DIY Half Pad Cover with Shims

Ever since I did my first 25mi CTR catch ride in a borrowed treeless saddle years ago, I instantly became a huge fan and immediately got one for my distance tack setup. From the start, I've been using a Supracor saddle pad along with it my treeless saddle with zero issues. In fact, I have always gotten perfect sweat marks and never a sore back on every horse I've used my treeless saddle + Supracor pad combo with. 

However I recently heard the pads weren't exactly ideal for treeless riding over time or longer distances (anything longer than 35mi/LD) due to gradual pad structural breakdown with repeated compression. To be honest, I haven't seen any issues occur after the hundreds of trail miles I put in but it felt prudent to maybe try and prevent possible issues from becoming bigger problems in the future.

I was definitely pretty gutted though since I love how easy the Supracor pad was to clean (just rinse and hang dry) and as a first-time mom with a 5mo boy, anything that can save me hours of scrubbing and cleaning is a huge win in my books. Determined to prolong the use of my pads, I started doing my research in all the endurance and trail riding groups and to my immense relief, a lot of seasoned riders provided a similar suggestion that had worked successfully for them- using a Skito Equalizer Half Pad under the saddle to provide extra spine clearance.

Unfortunately after doing some digging, the half pad was providing to be very elusive to find and it was no longer being made by the company. After getting some photos of the product, it definitely looked like something that I could try my hand making though! 

For materials, the only thing I really needed to buy was some canvas fabric. I had all the other materials on hand already from previous projects. 

The materials I used for this project.
The only thing not pictured here is the Velcro

I created the cover pattern using a Skito shim I had and made sure to include a seam allowance and ample room on the side were the Velcro would be sewn in. I made four separate panels using the same template and sewed them all together edge to edge creating a "pocket" with an opening that would be sealed together by the Velcro. 

All four panels now sewn together

Shims inserted with sewn Velcro closures

The final step was sewing the spine with the cover right side out to separate the two shim pockets and keep them from sliding from side to side. With that done, I checked the fit against my Supracor pad and it came out pretty nice! 

I'm planning to give the half pad a test ride with Quest the next time I'm out at the barn and will update with how things go. Hopefully everything works out and I can continue to enjoy using my Supracor pad for many more long distance miles.

Days Like These

Fall is definitely in the air, oh boy. The cooler weather has made it easy and so very enjoyable to get in some good riding at the barn the past couple weeks.

Laughing at Quest side-eyeing while we trotted past W. Oh mareface lol

W was even able to join us for a few rides. We have been busy the past few evenings putting together our official honeymoon adventure and as with most vacations we've done together in the past, we will be doing a couple horse treks on this one as well! W wanted to be more familiar around horses and more comfortable riding so I was more than happy to oblige.

Quest has been so infinitely patient with W as he has been learning the ropes in the indoor arena. She definitely motors when we hit the trails beforehand but knew to chill out when we arrived at the indoor for lesson work. Such a good girl.

As mareface has gotten more fit with the slow long trail miles, I started to notice that Thorowgood was not fitting her as well so I switched over to using my treeless saddle this past weekend. It's been more than a year since I last pulled it out and oh my goodness... I missed riding in this saddle SO much.

Quest got lots of compliments for how nice she is looking- I wholeheartedly agree! 

I normally use my nice Skito pad with it but the pad would get dirty so quickly and it was such a pain to deep clean that the real issue soon became the mental deterrence to use it for day-to-day riding.

While wracking my brain for saddle pad options, I suddenly remembered the Supracor Cool Grip pad that I had snagged used a couple years ago. It was another one of my random FB endurance tack finds and the price was an absolute STEAL compared to what it would have cost new at full price. I had intended to use it with the Thorowgood but Quest and I moved to OF when our endurance plans got sidelined and it sat in storage until now.

