I'm absolutely gutted today

[dalesnfellfan]

I took Emerald out for a ride this morning and we were having a lovely ride, she was calm and going really well and we were trotting along a grass track at quite a lick when she saw a wooden footpath sign that had fallen over and was lying on the ground and she put in a huge shy right across the track and onto the plough.  My saddle slipped and I came off (not sure which came first TBH), air vest went off so no injuries and she didn't go far, just stood there looking at me with her saddle slipped to the side, so far so good.

I walked toward her to catch her and she trotted off a little way and stopped again, saddle slipped more, now nearly under her tummy, off she went again and I as I followed I noticed she no longer had her saddle on, it now lay on the plough and she was now legging it across 100 acres.

I eventually caught up with her the other side of the village and cut her off before the road, walked her back to retrieve saddle to find the girth strap and the girth had broken, OK trip to saddler this afternoon I thought, new girth strap on saddle, check over and new girth I thought.

Dumped saddle off at home and took Em home turned out and home to have proper look at saddle, picked it up and it looked an odd shape, the tree just above the point is broken, where it landed on the ground, I couldn't think how it had happened but on inspecting everything the strirup leather has scuff marks on it so I think the saddle had slipped so far round that the stirrup was on the floor and she then stepped on it as she trotted off the last time causing the the girth and strap to break.

I took the saddle to my saddler this afternoon and they will contact Ideal to see if it can have a new tree fitted otherwise it is a new saddle, it is covered on my insurance but only up to £500 with £160 excess which won't go far toward a new saddle.

I am absolutely gutted, not just the expense but I'm likely to be without a saddle for her for a number of weeks, just when I felt we were really making some progress, I had decided to put my brave knickers on and take her on the Centenary ride in April and also take her to recce the ride with Mandy in 2 weeks, now I will have to take Connie, not that it's a hardship, but I had psyched myself up to take Em.

The main thing is that no one was hurt, but I needed to get back on her quite soon to preserve my confidence in her instead of having weeks to think about it again.

[colmworthdales]

Oh Andrea, you and Em seem to have so much bad luck. Really sorry to hear about this but the main thing is neither of you were hurt, and Em let you catch her again - in the end - so she could not have been too spooked by that traumatic incident. Hopefully you can get the saddle sorted - or a new one - quickly and you can be back riding her before too long. Money - huh - you can't take it with you!!

[Debbie]

man! It's like 20 steps forwards, 100 steps reverse again. I'm gutted for you!

I'm wondering, did you have to dose her with dewormer recently? I know you'd said her egg counts were up, but I haven't kept up with Dalesfans (Life is rather happening in a nasty way at the moment), did you go ahead and deworm her? What did her naturopath think afterwards? Did it undo all the work with Ems tummy? It's a necessary evil, but I wonder if it undid her emotionally again?

Is there any chance you could borrow or loan a saddle that fits her from the saddler? And I know for mental sake, you need to swing back up as soon as possible, but you need to get some arnica and ignatia amara tablets in the both of you. It'll stop any soring and bruising that may have happened from the spectacular partings, you and her, and her and the saddle. Although we think of these things as snapping easily, she could have bruising from the parting with the girth and saddle, and the arnica will stave off the worst. Ingatia for the shock of it all for both of you.

Truly gutted at this, but I'd say leave off thinking of taking her along in April. Better to be able to breathe and enjoy Connie than to be freaked out the whole time, worrying if Ems will behave or come uncorked

[harveydales]

Oh Andrea, what dreadful bad luck! I can hardly believe this but thank goodness you weren't hurt. As Debbie says, it was quite a traumatic experience for both of you and em might have some bruising from the saddle accident. Fingers crossed you will be back on board soon. I know it's disappointing but at least you've got Connie.





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[zeldalithgow]

Oh flippin heck Andrea that could have been so much worse than it was - thank goodness you are both ok but about the saddle

[dalesnfellfan]

Debbie, I did have to de-worm Em but that was weeks ago, she had 2 weeks off and we've been happily hacking on our own again for weeks, I don't think it set her gut back she has been such a good girl very calm and not at all spooky generally, takes no notice of flapping plastic or pheasants flying out of hedges. It was just one of those things the last time we went that way the sign post was upright, and as we bowled past in trot she caught it out of the corner of her eye on the ground. I always think it's the things out of place in familiar places that spook them more than new things in new places.

Once I'd caught her she walked beside me so calmly, when I'd retrieved the saddle and I had saddle in one hand and her in t'other she plodded along the lanes beside me like and old donkey, not being silly at all, bless her.

I will keep her mind active with lots of ground work and my daughter is coming in 3 weeks if I haven't got a saddle sorted by then she will bring her treeless saddle with her so hopefully that will do her for a few weeks.

[Fi]

What bad luck! But at least neither of you were hurt badly. Yes, it does always seem to be the things in the wrong place in familiar surroundings that throw them.

What saddle did she have? I bought an eBay ideal under the impression it was a wide fitting and it turned out to be more medium wide that I'm going to have to relist at some point.

[dalesnfellfan]

Feb 28, 2016 19:05:53 GMT -1 Fi said:

What bad luck! But at least neither of you were hurt badly. Yes, it does always seem to be the things in the wrong place in familiar surroundings that throw them.

What saddle did she have? I bought an eBay ideal under the impression it was a wide fitting and it turned out to be more medium wide that I'm going to have to relist at some point.

She has an Ideal FW i think it's called with a flat hoop tree, the tree is specially designed for very wide flat backed ponies and fitted her a treat, she is very wide and very flat backed, hence the saddle slips if my balance goes seriously to one side, so unfortunately your med/wide standard tree won't be any good for her.