Full body makeover - Equestrian style

Tillie posing with her adjusted saddle 

With Tillie's eye ulcer slowly healing and the medication in it forcing her to wear an eye patch...we have been forced to sit on the sidelines when it comes to jump lessons :(. So I missed another week of Dan lessons...*sigh*

I at least got to watch part of both lessons while Tillie enjoyed quite the spa day! This lovely lady though got a full work up last night including a pulled mane (in the hopes we will get an another event soon!), new shoes and adjusted saddles.

My saddles as of late have been sitting down and left...making it really really difficult to step into my right stirrup (did I mention it was really difficult?)

My jump saddle was much more pronounced with it and I constantly felt like I needed to dismount and adjust the saddle. After my 4th of July lesson in my dressage saddle, I felt slightly the same feeling by the end of the lesson and then the same the following ride in it. 

Hay feeding frenzy while getting trimmed

So I managed to get my saddle fitter out and she had me ride in both for her. It was a lot of getting on and off, adjusting and trying to w/t/c both ways but by the end we had even saddles!! Poor Tillie at the beginning was cantering sideways tracking right (ok not actually sideways but it certainly felt that way!)

Despite it not really being a "training" ride, I was pleased with how she felt. I am still struggling with this new concept of outside rein doing the conversation rather then the inside, but it DOES work...so this dressage instructor must know her stuff ;).

Tillie for the first time maintained a lovely uphill canter for me until the end when she got tired and was trying to goad me into holding her for her...but with the circumstances being what they were, was pleased all the same.

Mastering the art of eating while laying down