I have never tried a synthetic pad on Quest so I was careful to keep an eye on how she felt while tacking up in the pasture. She yawned and dozed on uneventfully. The saddle and pad fit together perfectly (to my relief) so I swung up and we hit the trails. Quest moved along happily and had a ton of pep in her step the entire time- sometimes too much. The cooler weather definitely has a lot of people coming out of the woodwork to enjoy the reservoir and Quest was feeling very fresh with the increased commotion. We had some jigging moments but nothing we couldn't recover from and move on.

The sweat marks after I pulled the saddle were actually nearly perfect, balanced, and her spine was dry. I think we found a good setup for now!

We pretend to be fancy sometimes.

 As for other news,  the mareface is unfortunately alone in her pasture...again.

W and I arrived at the barn two weekends ago and we saw H out hand grazing Penny. I said a cheerful hello and we went up to the pasture to find my horse and tack up. After a lovely trail and arena ride, we came back to an oddly empty tack shed and pasture. Quest called and called for her pasture mate and I was baffled since I had just saw H a couple hours ago. I then assumed they had probably hauled out for trail ride or event and didn't think much of it afterwards.

While catching up on FB that evening though, I saw a chipper and happy post from H- apparently she moved Penny to the lower pasture stalls and spent "a long day" at the barn checking that her horse was adjusting to the change well.

Now I have zero problems with folks moving their horses to different pastures or farms- you gotta do what is best for your horse obviously- but how it happened was a little strange. I was mostly irritated at the fact that she gave me zero warning that it was happening...Especially when we had just seen each other at the barn that morning. A quick heads up would have been sufficient so I could have likewise monitored how Quest adjusted to the change at the very least.

Ironically me and H  have run into each other several times at the barn since then. Most of the time she has her hands full handling Penny frantically calling for Quest and dancing at the end of a lead line so we haven't spoken in person about it all but eh, it is what it is. We move on. Plus Quest has adjusted to the change already which is super impressive and all good for her mental training, especially if we are going to do those camping trips I have planned!

New Shiny (Purple) Things

After doing this horse thing for nearly six years, I have been slowly accumulating a list of items that needed replacing pretty badly after nearly daily/weekly use and abuse. 

Unfortunately most of the tack stores around me are a solid 40-50 minutes away so it was always a little hard to justify a store run for just one or two items at a time. I could always order online but IMO things like clothes, boots, and helmets are better off being tried on in person...at least that's the kind of shopper I generally am.

This past weekend, W and I went on a mini getaway to Philadelphia PA to visit some close friends who recently moved to the area and we were fortunately able to swing by for a tack store stop on our drive down.

First things first, I made sure to pick up some Venice turpentine. I debated between that and Durasole for awhile but after talking with the store staff, I decided to go with the former just to start. In addition to building sole, Durasole has a whole slew of medicated stuff that treats hoof problems that Quest does not (and hopefully won't ever) have so I opted to start with simple solutions first. 

After a lot of hemming and hawing, I finally got a pair of Ariat Terrain boots for trail riding. My paddock boots from my riding lesson days have seen a ton of miles on the trail and hours in the saddle. Six years later, they are finally beginning to show signs of wear and desperately needed a hardy backup. The Terrains were very comfortable when I tried them out and walked around in the store and so I'm excited to see how they fare out on the trail later this week. 

I also picked up a new helmet...it is PURPLE and I love it. I actually first asked for graphite black to replace my current one but they didn't have that color in my size but they had it in purple.

I was the tiniest bit hesitant that it was actually too much color but hey, you only live once so purple helmet it was. I trail ride 99.9% of the time and don't do any fancy show riding to merit sticking to plain grey black again and plus more safety precautions- you seriously can't miss this purple helmet bopping around on the trails and roadway. 

I also picked up a new turnout sheet for Quest to backup the current one she has now that I have on my to-do list to repair. Fortunately for me, mareface has been generally pretty good with her clothes that I haven't had to do massive blanket repairs until now. I already got the supplies to patch up the old sheet but figured it was probably time to get her a new one just in case. Quest's size was on backorder though so it'll be shipped to us in a few days time. 

