Last Tuesday I went down to the tack store to pick up my Stubben, all ready to ride with new front billet straps.  It did not take very long for the local tack specialist to replace the billets and it just cost me $87.00 USD.  Now I do not have to worry anymore about a billet strap breaking and I can relax and enjoy riding in my ancient 43 year old saddle.  When I got it home I put on stirrups and stirrup leathers, my sheepskin seat saver and my RS-tor rider security aid.  I am very glad that I listened to the people here on Barnmice who told me that I should get this saddle fixed since saddles are not make like that any more.  This was only the second time that this saddle has needed a repair, 30 years ago I had to replace one front billet.  This is my first good saddle, my first jumping saddle, and the saddle in which I learned to ride a proper Forward Seat.  Old Stubbens wear like iron.  I am glad I’ve held on to it all these decades.

I got a lesson on Wednesday on Mick.  Saddling up was a breeze compared to figuring out the EZ-Fit treeless saddle, when I sat down in it my body automatically went into a correct position.  Holding my RS-tor in my hand and appreciating the extra grip of my FITS doeskin patched full seat breeches I felt secure.  It was a pretty day, and in the pond next to the ring five Canadian geese were having an apparent territorial dispute.  Mick was not moving quite as freely as he did in the treeless saddle and his back right behind the cantle seemed more blocked up so I did lots of big wide turns using my inside leg and my seat. 

When we started trotting the Canadian geese started becoming very vocal in their arguments, and there started to be mighty wing flappings as two of the geese tried to run the three other geese away from “their” pond.  Mick was pretty good at first, but since the arguments of the geese were getting more emphatic I made sure that my RS-tor was in my hand and I did not to let my reins sag too much.  Then it happened, we were trotting at a decent pace down the rail near the pond, and just after Mick got past the geese two of them erupted in mighty wing flappings taking off low, both of them honking as loud as they could.  It was just too much for Mick, he started to bolt.  Since my reins were short enough I had Mick back under control by the end of his second stride, and since my new breeches give me decent grip I did not shift much in the saddle.  I had my RS-tor in my hand but I did not need it, and I didn’t get anywhere near to needing it.  I LOVE my new breeches!  Then the remaining goose duo settled down in peace since they had run off their rivals and my lesson ended on a quiet note.

Today I woke up and anxiously watched the weather report since rain was predicted.  Fortunately for me the rain was to the west of Charlotte and I was able to ride!  I had to bundle up, the temperature was in the low 50’s F and a north wind was blowing.  I got to ride Cider again, so of course I used my new EZ-Fit treeless saddle since it is the only saddle I have that truly fits her.  It was quite brisk out in the cold wind, fortunately Cider did not seem too wired up.  This is the fourth time I’ve used this saddle on her and she still seems content with it which is a relief.  Cider usually waits until the fourth time with a new piece of tack to tell me why she does not like it in painstaking detail and with some vehement protests.  I think I’ve solved her saddle problems with the EZ-Fit and I am SO RELIEVED, now I can ride Cider without worrying that the saddle is uncomfortable on her back!  Cider was angelic today with only one little discussion about staying at a halt when she was facing Shannon, all the other halts were peaceful.  Cider’s wonderful responsive mouth reappeared today and I had no problems with obedience.  I did not trot, the ring was not completely dry and with the wind blowing I did not want to risk any sudden scares like I had with Mick of Wednesday.  We did lots of turns and I got Shannon to set up an alley with two PVC pipes to give Cider something different to do.  She was not too sure about this at first, but by the third time she strode right through the little alley.  Cider was a GOOD GIRL today. 

I like my EZ-Fit saddle but I feel so much more secure in my jumping saddles especially since I haven’t figured out how to use my RS-tor safely on the treeless saddle.  On my English saddles the RS-tor goes on the stirrup bars which are firmly attached to the saddle tree, since the EZ-fit does not have a solid tree there is not an equivalent fixed attachment for my RS-tor.  Maybe I should invest in a neck strap or find one of my old stirrup leathers to use as one.

I was worried this morning that the muscles in my thighs would freeze up in the cold wind.  I am happy to report that even though the fabric of my FITS breeches is thinner than on my other breeches my thighs stayed quite warm and they did not stiffen up on me.  Because of this I had no problems dismounting.

One side benefit of my new full seat breeches is that I am finally feeling younger in the saddle.  I have the security in the saddle that I had lost around 40 years ago when I got my first pair of breeches in the knit synthetic fabrics.  It had not occurred to me that my insecurity in the saddle was directly related to the fabric of my breeches!  When my MS was not too bad I could adapt, but through the years as I got weaker and weaker I started sliding more in the saddle with my seat, thighs and knees.  Now I have increased grip using less muscle power, and I feel like I am in my 20’s again, nice and secure and feeling like I belong in the saddle.  JOY!

Have a great ride!

Jackie Cochran