I think Cuna will lodge a formal objection if I make him play dress up any more this week. I mean, today was really above and beyond for a horse that just isn't in to having his picture taken. Of course, at this point you're saying, "But SB, you've owned that bridle for years, those reins for months, the breastcollar for quite a while, and the saddle pads for years.
Then you look at the saddle. Hm... something's different. It's longer and more elegant and browner...
Browner indeed. The CWD rep sent Stephanie a couple of CWD dressage saddles for us to play with. Conveniently, they sent the 18" in brown. I think y'all know how much I love classy brown tack on a chestnut, and I just happen to be riding a chestnut right now.
I wheedled my way into test riding the saddle (that I can never afford) on Cuna (who will never be a dressage horse). It was so cool. It was comfy and perfect balanced. I had to let my stirrups out two holes because it put me in such a good position. I didn't totally love the long block in the front, but it sure was nice for keeping me in the right place.
And a shot of Cuna and I in the saddle. Not terribly flattering, but let's face it: there is very little flattering about anything related to myself, Cuna, and dressage. ;-) Just how it is, folks.
We had another fancy loaner saddle on a different horse, and the three of us (Stephanie, myself, and another client) played musical horses while trying everything out. Conclusion: I LOVE the brown saddle seat, twist, and flap, but I want the block off of the less glamorous black saddle.
Addendum: Even a ridiculously fancy saddle does not turn Cuna into the sort of horse that does dressage enough to merit that kind of saddle. Not even when Stephanie rides him. Not even for 10 seconds.
Ooo I like the brown dressage saddle!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the brown! So wish I could have found a nice used brown dressage saddle. I prefer brown on chestnuts but black is kind of growing on me (or maybe I just tell myself that because all my horse boots are black and I can't justify getting new ones for purely aesthetic reasons!).
ReplyDeleteI do have Facebook - just use my email address to find me. :) sss_0222@yahoo.com.
LOL wait you mean the tack doesn't make the horse work?! Dang! :)
ReplyDeleteYay for fancy stuff and getting to try it out!!
What a gorgeous saddle! I do brown tack on my chestnut too :) I would have been very temptEd to steal that bad boy.
ReplyDeleteWhen I adopted my chestnut horse I pictured him in beautiful brown tack...But my dressage saddle is black and so is my bridle. But all 5 of our western saddles are various shades of brown and look great on him. I am a tack hoarder btw. We have two horses and 9 saddles.
ReplyDeletedrool! Cuna looks handsome, as always
ReplyDeletewait. Since when has an "absolute need" or even a "reasonable need" had anything to do with your tack buying habits? :)
ReplyDeleteI'm allllll for hideously expensive tack for plopping around at low-level-everything!
Regular dressage schooling would tremendously help both you and Cuna in the jumping arena. You may not get further than a basic training level frame since he's an older fellow well schooled and set in his ways, but the gymnastic principles and muscular development from dressage will serve him well.
ReplyDeleteThis from experience. My former hunter ended up hundreds of times in the championship ribbons because of his dressage basics. And a saddlebred and appaloosa I trained in the basics became big winners in the hunter classes as well...and neither of them was a traditional hunter type or conformation.