I do usually make a point to buy sheets/blankets used but the store was doing a blowout sale on select sheets and blankets and also a store-wide holiday promotional deal. I was able to take advantage of that and got a nice gift card which I'm planning to to use to pick up a pair of riding pants because my old one is literally in tatters and threadbare after six years. I figure for the sake of my dignity (and saving W from spousal embarrassment) that I get something that won't split down the middle at any point while I ride. 

Last but not least, I managed to snag a like-new Stowaway pommel pack for super cheap though the endurance tack sale group on FB. 

I picked up the English cantle pack a few years ago at a tack sale and absolutely love it. Since then I have been keeping an eye out for the matching pommel pack- most of them were too expensive for their age and condition. I stumbled on this one last week at a steal and had to snatch it up.

Even if it was for essential must-haves, it was really nice doing some retail therapy. I usually have a hard time buying stuff for myself too so it was really good that W was entirely supportive of me getting everything I wanted and reassuring me that it was also everything I needed. 

The Spirit of Adventure

Quest and I had a very productive weekend. We got in a fantastic conditioning ride, played with the trailer, and I hauled my trailer for the very first time!

I had Good Friday off from work and after spending the morning on a family outing, I scooted over to the barn in the afternoon for a much needed (in more than one way) trail ride. Quest and I went to Hawk Watch for the first time in a long time. I recently bought 3 more Easyboot Gloves at an great price used and I booted the mareface all around. We got some sustained speed on the trails over rockier sections and short bursts of trot over pavement. The weather was perfect and we accomplished exactly what we set out to do. We were still a little slower than race pace but it was no matter- the purpose of the trail ride was to test out the hoof boots at speed over terrain and set a fitness baseline.

Both goals were done and done. The Gloves worked super well w/t/c with only one mishap. Despite being ridiculously anal about checking them throughout the ride, I noticed we lost one boot probably 2 minutes after the fact. We had to double back quite a ways before I found it sitting all by its lonesome on the side of the road. I was able to hop off, put it back on with ease, and continued on our way. In hindsight, the boot mishap was totally preventable. I somehow had figured that the "spare tire" aka the boot in the worst shape of the 3 I had bought would work fine instead of using the better/newer one. Quest is the same size all around so I just grabbed any boot and went with it. Well, lesson learned!

As for fitness, I was quite pleased with how much energy Quest had throughout the ride- especially at the end. The trail is and out and back so we have to tackle some pretty gnarly hills going both ways. On the way home, mareface decided to take them at a gallop and I let her open up until we reached the top. It made me grin to see how pleased she was with herself. It was a very warm day so after stripping off tack, I checked sweat patterns (no dry spots and spine was clear!) and let Quest drink her fill of water. I cold hosed her legs well before putting her back in pasture and calling it day.

The next day was trailer practice! Since I still don't have a truck and probably won't for awhile, I did some research and found suitable pick up rentals through Uhaul. The truck had the proper electric connections and tow capacity so all I had to do was  provide my own ball and hitch receiver to get on the road. I've driven trucks before (ex boyfriend had F150) and Suburbans at work so driving a larger vehicle wasn't too difficult. However I never have had to backup, hook up a trailer, or haul before so I intentionally set an entire day aside to take my time figuring everything out at my own speed.

I'm going to brag a little here but I am ridiculously proud that it only took me one attempt to line up the truck with the trailer and then I had A standing outside as a spotter to line up the final inches.

It could have been beginner's luck or whatever, but I'll take it haha I got the trailer fully hooked up and A helped me check that the lights/electric were working. We left the wheel chocks in place because the second task of the day was to grab our horses for some trailer loading practice. I have no idea if Quest has ever been on a stock trailer before so I opted to treat it as a new-to-her experience. She put both front feet inside at first before balking and asking to step out. Okay, not too bad of a starting point to work from. It took a few attempts and mental breaks but eventually she followed me right in. Treat incentives were useful.

