Our beloved Flim Flam Frangi Pan is a particularly sensitive horse, as horses go. But this also makes her a very good barometer for many things. Just this weekend she was ridden on a trek for only 4 hours. Her rider was "competent, BHS trained". Her rider had no balance and either weighted the stirrups (as we went down hills, causing her saddle to end up literally on her neck!) hung to one side as we negotiated narrow trails, or hung back in the saddle as we climbed hills, fortunately not hanging off her mouth as we are bitless, but certainly hanging off her face.
Anni´s saddle fits perfectly well. So well I have been known to be so busy checking everyone else´s girth that I´ve forgotten her´s and we´ve ridden out, up and down hills (not steep ones) trot and canter and come back to find I could fit my hand between her and the girth, yet the saddle hasn´t moved a centimeter.
When we arrived back at the yard I knew Flim Flam (yes, Anni, Flim Flam, one and the same) was quite miserable. I removed her saddle and a quick run of my hand down either side of her spinal column confirmed she hurt. Her flinch was more of a screaming snatch away from my hand. She had a roll in the sand school and a good old moan about it all in the process. Anni then went on to give her jaw a good stretch, which many would interpret as a yawn, but I could see exactly what she was doing. Anni was doing her best to realign her jaw from all the wonky riding. She is so tolerant and obliging. Flim Flam forgives her rider and goes with them and their balance rather than trying to battle against it. Subsequently she is very easily put ´out of true´. Fortunately we know our horses and a quick session of equine massage therapy and a couple of days rest and Anni will be fine. But just how much do they suffer with us being blissfully unaware?
Anni´s saddle fits perfectly well. So well I have been known to be so busy checking everyone else´s girth that I´ve forgotten her´s and we´ve ridden out, up and down hills (not steep ones) trot and canter and come back to find I could fit my hand between her and the girth, yet the saddle hasn´t moved a centimeter.
When we arrived back at the yard I knew Flim Flam (yes, Anni, Flim Flam, one and the same) was quite miserable. I removed her saddle and a quick run of my hand down either side of her spinal column confirmed she hurt. Her flinch was more of a screaming snatch away from my hand. She had a roll in the sand school and a good old moan about it all in the process. Anni then went on to give her jaw a good stretch, which many would interpret as a yawn, but I could see exactly what she was doing. Anni was doing her best to realign her jaw from all the wonky riding. She is so tolerant and obliging. Flim Flam forgives her rider and goes with them and their balance rather than trying to battle against it. Subsequently she is very easily put ´out of true´. Fortunately we know our horses and a quick session of equine massage therapy and a couple of days rest and Anni will be fine. But just how much do they suffer with us being blissfully unaware?
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