Our New Tack Room (f/k/a Living Room)

We took Jay's saddle to Jessica's on Sunday and determined that it fits Copper nicely. Without stirrups (irons, if you will), there was no riding being done in the saddle, but we at least knew it fit.

Sunday was a most excellent day because JAY RODE COPPER!!! We have video, Jay just needs to edit and upload it, but both he and Copper did so very well. I'm proud of both of them.

After his lesson, we went horse shopping to get things we needed for CMD. Important things like stirrups and silly things like feed bags and water buckets. Jay found a cute consignment tack shop in Longmont and they were awesome  to work with. Since we had his saddle in the car from trying it on Copper, they suggested we bring it into the shop so we could try out blankets and stirrups to find the right combination of what we needed.

He chose some nice endurance-type stirrups and a pad thin enough to use under the saddle. The ladies at the shop were kind enough to not only put the stirrups on the saddle, but adjust them to fit him. Oh! And he was able to find the exact rein he's been looking for for almost a year.

Looks pretty good, doesn't it?

We picked up some leather conditioner and are working it into the leather every few days. This saddle is going to ride completely different than the western saddle Copper has been worked in, so Jay's going to take it to Jessica's and have her start him in it.

We've been living with the saddle in the living room for a couple of days and I joked that it was becoming our tack room, but last night *my* new saddle was delivered and now the living room is really a tack room.

Jay's saddle was the first one I'd ever purchased, but the one I'm riding Skeeter in doesn't fit her well, so I ordered a new Wintec synthetic saddle for her and it came last night. I had to unbox it, but until I know it fits her (I'll try it on her tomorrow or Friday), I'm not taking all of the protective coverings off.

(We're using the broomstick to turn Jay's stirrups)

I made a tactical error in buying my new saddle though - it's black.  Everything I own is brown, so I guess that means I need to buy Skeeter a new black headstall and reins. :)

We do actually have a tack room, but it's easier - for now - to have the saddles in the house. We can continue to work leather conditioner into Jay's saddle and I can continue to admire my new one. By Friday, the living room will be back to being a living room.