The horses were both rewarded with a nice grooming session and grazing afterwards. After putting them back into pasture to enjoy the rest of their weekend, it was time to practice hauling. No time better than the present to create good habits so I checked everything again before pulling out and going down the road a little ways. Before leaving the barn, I stopped to do another walkaround check and then hit the streets for real!

It was very interesting to see how hauling a trailer made the truck feel different on inclines but it was more or less the same on normal flat surfaces. I'm sure it'll be whole other experience with horses for sure but for now, I practiced keeping my wheel base within the lines on my side of the road, making gentle stops and wide turns. My destination was an elementary school parking lot that I had already scoped out earlier in the month. It was usually always empty on weekends and I figured it would be perfect for my practice needs.

I first practiced the simple things like backing up straight and testing my turn radius before tackling the real stuff : backing up on a turn. I used two milk crates to visually mark out an imaginary parking spot and went at it. Both A and I agree that this was definitely the hardest part of hauling a trailer but it is totally doable. While I was very slow, I eventually found the balance between how much to turn the wheel and let up the brakes. If I have any tips to offer fellow newbies, my biggest takeaways were:

- Don't over compensate with the wheel; Small corrections are more than enough.
- The hand at the bottom of the wheel tip is very good to keep in mind.
- Mirrors are your best friend. Use them. A lot.

I hope I don't have to do this part in public any time soon just yet because I'm horrendously slow at it and will require multiple attempts haha but if needed, it's good to know I CAN do it. And to be honest I HAD to learn to do this because its the only way I get my trailer back into it's parking spot at the barn.

I'm glad to say the practice was not in vain. It did take a few attempts but hey, I got it done and nothing got destroyed lol I'll count that was a win for my first ever truck and trailer adventure.

Here Comes the Sun

The weather here has finally decided that it will actually behave and we were gifted with a weekend of sun and blue skies. Temperatures even warmed up so much that t-shirts were appropriate outdoor ride attire and the mareface got her first bath of the year.

Bright and early on Saturday, A and I hit up another spring tack sale. It opened at 8AM so we met up a little after 7AM, grabbed coffee and breakfast sandwiches and made our way south. There was already quite a line forming outside the building when we arrived and after snagging a parking spot in the near full lot, we joined the fray. Unlike the last sale we went to a couple weeks ago, this one was crazy…like shark feeding-frenzy crazy with people were grabbing stuff left and right. It was a little intense!

I fortunately had put together a mental list of things I needed/wanted to find beforehand and managed to snag some pretty freaking amazing deals. Of all the things I bought, the BEST find of the sale was a like-new condition English sheepskin saddle cover that was only $1. These things usually go for $65-70.

I’ve always wanted one since I use my Thorowgood saddle for the trails a lot and put in as much/if not more daily mileage on it than my treeless endurance saddle currently. I considered using it for endurance paired with the Supracor pad but I have gotten butt sore after longer rides (10+ miles) and I could never really justify the cost when I had a perfectly good treeless saddle. But no longer shall I pine away in sadness! I was super excited to try it out  and it was amazing as I imagined it to be...much butt comfort joy. I completely forgot it was even there, which is pretty much the idea.

After the tack sale, A and I decided to stop by Horsemen’s Outlet since we were in the area already. The store didn’t open until later in the morning so I suggested doing a detour stop at Round Valley Reservoir.

I’ve been super curious about riding the trails there for the longest time and after seeing them in person, this place is totally going on my list of places to condition for endurance!

On Sunday, I went by the barn after church to get a quick ride and do some spring cleaning/tack organizing. Quest and I did our first real schooling ride in outdoor arena and there was conveniently a baby cross rail jump already all set up for us. We warmed up with ground poles first and then got right to business.

