Tillie gets what Tillie wants

The story of my life...and now officially broke due to buying a dressage saddle Tillie prefers. BUT at the end of the day, it was needed and honestly fits ME the best too.

Literally eating away at alllll my money

Apparently finding a saddle that fits us both is a bit like trying to find a unicorn. The major issue being she's fairly wide for a thoroughbred but also short backed and bum high. As for me, many saddles have exacerbated my crooked issues and finding one that didnt in addition to fitting Tillie has been less than fun.

So i am now locking up my credit cards and resolving to pay down all my crazy debt. Anyone know of someone needing a website!? Lol but seriously...I dont regret buying it

Look at that face...of course she can have whatever she wants

We ultimately did purchase the Custom Saddlery VLX. I got extremely lucky and was able to snag the leathers, girth and crazy nice stirrups that the top adjusts and twists to wither 45 or 90 degree angles. P.S. its also brown. What are the chances of that?! Ill be sure to show photos in my next post but for now going to condition and clean it up a bit.

Tillie after getting traced

It was probably the most expensive saddle fitting I have ever had, but he also looked at my Stubben Roxanne jump saddle and agreed it wasnt perfect, but if we both were going well in it there is nothing alarming about it to have to sell to get anything new. That was a relief to hear. He did recommend using the prolite pad for both saddles and said prolites are great pads and the next best thing to a thinline, the only reason he doesnt carry them is the material being a bit slippery. Luckily we havent had too much of a problem with that happening.

Tillie was a perfect lady for the fitter and when it was all said and done, I got to hop on and try it out. It was exactly as awesome as I remembered riding in it the first two times. I felt really even and Tillie felt nice in it.

Mare glare

I only trotted her around a few times since I had been talking with C for a while about her riding Tillie to hopefully give me some insights from her perspective to help keep us moving in the right direction. 

Tillie's mind was pretty instantly blown as C started putting her through the paces and was talking me through what she was doing. C laughed at Tillie because she got herself emotionally worked up and was super sweaty despite not working all that hard. Luckily Tillie internalized most of it and really was thinking very hard and trying...sometimes trying many different ways to evade but eventually would give the correct answer. 

Happy Tillie

Here is what C says we need to focus on:

• Start ridding her on both sides of her body and get straighter
• Be more through on the outside aids 
• Bend her more off the thigh...basically use my thighs more to get what I want
• Keep the movability in her neck...work on this in canter especially as she likes to lock
• Do not let her get low on downward transitions

Tillie posing for the pretty dressage horses here

C didnt stay on too long and said she wanted me to get back on her and ride her now that she had and talk me through how to achieve what she did. 

Tillie cooperated and tried very hard...it just felt really different to me! It was a bit of a game changing ride and something I will need to adjust to. I know with this stuff there will always be more or new and I went through a similar feeling just a few months ago.