Myopia Hunter Pace and infrequent blogging.....

Well, we had a wonderful time at the Myopia Spring Pace Sunday, May 20th.  The weather was gorgeous and Daatje was phenominal.  My friends horse had never been on a pace before (OTTB turned dressage horse) so he had a few things to wrap his mind around and she was a model babysitter.  Go Daatje. :)

There are a ton of photos of us coming across the finish line at  VE Photography.  We're actually the cover shot for the album, which I think is kinda cool.  Most of the photos of us are on page 2, if you want to wander over an check them out. 

Daatje led most of the way, was fairly brave jumping without a lead and even logged her first brush jump.

We really don't have anything on the schedule unless I can bring ourselves to compete at the Groton House Summer Classic.  I've been so busy working on the property that I have barely had any time to go for a hack, let alone school for competition.

Which brings my to why I don't blog much these days.  I want the horses to come home by Labor Day and we've got stalls to build and fencing to put up before then!  It seems like every waking moment that I'm not a work, I'm spending working on the property.  A temporary sidetrack to my regular routine, but well worth it in the end.

Here's where we left off yesterday after 8 hours of working in the barn, constructing what will be Daatje and the mini's stalls.....

This used to be a beautiful 4-stall horse barn with full loft, feed and tack rooms.  Badly neglected over the years, the last owners ripped out the custom cedar stalls to use it as a garage.  (Grrrrrr)  We're working hard to correct that.

Here's what the barn looked like the day the contractor started working on it.....

And a few weeks later....

So, that's what's been keeping me from riding much.  But, with any luck we'll have the horses home in a few months and I'll have time to fit in training rides and competing instead of construction. :P

New saddle!

I've been (not so) secretly searching for a new dressage saddle.  Finally at my limit of working overtime trying to keep a good balance in the Carlton, I was eager to find a treed saddle that would help me out a little bit and still work for Daatje.  But what should I look for?  I've had many over the years, so I knew what I *didn't* want (Wintec, Bates, Kieffer, Duett, Albion, Arabian Saddle Co, Collegiate, Ansur, KN) and she's so broad shouldered....(what drove me towards treeless in the first place)....it makes her very hard to pick a saddle that sits right on her.

I was at a show a month ago, and saw someone riding a beast of an Irish horse.  His shoulders rivalled Daatje's, if not wider.  I quickly ran over and asked her what she was riding in.

A Laser.  The really lovely expensive saddles with the mechanicaly adjustable trees.  That also happen to be really wide.

So, the hunt was on.  Shortly thereafter, I found one used, a Laser 747, for a reasonable price.  We tried it and both really liked it!

And, it's "stupid wide". :)

So, we're rejoining the "land of the treed".  It needs a bit of maintenance (billets and a re-flock) due to it's age, but other than that, we have a winner.  Hooray!

Next weekend is the Myopia Hunter Pace, which we intend on doing, if the weather holds.  I should have photos and a full report.....but until then, here's a quick clip of Daatje enjoying a 2'6" coup I built a couple of years ago.