The sand footing was still wet from the rains last week which made it a little firmer to work on but still a little too deep for my tastes so I kept the ride short and sweet. Our first jumps were trot hops but towards the end of the session Quest tucked those front legs right up (not captured on video though...) Since I’m mostly doing this on my own with no real photo/videographer crew, I’ve been relying on “feeling” the difference of her efforts and reviewing video from my fence-propped up phone. Still haven’t adjusted my stirrups shorter though…Oops.

After our jump session, Quest got her first bath in the outdoors wash stall and got tied to a nearby fence to dry off and graze while I did a big tack trunk cleanout. I like things simple and usually try to get rid/sell/donate the excess. Plus I know an endurance ride will be chaos x 10 million so the fewer things keep track of the better too. I pulled out a bunch of stuff that I probably don’t need to keep so will be posting up some things for sale soon.

All in all, a super productive weekend was had. I'm hoping we get more of this good weather so the outdoor adventures continue to ensue!

Product Review: Two Horse Tack Quick Change Halter Bridle

As a distance rider, I am no stranger to beta biothane and biothane tack. While I do own some leather products, I opt to use my synthetic tack 99.9% of the time no matter the occasion.

Like a few other horse bloggers, I was recently contacted by Two Horse Tack with an opportunity to write a compensated review on some of their beta biothane tack. Last year I won a raffle for a THT grooming halter that has been a life-saver during mud season so it was a no brainer to jump at a chance to check out what other products the company had to offer.

Since I currently ride in a rope halter with snap-on headstall combo, I decided to do a review on the Quick Change Halter Bridle with Snap On Browband. The majority of my riding is done out on the trails for hours at a time, so I'm all about functionality, efficiency, and comfort. The Quick Change Halter Bridle offers a lot of functionality since the halter and snap-on headstall can be used separately or together in a variety of configurations. The flexibility is good to have for the kind of riding I do and I like the fact it can be used with a separate rope halter if/when I need it.

Ordering & Arrival
When ordering, I admit there was some hesitation on my end when it came to sizing. The size category descriptions on the store website were not that useful and it doesn't help that Quest doesn't quite fit into any single category with her Saddlebred-head and dainty Arab-nose. However since Two Horse Tack's products are made-to-order, I opted to provide specific measurements when placing my order and kept my fingers crossed that the new set would fit with minimal adjustments.

Less than two weeks after placing the order, I had the final product in my hands. As a freelance artist, I can say from experience that is a VERY impressive turnaround time for a custom, made-to-order item.

10' trail reins, snap-on head stall, and halter

My initial impressions were very positive. I requested the set made in my endurance riding colors and the purple beta biothane with orange biothane overlay contrasted really nicely together. The overall construction felt solid, the stitching appeared tight, and there was a decent amount of punched holes for adjustments on both the headstall and halter pieces using the stainless steel hardware. Also I was pleased to see that the halter fastened on with a clip instead of a buckle (which faced outward, yes thank you). I'm not big fan of buckles in general because cold fingers + buckles during the winter = zero fun. I ride in almost every weather so this is the stuff I notice lol

The matching trail reins were a nice add-on and definitely completed the look. The 10ft length is standard for trail riding which works well with Quest's long neck (yay Saddlebred) and can handily double up as a lead line that clips to the halter when I want to hop off and walk on the trail.

Fitting & Test Ride

As the saying goes though, "pretty is as pretty does" so it was time to see how everything actually worked. I had planned to test the tack on the trail but it was absolutely frigid that day so the indoor arena it was for now.

As I had hoped, there were ZERO size adjustments to make on the halter or headstall. Literally all I had to do was attach the bit and we were ready to ride.

I was especially happy to see how sleek the set fit Quest without extraneous stuff and space all over. The beta biothane feels super durable yet it is supple enough to allow the bit to sit naturally on her face instead of pulling it stiffly (and probably uncomfortably) out to the sides. I had that issue with a biothane halter bridle with bit hangers from Running Bear and I sold that as soon as possible.

