Saddle mod for the win

Before Mona arrived, I applied velcro to the saddle and the Smart Panel.  I have pictures, but not enough time at home to get them together.  A future post.

It's working so well.  I have not had a problem with shifting and everything is staying so nicely centered now.  If it goes off-center, it's an easy fix and I don't have bits and pieces working against each other.

I have been riding a lot more, naturally, now that I have a trail buddy and a saddle that I'm happy with.  In an odd twist of fate, I am now the one who is offering reassurance on the trails to someone who is gaining confidence.  Peanut really has become a fine trail horse and I remain relaxed.  He's a rockstar that I can count on to be really steady, but if he throws some speed at me every now and then, so what?  His one big challenge is crossing the road/bridge to get to the trail, but that psyches out a lot of horses.

The bridge over Appleton Road, with tiny little rails on the side, continues to psyche me out, and I don't think I'll ever get over that (but it is avoidable).  So many ways to hurtle to the asphalt below, and people think it's great fun to honk at you as they rumble underneath.

One thing that is getting on my nerves is his insistence to rush downhills.  He will blow past my seat, legs, and hands on a downhill, and so I've had to start circling him and moving him a bit back uphill.  I'm hoping that I can come up with a strategy to properly convey what's going on to him, because he's pretty quick to pick it up if I can present it in a way that he understands.

I have ridden out with Mona, with Mona and Gene, and yesterday there was a group of 7 of us.  Peanut is fabulous, although he will occasionally make an ugly face at another horse.  I have also found that he walks fast enough that it seems hard for Mona or anyone-in-the-big-group-but-Gene to keep up.  What is up with that?  Where is my slowest horse on the planet?  We (Peanut, Gene, and Mona) ended up arriving back at the barn probably a good 5 minutes before everyone else yesterday.

Mona is fitting into the barn very nicely, and has made some good herd buddies.  She and Peanut are getting along very well, and Peanut has even touched her tail with his nose (I swear he was either trying to bite it or chew on it) several times and she didn't even flinch.  Anne-Marie had no idea it was happening.

All in all, I am feeling very secure in the saddle, and Peanut isn't showing any pain after I take it off.  I am happy.  :)

I just need to work on regulating his speed.  If I ask for speed, he'll often start at a gait, but we end up flying at a canter before it's done.  I don't think our cues are fine-tuned enough between us to lock in a gait yet, but it gives us something to do.  I just have to remember to ask for slowdowns with my legs and core, because he responds to that a hell of a lot more than he does to the reins.