Like Climbing Everest, and A Teeny Tiny Saddle

So having a few ripped rugs, on Friday we set off to the Tack Shop for repairs, and so I could ogle a whp saddle out of my price range.  It had gone!  Not to be deterred I found a step ladder, and climbed up to examine the saddles higher up. Something caught my eye.  Yes a teeny tiny 15inch whp saddle. 15inch sounds a bit small, my last whp saddle I had for Paddy was 16in.  But whats an inch between friends?  And it looked to be a wide/extra wide fit.  And only one hundred english pounds! And we have a weeks trial on it.

I couldn't wait to try it on Charlie the next day.  Even though he's never had a saddle on before.  He accepted it with his usual laid back attitude. It looks tiny, with teeny tiny saddle flaps.  But it fits across the withers which is most important.  A quick lunge, and it proved not to move. 

So the next thing is to ride in it.  But Ok the pony isn't broken yet.  I'm going to have to use Daisy. As she hasn't worked since October, we may well have to re-break her!!  So I'm waiting for a day when its not blowing 40mph winds. 

As we have the tail end of Hurricane Imogen lashing the country, that's a tall order at the moment.  Yesterday, I could barely walk against the wind.  Going up hill against it felt like climbing Everest.  Every step forward was a victory. Its days like that I really feel the dodgy lungs, as I gasped for each breath, and my dicky ticker powered along around 130bpm.  Putting hay out without losing it all was a serious mission.  We have found if we tuck rugs over the trailer full, we can at least get to the feeders in one go. Getting it into the feeders is interesting. I have adopted a new method....I call it Underwater hay feeding.  Yup, take a breath, Hold it.....Close eyes......And go for it!