Unsurprisingly, the test ride was also complete nonevent. Quest went in it happily w/t/c as if it was just another arena session and had no complaints. I was pretty content as a rider too- the reins felt great in my hands and didn't cause any discomfort. I have eczema and depending on how abrasive the rein material is, my hands can get painful rashes. I typically deal with it by wearing riding gloves but it's not an ideal solution in hot, humid, or wet weather. The reins were thinner than what I'm used to but that did not detract from comfort or the fact that no gloves were needed.

***

Overall the Quick Change Halter Bridle with Snap-On Browband from Two Horse Tack is a great option for those who want to get as much use as possible out of a single piece of tack. The base price for this halter bridle style with the biothane overlay starts at $80 which is very reasonable for the quality you get. A set of matching reins are $20 extra and well worth it in my opinion. Also if you have any hesitation or worry about sizing when placing an order, I strongly suggest selecting the "Custom" option and including measurements; the tack will be made-to-order anyway and it's just one less thing to worry about.

I hope this review helps folks who are on the fence about trying synthetic tack and/or looking for companies to purchase from. As for me, I've been very impressed with Two Horse Tack so far and will be shopping with them for my future beta biothane tack needs.

Tack Sale Season

Spring means spring cleaning and tack sales aplenty!

With our first event right around the corner, I have been keeping my eyes peeled for things that I still need for rides. J was kind enough to share her packing list with me a couple weeks ago and there is…a lot of stuff. Granted she did warn me it was extensive and meant for packing a 4-horse slant LQ trailer camping overnight. Using her list as a starting point though, I’ve narrowed things down to the minimum of must-haves.

There was a tack sale advertised on the local NJ FB group for a few weeks and at fellow boarder M’s suggestion, we hit up the sale early before heading to the barn this past weekend. A good thing we did, because I pretty much did all my shopping in the first 10 minutes.

I started talking with the lady running the first table I stopped at and found out that her and her daughter did some LDs in the past but weren’t competing anymore. They priced things to sell so I had to oblige. I snagged a Stowaway cantle bag (which happened to be purple and was only $5!!!!), two purple buckets, and a sponge on a string. They gave me a stethoscope for free, which was super nice of them. I walked the rest of the tables at the sale looking for blankets, coolers, bits, and anything else that caught my eye.  The only other thing I ended up buying was a full-cheek snaffle bit with a leather headstall- I only wanted the bit but I haggled and managed to get the whole thing for $7.  J and B also went to the sale and bought a tack box of brushes from the LD lady. The box also included a random elyte syringe which J was kind enough to give me since I was looking for one of those!

After the tack sale, I headed to the barn to unload the trunk and organize my new things. After M, J, and B arrived we all got our horses out from the field and tacked up for a short trail ride. I wanted to test the full cheek snaffle and the pair of new Easyboot Gloves that I ordered. The new Gloves are definitely much harder to put on than the used ones were. Fortunately Quest got her feet done the day before so I was working with a fresh trim. It was still a struggle, and I had to take a quick break in between so I didn’t get too lightheaded but I got them both on.



We did an easy 5 miles and some leapfrogging. Quest motored right along in the lead and was quite sane. She actually felt comparatively sluggish when we first hit the trails which really surprised me. When I commented on that, J mentioned that she adjusted her feed which might attribute Quest behaving a bit less nutty.  Asides from getting quick at one point, mareface did well. New bit worked fine and the hoof boots fared with zero issues. Easyboot Gloves either work very well or they don’t…keeping fingers crossed, but so far we are still in the category of “working very well”. Goal next ride is fitting and testing boots for the hinds.

When we got back to the barn J had a heart rate monitor so we tried it on all the horses; Quest was the lowest at 40, yay :) T-minus less than one week until our first ride...See you on the other side!

