shimming success?

Tried out Dorothy's fancy shimmed gaited-horse saddle pad today. It seemed so thin, I put a blanket under it. The saddle definitely sat on Butch's back better, more filled in front and flatter in back:

I took Butch on a 4-mile ride down in the riverbed, up and down as many banks as I could find, with lots of trotting and a bit of loping. He was very comfortable and went downhill every time with no hesitation or rush. Not once did he offer to buck. Halleluia!! Might have finally found the saddle-fit solution. And he was not as stressed as yesterday, so though the ride was longer, didn't come back quite as wet. Not to say he wasn't sweaty. I took these pics when we got back to study the sweat pattern of the saddle:

Although it was much easier to see after he rolled!

Then Butch got a bath. First time I have ever used shampoo on him. Big mistake! I think he is allergic! He loved his bath until I added the Mane & Tail; in an instant he was pie-eyed, dancing around, trying to shake the soap off. After rinsing it off I walked him round and round to dry before the sun went down. He kept tossing his head and shaking his coat while we walked. Put him in the round pen while I mucked his pen. He immediately went down and rolled back and forth, jumped up, started bucking, dropped & rolled, up & bucked, rolled, bucked... about two dozen times. In between he shook his ears and rubbed them on the rails like they itched. Finally settled down, and I was relieved to see him peacefully eating and drinking in his pen later.

Talked to Dorothy about her pad. She wisely suggested I keep it and try it for a couple weeks before deciding if I want it - noting that it sometimes take a few weeks of daily riding to really guage fit. At least now I'm okay with riding my good mule in this saddle, confident that he's reasonably at ease in it.

more fun with shims

Rode with friend Dorothy this morning. Butch in new shoes and trimmed shims under the pad. He moved out well and did not hesitate to go downhill, nor did he rush. Wow is he out of shape now, though! We only rode about 3 miles and he was drenched in sweat. To be fair, it's partly because he's still in his winter coat and it was 70 degrees out. Also, we rode with a fast-walking foxtrotter and I kept urging Butch into a trot to catch up, which stresses him out. Normally I would ask the other rider to do circles or go ahead and leave us behind, but Butchmule needed the workout so I used it as an excuse to exercise. He was so game and willing, even as I felt him tiring. The last half hour I told Dorothy to go ahead, that I was going to let him walk as slow as he wanted to relax and cool down. Checked on him tonight after work... he's fine.

Dorothy has 2 saddle pads she's going to let me try out, one specially shimmed for a gaited horse, the other shimmed for a mule. They might be more comfortable than what I used today, homemade shims which probably move around under the pad laid over them. If padding works, the next issue to tackle will be how to adjust the seat to fit me better.

I do know Butch was happy to be out and about. So was I!

shoes & shims

Butch has new shoes. He toes out in front, and his heels are getting rolled under on the inside. Farrier hopes simply levelling the hoofs off and being shod 6 weeks will correct it. Butch might need shoes permanently if this is a chronic issue with frequent riding. However, he never had this problem until someone gave him a horse trim 5 months ago and made him lame. I think it's still a bad trim growing out. At any rate, I'm glad he's shod right now.

Farrier said as usual Butch barely needed any trim, so was ok to ride this morning. I cut

down some wither pads for yet another saddle-fit experiment:

and rode him for all of about 20 minutes. Hard to tell if it worked. I'll try it again on a much longer ride.

Truck has a flat... tire place I bought them from will fix it free... same place I planned to get trailer tires from when I can. Having a tendency to read into coincidences, I'm wondering if this means I should go ahead and spring for the trailer tires right now. Like tomorrow, when I have to go there. Ouch! But... I'm gonna be pulling it a lot over the next month. Sure would feel better knowing the tires aren't gonna go blooey in transit. And hey, if I run out of money cuz I blew it all on my mule, I can sleep in the tack room!

map musings

No riding yesterday... Butch always gets Wednesdays off, it's my long work day at the nursing home... but I spent 8 hours of it waiting at the dentist's office for a walk-in appointment. (I'm fine, just a busted tooth easily fixed.) Which meant I spent all day at the nursing home today, and then went to work at my other place at 4:00. No riding again. I am happy to have the work, but we NEED to ride!

And early tomorrow morning Butch gets shoes. He hasn't had shoes for a year and a half, he'll be ouchy in the morning. I work all afternoon and evening. No riding for the third day in a row.

I will need to borrow a saddle if I can't get my new one modified to fit by Saturday, because we are going to hit the trail come hell or high water. Two weeks off, and now this. He's starting to lose tone and so am I. We were both so fit! Aaargh.

