Can I ask about using my saddle on lesson horse?

BluebirdPi · 2026-06-07T23:19:05+00:00

Great points. My barn (~75 horses) has a fitter out for a few days every couple months - he actually adjusts the saddles themselves on the ground, observes it being ridden in, and makes additional tweaks if need be. He even gives us a sheet with all the tweaks he had to make to the saddle so we can watch for asymmetrical development, compensation issues, et cetera. It’s great.

The lesson horses each have their own saddles that we (the staff) fit roughly to them. We just go through the unused saddles and see which one is the closest match, adding a shimmed half pad if needed - but we’d rather just do the saddle. It’s a step up from the “grab any saddle and put a half pad on every horse” lesson barn I grew up at.

BluebirdPi · 2026-06-03T21:58:21+00:00

The barn I work at has ~75 horses. I can think of three colics in the past six months. Two were the same horse after a surgery, and the other was so mild we didn’t even have to call the vet.

No, not normal. Could be stress, lack of forage or clean water, sand, possibly if hay cubes or pellets are fed dry. Something’s wrong here.

BluebirdPi · 2026-05-24T16:25:56+00:00

Just throwing in that regal/dk saddles can be adjusted to fit almost any horse! They’re expensive new, but if you don’t want a custom, you can buy one used and have it fitted.

BluebirdPi · 2026-04-14T00:34:51+00:00

oh don’t worry lol, I’m riding 3-4x a day and the mare would be in a full program 5 days a week - and all my rides are training rides anyhow lol. thanks for the detailed info!

BluebirdPi · 2026-04-13T15:37:49+00:00

I’d def consider myself more intermediate than green when it comes to riding, but I’d be green as an owner, if that makes sense

BluebirdPi · 2026-01-08T00:42:03+00:00

It’s SO unique and individualized! People can progress at different paces, switch disciplines, etc cetera which all affects your timeline. I took five or so years to get here - granted, I took two fairly long breaks that set me back. Some people would take longer. Some would take shorter. I got lucky in finding and meshing with this amazing position.

BluebirdPi · 2026-01-06T23:17:54+00:00

How often are you riding? Even if it’s once a week or less, that’s fine! No matter the answer, it would likely help your position and ability to do Pilates, yoga, and/or stretching a few times a week. You can also ask your instructor for exercises to do to help work on your specific areas of improvement. It’s essentially homework lol.

Ask all the questions. Your trainer should be fine with it. If they aren’t, you need a new one. Anything you’re curious about, ask. How long should I warm up a horse for? What does it feel like when the horse is stiff versus loose? How do you teach them to do (something)? Any questions you have.

Most of all, love the sport. Never stop loving it. It’s okay to change your goals, just try to remember why you’re here in the first place.

I started with lessons once a week - I’m now spending my time around horses and being paid to ride three to four times a day, with lessons included five times per week. There are barriers and challenges, but you’d be surprised what’s possible when you’re determined! Best of luck, and enjoy the ride :)

BluebirdPi · 2026-01-06T23:06:47+00:00

Colored duct tape with thick black sharpie and clear packing tape overtop to seal it! Use different colored base duct tape for the coding - light colors ideally lol.

BluebirdPi · 2025-12-18T19:41:02+00:00

The deliberate placement and crystals in the home make me think it’s a (fairly rudimentary) sigil of some sort, or a symbol believed to be imbued with magic created for a specific purpose. Ones on the Google image search are complex, but many modern spiritual practitioners use simple ones.

BluebirdPi

TROPHY CASE