Trip report

The sun dared to shine down upon us all yesterday, and there was much rejoicing.

With the newly-rigged Fhoenix on his back, Peanut and I went for a ride around the farm. It sucked.

I really can't pin down what I didn't like about it, but riding put me in a bad mood and I didn't enjoy it one bit. We tried gaiting up the driveway, and Peanut was back to fishtailing, racking, and trying to break into the canter. I felt the spine channel as we walked, and found that with every step it would collapse down and would touch his spine. Since it is fitted with the D-ring to hold the suberpanel (an option on the saddle), that meant that the ring would hit his back with each stride. He wouldn't hold a canter, and I'm guessing that it was due to that ring.

He sweated during the ride, and his chest and neck were wet by the time I dismounted. However, he was mostly dry under the saddle save the front and back. Was the saddle bridging? Hmmm. There was also a sweat line across his spine at the position of the D ring connection, but he didn't react to it. Grouse and Grumble.

I tested his back, both before and after the ride. At neither times did he react at all. I'll have to try again before and after the superpanel.

I'm not sure what I think yet. I'll have to see if the back reaction results from every ride with the suberpanel. If not, I'll stick with the suberpanel even though it's a royal pain in the ass.

Also, I fell off. We were gaiting at the property line, which is mowed on our side and unmowed on the other side. According to Rick, a deer spooked and jumped up right next to us in the long grass. In fact, he was a good distance behind us and was surprised that Gene didn't spook all the way back there. All I know is that Peanut suddenly started to go sideways, bouncing like mad, and I hit the dirt. Being the good boy that he is, he stopped as soon as I fell off, and Rick said it looked like he did a little lateral to keep from running me over, and stood there. I grabbed him and managed to remount (I last mounted from the ground two saddles ago - it's been a while). Peanut was an angel the whole time and didn't even try to graze. I was busy surpressing my murderous rage as I knew it wasn't intentional.

Of course, this didn't improve my mood.

Later, when I dismounted again (intentionally), I thought how great it was that I felt perfectly fine. In a few hours I ceased feeling perfectly fine, and now I'm so achy and my butt is a fetching shade of purple. At least I didn't land on my shoulder. The pain in my back is more centralized. Yay?

Rick had a fabulous ride with Gene. Hmph.

Edit: I lied. Since this morning the pain has crept up my back, to my neck, and then wandered right to my shoulder. I'm in agony, and now my arm is going on and off numb along with my chin. What? Ugh.

The good news is that my butt no longer hurts.

The phone rang. It was from my father's number. I am in no way fit to have a chat right now but I don't know what's up. I was planning to call tomorrow after Dawn trims, but now?