On a whim tonight at the grocery store checkout line, I bought a US road map. Been studying it for the past couple hours. Can't believe I don't have a route worked out yet. Especially since I changed my plans so drastically. It was originally a wagon trip from here to NY, not caring how long it took or the way there, a lazy meandering. Now it's a ride; can barely carry more than the clothes on my back and a day's mule feed, so I'd be wise to stick as close to civilization as possible, meaning, have a planned route. And without a cozy wagon I'll want to be back home before it turns cold, which creates a timeline and changes the destination. I'll want a home to come back to since I'll be gone a much shorter time, which changes how I put my affairs in order before leaving, and how much it will cost to hold my spot here while I'm away.

In fact, it changes the entire feel of this adventure. I loved the idea of an open-ended journey, wandering without a timeline or "goal", just for the sheer joy of it. Bringing my cat and all worldly possessions with me, wagon as home. And I still plan to launch that adventure next. So this will be a different sort of journey- not better or lesser, just different. This will be my test trip. I suspect it will be more about getting past my own fear than anything else...

I would still like to make it as far as Kansas City. In fact, I'd like to figure out a way to launch the trip from the midwest, bypassing AZ and NM altogether. I'd love to wander Mule Country over the summer! Once I have my wagon, I can drive through the southwest on the next trip.

Don't have the means to drive truck & trailer a thousand miles, fly home, ride out to the waiting rig and drive back. Or drive truck, trailer and mule a thousand miles away, ride a loop and drive us back home. Hmmm. Is there something I could do to earn gas & expenses money on the road? Gotta be a way to make this happen... hmmm.

ride with Amy

Also, rode with friend & artist Amy yesterday. She was on Sweet Pea, a beautiful and beautifully trained BLM mustang that she adopted and broke to ride. She trailered SP to my place & we went down in the riverbed for a short spin. SP was full of pep in her new shoes & saddle. Butch dawdled the whole way, unhappy cuz I hadn't properly shimmed his saddle yet, I think. I am wondering also if his feet are tender? Glad the farrier comes Friday.

Amy and I got to talking about "The Ride". She has tons of experience horse camping both in company and alone, for many days at a time. And would like to do some distance riding same as I want to, at an artist's pace. Meaning, stop whenever feel like it to pitch camp for a while and draw, write, daydream, whatever... no rush. So we discussed combining plans. Amy might like to ride along part of the time in AZ/NM, and proposed possibly being on-call support if needed the rest of the time. Kind of an emergency backup in case Butch & I run out of water or suchlike. What a generous offer! All this is just talking right now, as I don't have a firm leave date (March 17, maybe) or route (east 66, maybe) yet and she doesn't know what she'll be doing either. But it was fun to spin plans.

riding, experimenting...

Butchmule and I both need to get back in shape after a few weeks off. I'm taking it extra slow as I see how his new saddle works out. It needs shims in front while the atrophied part of his shoulders muscles up. I'm trying various experiments. Last thing I want to do is sore his back as we're working on building endurance! I am pleased to report the saddle does NOT need to be "broken in." Lee's method of conditioning the leather, hot neatsfoot oil in light applications over several days, worked perfectly. Nice and pliable, not a single squeak.

Today was Arizona winter at it's most glorious. Sunny and warm with a touch of brisk. Windy, though. I was glad of it - gave Butch a bit of a challenge. We went for a leisurely 2-hour ride, most of it at a walk. Lots of folks out walking dogs, all of them very considerate.

Earlier, I spent about an hour trying different cinch positions. Since finishing the saddle I've found that nontraditional parts of the design Lee tried to talk me out of - explaining at length why they might not be such a great idea - and I stubbornly insisted on, now I get it. After the saddle is all finished. My teacher actually did know more than me, imagine that. Well gee, he's only built 40 or 50 saddles!

Upshot is, no, Butch does not like his creative 3/4 position front rigging. Not one bit. He was much happier with the traditional forward placement, thankyouverymuch. So... tried 2 different ways of tying center-fire (looping the front cinch latigo between the 2 rings so it sits in the middle of mule's belly); then center-fire with back cinch on; center-fire without back cinch... none of them worked. The saddle slid from one side to the other no matter how tight I pulled it. So, we ended up back with the original plan: getting the front cinch as balanced and comfortably snug as possible (I usually ride with it loose) and hoping Butchmule would get used to it. At least when I took the saddle off 2 hours later, the sweat pattern looked almost perfect, showing equal pressure. I tested his back... no signs of soreness.

I'm also working on designing a few alterations in the seat for myself...

In the meantime, feeling pressed to ramp up the getting ready. Yesterday I could already feel the coming heat in the air. I could smell summer in the wind. Here in the desert, summer often arrives suddenly. One day it's winter... spring temps tease for a week or two... then whammo, Mother Nature's furnace blasts on.

