the abdomen
• The shape of the girth did  fit my mare better with the her forward girth groove than a regular straight girth.

Dislikes

• I eventually noticed some rub marks right behind my mare’s elbows. The girth is made so that the seams tend to grab her  hair.  I think this is what caused the rubbing.
• The girth is leather which needs regular cleaning beyond just wiping off like the Wintec and the hair grabbing seams cause cleaning to be difficult too.

To correct the rubbing, I bought a girth cover to go over the girth.  Because of the shape and size of this girth, buying a girth cover that will fit it was tricky.  Yes, with me it does seem like everything is a bit complicated… doesn’t it? I did finally find a stretchy, Terry Cloth girth cover that fit the girth well, however, even the small was a little too long so I had to cut and resew the end of the girth cover.  I read a lot of reviews and only a few had rubbing or pinching problems.  I think it is just how the logic happened to fit my mare with regards to the seam.

I do like the girth.  It is the one I am currently using on my mare.  She is pretty sensitive when being girthed up.  I have noticed that she seems better about this girth and a bit more comfortable.  I think County could do some remodeling to fix any rubbing or pinching problems.   If you do decide to buy this girth, make sure the end facing up in the photo above is the part facing the front of the horses.  Many people put these on wrong which causes a multitude of problems.  If you have had any success with girths at home you like, please feel free to share. I would love to hear about your experiences as well!   Have a great weekend!

I got the book and did a quick skim through it.  I usually skim books by reading the parts  that jump out at me. Then go back later and read the introduction, etc., when I have more time.  The first thing I noticed was that this book was made for skimming.  It is set up in chapters somewhat representing the training pyramid.  The exercises are drawn with diagrams and written in big words.  I wondered why the words were so big?  Then when I went back and read the introduction like I was supposed to in the first place.  I found out the book was made so that it could be hung on the wall or on a post in your arena. Then you can refer to it as you are riding.  I thought “wow that is a great idea.”  Then I wondered, but who has a “wall” in their arena?  I guess this author must have access to an indoor.  A lot of times riders that have indoor arenas also have instructors on the grounds, so why would they even need a book on dressage arena exercises when they have someone to tell them what to do all of the time anyway?  Alright, I’ll leave it alone…I still like the “big” about the book.  It looks – neat.

Overall, I have really enjoyed the book.  I have tried several of the exercises some of them have worked great!   I’ve only had the book one month and have just scratched the surface of the exercises inside of it.  One word of caution I would throw out to readers.  Keep in mind your current level of training and fitness of your horse.  I have just selected exercises to practice that I know will work well with the type of training exercises I am already working on with my instructor. Don’t try to stretch for something you and your horse aren’t ready for yet.  Let a knowledgeable trainer help you with those kinds of things.  Listed below are my comments on the book.

Likes

• nice size book with one of those neat plastic spiral bound thingys so the pages are easy to turn
• The diagrams are easy to read with good keys
• The book has a level of difficulty scale which is indicated by the number of little horses in the key. This is helpful when determining if you should try the exercise or not.
• The diagrams are accompanied by written steps to help understand how the exercise should be ridden.
• Tips are included with many of the exercises which are quite helpful.

Dislikes

• The only real dislike I could come up with is that book is pretty big.  So it is a bit heavy to lug around.  See…I like the size of the book, but then I complain it is too heavy to carry around,  leave it to me to put the same item in both categories.

Suggestions

• I think the author of this book should make some small companion books.  Maybe base them on the test level you are training at so they aren’t so dense in size.  Make this pocket size so we can have it on us when riding if we want to.  Then those of us without  ”Walls” can use the book while riding.   Maybe that’s my million dollar idea? I’m always joking I’ll come up with one. Yeah… I like that .

If you are interested in the book, I do have it on my little Amazon widget on my home page.  I recommend checking Ebay first though to see if you can get a deal like I got.  If anyone else has experienced this book and would like to comment please feel free!

I'm too sexy for my bridle... Kerry in her new bridle.

Hello everyone!  Summer has been insane for me.  I have been so busy with farm projects, work, riding, and showing.  I have been on a bit of a break from my blogging world.  I’m back and my summer experiences have given me a lot to write about! I decided to start back with a review of the new bridle I purchased late spring.  Hope you find it helpful if you are doing some bridle shopping of your own!

Can you learn to speak Horse?

Getting to know a new horse is like attempting to learn a new language.  You are dealing with a creature with a different mind, feelings, likes, dislikes, different responses to your aids, etc.  The most difficult part of this new language you must learn is the fact that there are no words.  Instead you must find out about your new friend through different methods of communication –  such as  subtle body movements and muscle tension.  Our horses always have something to say to us. We  just have to be clever and quick enough to catch the conversation.

