It is official, Cider and Mick LIKE having warm butts!

Last Sunday it was cold with a stiff breeze so I was glad I could introduce Cider to the Rambo Competition Sheet exercise rug.  After Shannon groomed her I put it on and off her back and croup a few times and made sure to open and close the Velcro that holds it together at the withers.  Long ago Cider had been evented so she probably was familiar with blankets though she had not seen one in years.  Shannon saddled her, put the exercise rug on and found out that the snap on the buttock “string” had lost its spring so we just took the snap off and tied the string (really a very smooth 3/8? inch nylon rope) to the ring.  It did not seem to bother her at all when Shannon walked her around the paddock so I mounted.

As we strode off Cider started showing appreciation for her warmer butt by giving me little a “Brrrp”  every once in a while.  She was MUCH happier having a cover on her croup.  While Cider had no difficulties with the exercise rug I found that the rug moved back as she moved, moving the front section from in front of the pommel to my belly.  Removing the snap had shortened the butt string which goes where the horse‘s thigh meets the gaskin, but even if we had been able to use the snap I still think the rug would have moved back.  When I got home I got one of my spare snaps, tied one end of the string to the snap and tied the other end of the string so we could adjust the length by sliding the knot to make it longer or shorter.  I hope this works.  Cider appreciated the protection from the cold wind, and her attitude turned from a sort of sour “why are you doing this to me?” to one of general contentment about her hind end, though after 15 minutes the wind got stronger and she started to “tell” me that her shoulders were still cold.  Since the exercise sheet is made so that I can bring the front part over my thighs I was a little bit warmer too.  I told Cider I would have to see what was available for covering her shoulders.

At least Cider was happier with me riding her in the cold.

Tuesday we had a solid day of rain, and when Debbie called me that night she told me they got 2 ½ inches of rain at the barn.  I told her that I had gotten the Back on Track exercise sheet and I was planning on just walking to make sure that Mick got used to it.  While Mick is blanketed every cold night I wanted to take it easy the first ride since I doubted he had ever worn a blanket while being ridden in a saddle.  Luckily Wednesday morning we had a break in the rain and I got to have my lesson.  When I got to the stable a cold north wind had started so I put the Back on Track exercise sheet on Mick’s back while Debbie cleaned his hooves (of course I showed him the sheet first and played with the Velcro closure.)  When we took it off to saddle him his back was definitely warmer.  Since I had learned my lesson on Sunday about the cold wind I was wearing two pairs of breeches (my Kerrits performance tights underneath, my FITS all-weather breeches on top) so I had Debbie bring the front section of the exercise sheet under the saddle panels.  It was so windy I was afraid that if I brought the front ends over my thighs that the whole thing would start blowing in the breeze, especially since the butt string is several inches higher than the one on the Rambo competition sheet.  I also notice that this exercise sheet has a downward projection that sort of covers the stifle joint, something that Mia will appreciate since she sometimes has problems with her left stifle.  I hope I’ll get to ride Mia on Monday and I can find out how she will react to this new gear.

Debbie was really interested to see the effects of the Back on Track exercise sheet on Mick since he had been stuck in the stall for 2 days because of the weather, something guaranteed to make his back stiff.  When we got to the ring the wind let up some, I mounted and Mick moved off freely at the walk.  So far so good, normally I would have had to use a LOT of leg to get him moving and to keep him moving, but for the first half of my ride I had to use maybe half or less of my usual leg aids to get him moving.  I experimented with turns, and while his back was still stiff I could turn him without using the reins.  When I stopped to rest Mick gave me a little “Brrrp” of approval and he did not stiffen up as much as he usually does.  Then the cold wind picked up again and we started to get some good gusts, and whenever Mick’s rear was pointed into the wind the lower back parts of the sheet started being lifted by the wind letting all that wonderful warmth escape.  Then Mick got stiffer, but nowhere as stiff as the previous time I had ridden him after two days in the stall.  Debbie was quite pleased, Mick was pleased, and I was pleased though I cannot wait until I get my Back on Track saddle pad to help warm up his back muscles.  We even trotted around trying to avoid most of the puddles and Mick had no problems with the exercise sheet flapping in the wind except that his butt got colder.  Poor Mick.

I will have to go back to experimenting.  Maybe Debbie will let me use Cider’s Rambo competition sheet over Mick’s Back on Track exercise sheet when it is windy, that way the slightly stiffer Rambo with the lower butt string could keep sides of the Back on Track exercise sheet from blowing up in the wind.  Since the Rambo sheet I got Cider is a Small I probably should save up and get the Medium size so it fits right.  That would probably solve Mick’s problem.  As for Cider’s cold shoulders--well I looked on line and all I could find is a sort of thin thing that goes over the shoulder and chest that is designed to prevent a blanket from rubbing off the horse’s hair on the shoulder.  But this just did not look very warm at all, especially since it would squish Cider’s hair down so it could not trap the heat very well.  I looked on the Back on Track web site and the only thing I saw that I could use for the front end is a rather large human shawl/scarf that I could drape around the horse’s chest and shoulders and tie to the saddle  and to the center ring on the girth.  I’m sure Cider would cooperate (at least I hope so) just so her shoulders and chest would keep warm.  But then Debbie’s horses, reading my mind, would also want one of their own so I would have to get 2 of them, one for each stable.  Another $90 USD plus shipping for two scarves, another $70 USD for the Rambo competition sheet, it all adds up.

I’ll have to save up more money before I can get these things.  I used all the money I had been saving for my next saddle to get these exercise rugs and my yet to arrive Back on Track saddle pad.  I’m glad I spent the money since the horses are definitely happier in the cold wind when I use the exercise sheets.  Hopefully I’ll be able to buy all the other cold weather stuff before the end of winter, then I can start saving for my next saddle all over again.  Maybe I can get my next treeless saddle at the end of next year.

I think the horses are telling me that we are going to get many more cold windy mornings this winter in between the weeks where it gets up into the 70’s F, and that the temperature swings make the cold feel worse to them.  The horses are so kind to me and they take such good care of me when I am on their backs that I figure I owe them a little more warmth in the cold!

Have a great ride!

Jackie Cochran