My "New" Ride & Lord Hill

When you wait four months, have your hopes up & then finally get your saddle back & it's not going to work...  Thinking of the money I've wasted on this quest & some of the ridiculous costs that were included in the rebuild - like $75. for new saddle strings?  Well... It put me in a funk...

Looks like new~

It will make someone a fine trail saddle, but for the kind of riding I do - it's time to give up.  I could have titled this post - the Endless Saddle Quest but so many other riders have been there/done that.  No one would even bother to Read it!   I have to hope - yet again - that someone will find it, try it & enjoy the security of that seat.

Linda's Saddle - my "new" ride~  Made by  McClintock Saddles

With it out to be sold, I'm back riding the saddle above.  Admiring it, as we sat out enjoying a perfect evening last night - if I have Everett build me another - I think it will be styled after this one.  It almost has a Calvary look to it.  A Clean, neat, light weight, deep seat, free swinging fenders & the very Best Part?  It works!  I tried the Supracore seat saver today & that was a Big mistake!  Too much saving can be as bad as not enough!  We'd gotten it on tight enough - that I couldn't take it off on the trail.  Since I'd been using my EZ stirrups, I'd taken them off to put back on my saddle, not expecting to be using it again.  I'd not marked for stirrup length & adjusted that at least three times!  (Lynn was very patient with me!) 

Something else you'd think I'd have learned by now...   If it's not broke - don't fix it!  I decided to put the foam inserts into the Woolback pad.  Farah let me know that she Did Not like that!  I didn't like it either - I'd lost the close contact feel & stability that the Woolback alone gave.  (I'm going to use that as an excuse for her less than ideal performance today.)  (Even though I still worry about the impact of our fall.)

Typical of many of the Lord Hill paths~

Since both Lynn & I have both had to work to find our riding time lately - we met in the middle at Lord Hill.  Not one of my favorites, it's at least mostly shady & the day turned hot & muggy in a hurry.  The bugs were out in force - Farah was constantly tossing her head at one annoying bug that wouldn't leave us alone.  I pulled out my purse sized spray & that finally deterred the bugs for the remainder of the ride.

New trail~

 After all the times we've ridden here - today we got off on a road/trail that hadn't seen much use.  We ended up somewhere that we didn't recognize, with no sure way back to the park - so turned back.  It was pretty though!  I found that I now am on high alert going over terrain that I'm unfamiliar with - gee - wonder why?

By the end of ten-miles, with a sore seat, sore knees & with Farah unhappy with the pad - we were ready to be done. Once home, Farah got a bath, after which she took off down the pasture head up, tail in the air & light as a breeze on her feet...  Really?    I don't think I need worry Any more over the fall!  Butch put the sheepskin seat saver back on the saddle.  We had the rear pack so tight that it took him to get it loose.  As no truer words have been spoken - at least as they relate to me...  I'm Fine, I'm Ridin'~