Been invited to ride with various friends every week from now through February - YES!! Butch gets shoes on Friday. We're heading for the rocky hills!

Back home with saddle

What a great experience!

Will add a separate page about it soon, with pics of the saddlemaking process. I am very, very grateful to my mentor, Lee Worsham of "Red Sky Saddles". And to his mentor Jack McCloskey, who came and helped with some unusual parts of the design.

Tried the saddle on Butch last night, & rode him in it today. I (hold my breath) think it fits. I'll need to ride him in it for at least a week or so to be sure. It's hard to tell right now because he somehow bruised his right side badly while I was gone and was tender before he was tacked up.

Been squishing a whole lot of to-do things and work into a small amount of time since I got back. Which is why this is so short, and why I'm posting at midnight before jumping in bed.

To anyone reading, thanks, more later!

saddlemaking in CA-Day 1

WHat's the best way to learn about saddles? Make one!

Good friends Lee and Mel put me up for a week 3 years ago, and introduced me to equine driving. They've followed my progress during the time since. Lee recently proposd to buy my wagon gear in exchange for which he would buy all the materials for a custom saddle and, if I could deliver the gear and spend 10 days, tutor me in the building of my own custom mule saddle.

I had forgotten Lee makes high-end custom saddles. Answer: Yes!!

Last night I delivered the gear. Today the work began. Was a thrill to see the tree sitting waiting on a stand in the workroom. The tree custom carved to Butch's measurements.

Then the work was so absorbing time flew by... made fenders, stirrups, cut & shaped skirt. Practiced tooling and tooled the fenders. Learned all about the details of leatherwork, parts of a hide, types of leatyher, styles of saddles, etc. ... Lee is an endless source of knowledge which he shares all day long.

Tonight I am BEAT! Can't believe how tired - didn't feel like work at the time!

Don't know how to post pics here on his computer yet. I'm only on for a few minutes end of day so posts will be short til I'm back in Tucson. If you are reading this thanks! More in coming days!

riding Knowledgable Mule Man's mule

(On friend's borrowed computer - these will be very short posts for about 2 weeks)

Stopped in at Pete's on the way to Lancaster to meet in person for the first time, and at his invite go for a short ride. Got there, he had his sweet n pretty Tiska mule tied & ready, good lookin halfie mule Jojo for him. What a treat to ride another mule! She's still pretty green... Pete had some good pointers for me & after a bit of a wild start we had a nice ride down in the beautiful riverbed on his place. No better way to learn than on a mule that's still learning, with a more experienced rider than oneself as riding buddy. Pete is an expert back country packer and shared his stories & tips also... great to meet the online friends in person! What a great break on the drive too!

Helloooo Year 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

There is a tradition that says whatever you do on New Years Day, you will do throughout the coming year.

With that in mind, Butch & I prepared for a symbolic mini-adventure. I loaded his saddlebags with people food (lunch), mule food (cookies), clothes (jacket), water (plastic bottle), 1st aid kit (multiuse tool & Stayfree feminine pad), symbolic sleeping bag (little bellypouch inside the saddlebags), and shelter. (Okay, it was a hat. I know that's stretchin it. But it was much sturdier and bigger and more waterproof than my regular hat, so we'll call it a "tent hat.") I had to work this afternoon and time was limited. So I figured we'd do the 3 1/2-mile loop and stop somewhere along the way for lunch. I'd tie Butch to a tree with grazing, eat lunch and pretend to snooze a bit under my tent hat.

He was almost all saddled when a barn buddy showed up and started tacking up her horse. This person usually rides alone, but I asked anyway if she'd like to join us and share lunch, and she said sure. The barn owner gave us another water bottle and off we went.

We found a nice spot up on the bike path to stop for lunch, next to a parking lot. We tied our mounts to rails. Butch was tied by his favorite munching tree, mesquite, and with plenty of ground cover bushes to graze on also. Friend and I shared a PB&J sandwich while we chatted about this and that. Butch got his cookies. As we were mounting back up, it suddenly dawned on me that if this was my symbolic adventure... a new friend was riding alongside. Part of the way, for one day.

Which is exactly what I hope will happen out there on the road! Friends new & old coming to ride along with, for an hour, a day, a week. I had forgotten to add that to my New Years Day mini-adventure. Somebody added it for me...

Wishing anyone out there reading this an amazing year 2012! I know last year was hard for a lot of folks - it was for me also in some ways, but I learned that happiness is truly an inside job, and I am so enjoying the present moment and having fun creating future ones. Hope you are too!