09/30/2025
INSPECT👏🏼 YOUR👏🏼 TACK👏🏼
In case anyone is looking for a sign to meticulously examine every piece of their tack, consider this your sign!
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been experiencing significant difficulties with Dutch. While some rides were exceptional, most were subpar to say the least. Initially, I attributed the issues to my own performance, as that is often the case. However, I soon noticed a pattern. On 'dressage' days, Dutch performed remarkably well, but on 'flat' days, he was clearly uncomfortable. My next suspicion was that the saddle no longer fit properly, but my intuition suggested that there was an underlying issue. Despite doing massage, groundwork, and ba****ck riding, the problems persisted. Sunday's ride was THE WORST to date, with Dutch running out from under me, broncing, and throwing his head constantly. I was already in a bad mood, so I called the ride after 10 minutes. Afterwards, I decided to do athorough cleaning of my saddle and discovered an anomaly. The left side of the seat was wrinkled and exhibited excessive movement. Upon further inspection, I found that a portion of the tree was protruding (see second picture) from the bottom… My stomach dropped and I felt terrible. I unknowingly was riding Dutch with a broken tree for God only knows how long. Learn from me and throughly inspect your tack on a regular basis!
On the bright side, our dressage saddle is sound so we’ll be working on our dressage💃