One Size Does Not Fit All

I brought my new mare home this fall.  She came with her own bridle, which I used on her for a while.  This bridle was a bit older.  I will say older does tend to equate with comfiness, however, this bridle was brown and my saddle was black.  I decided I probably needed to fix my fashion faux pax.  So, before I took my mare for a lesson with my trainer, I figured I should probably switch her to the bridle I had, which was black.  I used that bridle (a Kieffer) for many years on the older mare I had.  I fitted the bridle to my new mare and size wise it fit great.  When I rode her, it was a different story.  She developed a strange tendency to try to pull the reins out of my hands.   At first, I thought this was maybe just a new behavior.  I hadn’t learned all of her quirks yet… she was too new to me.  I was doing conditioning work to try to bring her back into shape and I thought possible this was a method to get out of work.   I was actually doing a little research on bridles because I had an idea to get her a new one.  I did a lot of reading on poll pressure and horse’s sensitivity to it.  Then it hit me!  Even thought my bridle fit her size, what if she wasn’t comfortable in it?  So what did I do?…I switched back to the brown bridle she came with and Wahlla… the behavior was gone.

We did the Shabby Chic thing for a while with a brown bridle and black saddle and I finally decided if I was going to show this year, I would need get her a new bridle.  I went on a quest for a nice, comfortable, affordable bridle that would fit her well.   The Jeffries IR Comfort Bridle is what I ended up with at the end of my quest.

Picture of the Jeffries padded crown, notice the curve around the ears

So Many Choices…What to do?

I began my search looking for bridles through reading reviews.  I don’t believe the bridle ads even the slightest because of course they are trying to sell you the bridle… duh!   I looked at bridle review forums.  Some of my favorite include  www.horsetackreview.com and www.horsegroomingsupplies.com.   I knew I wanted one of the new comfort headstalls that were padded and a flash nose-band.  I also was a fan of the Vespecci bridles (sold by Dover), however, I read several reviews of stretching problems.   I ended up buying the Jeffries comfort IR bridle.  The Jeffries was a stretch of my budget.  I paid $270.00 for the bridle.  I found the best price on Ebay and had to have it shipped from Europe.  What I did learn in my quest is that I don’t think you can ever find is the “perfect” bridle, unless you have it custom made.

Jeffries IR Likes and Dislikes

Likes

• Leather is butter soft and there is easy break-in
  

  crank noseband, padded chin barely fits, could be longer

• The crown is padded with the headstall running over top of the pads, it is also curved to allow more room for the ears.  This was my favorite part about the bridle!  My new girls has ….umm  sizable ears.  The curve fits her ears much better.
• The leather craft work seems very good with good buckles
• nice sizing chart to get fitted correctly

Dislikes

• Bridle only comes with a crank nose band.  The chin piece of the crank is a bit small and could be longer.  It barley fit my girl and I would worry about a horse with a larger head.
• The flash nose-band is quite wide.  I think it looked too wide especially on my mare who I like to look a bit feminine. I ended up ordering another nose-band and changing it for the one that came with the bridle.

bridle with the larger flash nose-band that came with the bridle

Bridle with the smaller flash nose-band

Overall, I would recommend the Jeffries IR Comfort bridle to someone to buy.  I was a bit grumpy about having to buy a new nose-band that was a little thinner.  I thought a bridle that cost that much you shouldn’t have to buy anything additional.  If you have any comments on manufactures, brands, or styles of bridles you like please feel free to comment.  It always helps to learn from each other .

As I continue to develop new ideas and ways to make this site better, I come across all kinds of things.  I thought a review section would be a great way for me to share my opinion on the things I come across.   So far,  this site hasn’t been good for my bank account.  I saw books I would like, neat sites to join, clothes I would like to have, etc.  I thought I would put my purchases to good use and let you know how they have worked out for me, hence the new review section.  Reviews will come up under the latest story as do my other posts and then can be accessed under the review category.

Happy February Everyone!

Pros

• Video qualities are good
• A lot of video variety with many different levels included
• Quality instructors and trainers
• Can view from your home when you can’t get out and ride

Cons

• Videos are live-stream and cannot be downloaded and saved on your computer.
• There is a monthly fee to become a member
• Live-stream videos could take time on slow connections such as dial-up.

Overall, I really liked the site and videos. I didn’t find the membership cost too high when you consider the cost to take a lesson.  Even just to audit a clinic can be $10-20. I felt the program could be a benefit to my readers and created a page that includes a link to the Dressage Training Online site. They have some sample videos you can view to see if their program something that may work for you.

Of course sitting at home watching a video is nothing compared to taking your horse for a lesson with an instructor. What we can get through the videos are different perspectives. I really like the judging videos which give insight into judging a dressage test. I also like watching other riders. I used to keep my horse at a boarding barn and we had an instructor come in and give lessons about once or twice a month. One of my favorite things was to watch the other riders get a lesson. I felt I learned a lot just watching others struggle with issues and find solutions.