#HoofBoots

I've been so swamped with work and traveling that I haven’t had much time to recap the past few rides but I have a lot to update on!

Starting from the beginning- two weekends ago Quest and I got in a great ride despite negative temperatures and freezing wind chill. Yes, judge away. Everyone said I was crazy and I’d have to agree with them in this case. I don’t know what possessed me to think riding in that weather was a good idea but the sun was out and the trails were calling. It was more of a training ride then a conditioning ride. We got about 6 miles in before I started to REALLY lose feeling in my toes and fingers. Quest had no issues with the cold though- not even a shiver.

Best of all she was SO incredibly sane despite the wind that almost knocked us off the trail a few times and rustled every branch and leaf.  We didn’t do much distance-wise but I think our trust in each other grew in leaps and bounds that ride.

This past weekend I made plans with M, the other boarder at WSS, to ride together on Saturday. When I got to the barn J and B were there as well and tacking up horses for a training ride to pony River, J's newest endurance prospect that she wants to start competing with this year. River is a 9yo Arabian and literally looks like a smaller version of Quest. J sent me a picture of the mare with the message “Remind you of someone??” and I seriously had to do a double-take. Despite her petite size (probably 14.2hh?), River has a ton of energy which probably intimidated her former owner and limited her handling. I met her briefly before she was sent off to the trainer but I remember immediately falling in love. Of course looking like mini-Quest does help, but there was just something about her that I really liked. J commented while we were out riding that they also have very simliar butts lol

Anyways, I didn’t have any specific ride plans in mind asides wanting to test out a pair of Easyboot Gloves that J let me borrow (more on that in a bit) so the 4 of us set off together with 5 horses. Quest led for the majority and the ride was mostly uneventful except for the topping the ridge and mareface getting speedy.

M and I continued on the trail after J and B headed back to the barn. We were barely a minute out when three ladies walked by and asked if they could ride together with us. Introductions were made and it turned out two of the horses were also pulled from the same auction location that I got Quest from. The third horse wasn’t a rescue but he was just was interesting because was a dainty little Arabian gelding named Tru. His owner G has been riding horses since she was young and did the college IHSA thing. She was interested in doing endurance with him so we started really chatting. Tru and Quest were fine together along side by side but about halfway through the ride G decided to take her horse off by himself ahead of Quest.

Well someone got really angsty about that and started doing her canter-jig which I was not okay with at all. To make it worse, one of the ladies behind us decided to canter and looked like she had zero control of her horse. I kept my head though and got us down to a safe paced trot to catch up with the others and resume the walk. M had to get back to the barn and I was more than glad to part ways with them. I like riding with other people if they are respectful and responsible; unfortunately that lady was neither. I confided in J later about the event when we got back to the barn though it was mostly to learn how I could better manage Quest on my end. It wasn't an ideal ride but no one was hurt, I learned new things and best of all, I think we might have a hoof boot solution.

A couple weeks ago, J had the farrier out so I asked if he could check Quest’s feet and trim if needed. I didn’t think she needed a trim and turns out I was right; the farrier said her feet were self-trimming enough and actually on the shorter side after being out 24/7 and then coupled with our Saturday weekend rides.

Since moving us to WSS, I have re-doubled my research and reading efforts about the different hoof boot options so when the time came for me to finally decide which or what to do, I wouldn't be totally clueless. When J suggested that I start at least booting her fronts for the trail, I wasn't too overwhelmed and already decided that I was willing to give both the Easyboot Gloves and Renegades a try and see which worked better.

J had a tub of Gloves in different sizes so I fortunately didn't need the fit kit. M had a set of 4 Renegades for Remy at the barn but taking a quick look, we could tell they were too big for Quest. The only way to try them was to buy them. After a bit of searching online, I managed to find a like-new pair and snagged them at a very good price.

