New Saddle!

So I have FINALLY been able to get my hands on a newer 18" Stubben Siegfried VSS with a 30-31 tree.  Got it for a relative steal, particularly considering the shape it is in.  The person I bought it from was going to go into english riding, but decided against it.  It came with all stubben fittings, along with a bonus leather stubben girth that fits Koda!  It is in need of a cleaning, but otherwise is in super good used condition.  I purchased a new soap/conditioner and am hoping it will get here before Friday since I'd love to try it out on this saddle before the clinic.

My precious

During the long weekend I didn't have much of a chance to ride as I was farm sitting (dogs, minis, horses, and llamas, oh my!) but I did fit in a lunge session with Koda using my vienna reins.  It was the first time for him to have this one, so they were on their loosest setting.  He figured it out fairly quickly, and I only had them on him for a short period of time since I really didn't know how he would react.  Koda can be a touch explosive sometimes over random things...

Great workmanship, even though it's orange underneath...

Either way, he figured out what the reins were asking, and to reach down and out more so than he usually does.  I had to really keep up the pressure on him to move forward into the contact of the reins since I think this is a really new concept for him.  Yay for discovering a couple holes in his training.  Since I don't have a lunging surcingle, I popped the new saddle up there and saw how he handled flopping stirrups.  Didn't bat an eye at anything, just got down to work and figuring out what I was asking of him.  (Key to Koda success - engage his BRAIN!).  When we were done, I pulled off the baby pad and saw exactly what I was looking for - even dirt marks (for the most part) and a very generous space along the spine.  Great indicators that this saddle fits Koda, and fits him well. 

Good fit!

I'm going out tonight to take the trailer to the auto shop and give Koda some beauty treatments!  His mane needs to be thinned and shortened, along with cleaning up his bridle path and still fuzzy legs. 

Next update - Trailer fixin' and Koda's make-over