I was able to try out both kinds of hoof boot this weekend and the verdict? While I loved how easy it was to put on the Renegades and the size and shape were perfect, I didn't have the know-how to adjust them properly. The captivator was first too low then too high on her heels. I managed to get them in between and had her move out at a walk. Not sure if it was Quest's first time with hoof boots on- if it was, she never freaked out or had an issue with them. They stayed on but they just didn't look quite right and I wasn't happy with my on-the-spot adjustments to feel confident about riding with them out on the trail.

So next up were the Easyboot Gloves.

As suspected, the application was a bit more difficult and I needed a hammer to seat the hoof completely in the boot but I was much happier with the look of these and tried them out both days this past weekend. Looking at the pictures now, I can see a little bit of gaping on the inside left front but the bottom line is they STAYED ON.

The Easyboot Gloves worked out perfectly the entire time despite mud, a creek crossing, and crazy canter-jig moments on Saturday and then even more mud on the trail, long stretches of cantering, and muddy puddles on Sunday. During the ride, I would glance down from time to time to check and each time they were still there. Quest was more prancey-er when moving out with the Gloves on but no changes other than that. Towards the end of the second day with them on, she started to adjust and her trot felt a lot more normal.

Dark mud on the trail. The boots stayed on though! 

I really do love the Renegades and think they would work out great for us but there are too many parts to adjust and tweak and I don't really feel like messing with them when the Gloves have impressed me so far. I really hope this is the solution! but I've read about enough booting nightmares that I feel it is best to remain cautiously optimistic haha

Now that the fronts have been figured out, next time we'll do the hinds. I have a feeling Quest might be the same size all around since I tried the next size down and couldn't even get them on. At least it'll make buying spares a little easier.

New Saddle

Got a new addition to my modest tack arsenal! Yes indeed, I now own another saddle and so far, so good.

When I first heard about treeless saddles at the PA Horse World Expo two years ago it was nothing more than a fleeting "hmm interesting" moment. When I finally got to ride in one at Muckleratz about a month ago though, it quickly went from interesting to must HAVE. If doing 25 miles for the first time in an unfamiliar saddle with an unfamiliar horse resulted in zero soreness post-ride (for both horse and rider) then I don't know what else proves that treeless works pretty darn well when everything is tweaked just right. Quest and I have had no issues with w/t/c bareback and I did say that I'd invest in a nicer saddle for us when we started endurance, I decided to give treeless a try.

I did my research, talked to some distance riding folks, and came up with a list of brands and models to shop for. After a few days of searching, I managed to find a used Black Forest Shasta that fit my specifications at a very good price and contacted the seller who turned out to be an avid endurance rider back in the day.

After a week and a half of waiting very impatiently, the saddle finally arrived. I was as happy as a kid on Christmas day. When I took the saddle out of the box, I was immediately struck by how light it was. I could easily heft it in one hand though it was made of nubuck leather. The leather was worn but not abused; seat and panels were supple and soft. It has a ton of sturdy D-rings that will definitely come in handy.

And of course I had to do a quick test ride at the first opportunity. T and I had plans early the next morning so I was not properly dressed for riding, oops. T let me try out a couple of her dressage girths to figure out sizing (Quest is a 20-22"). The saddle came with western fenders which I'm probably not going to use so I went sans stirrups and used a regular AP pad underneath since the Skito pad is still en route.

Used the fence to hop on and...omg comfort. Riding on a cloud comfort. The seat size was just right for me and Quest moved out very nicely with happy ears the whole time.

Tracking up nicely at the walk.
....please excuse the lack of proper footwear.

We didn't ride for long but the few short minutes was enough to satiate my curiosity and dispel the pesky buyer's remorse worries that I had just wasted my time and money. Real test will be when we start training in it extensively of course but for now, I'm happy with the saddle. So very happy. The price was just right for what I got, pleased with the quality, it fits me well, and more importantly it seems to fit Quest well so far too. Next is to find a new home for the western fenders and get some stirrup leathers. Time to shop for all the things.