I really didn't want to spend money on another saddle, but Danny was outgrowing Fleck's dressage saddle. I had bought the jump one slightly wider because at the time I bought it, I knew I had Dan. So the jump saddle works for them both. Unfortunately (Or fortunately, depending on how you look at it. ;) ), Danny was getting to be too wide for Fleck's medium narrow. I decided I had to do something so I debated for awhile on whether to try to find a used one.... I tried one on him that was the extra wide gullet and liked it. But it was black. And... I know he looks quite handsome in black, but now I'm really loving my brown tack. And he pulls off the brown quite nicely too. So then I sat in Cindy's perfection, which is the smaller seat size and straighter leg flap. It was tough to get my legs to behave. So then I sat in the Fusion, which really made me open my hip angle and all of a sudden I had a better seat. So then Cindy and I thought I kind of liked that one. So then I sat in hers again to get a better idea of seat size and really see if I liked the fusion. And suddenly, because the fusion opened up my hips, I could really sit in Cindy's and decided I loved it. And it fit Dan so beautifully and he was really lifting up his back and floating!
So then I had just about decided to order him one like Cindy's but couldn't quite decide if I wanted to spend the money or if I wanted to try to find used.... and Cindy Adcock told me they came out with a monoflap. I honestly didn't expect to like it that much because I wasn't as happy in the jump monoflap as I was in my Conquest non-monoflap. But I tried it on. Oh man!!!! It was DIVINE! It was ( super luckily and conveniently) the exact same sizing and details as Cindy's but the monoflap. It was magnificent. Dan went beautifully in it and I loved it for me. I still had the same more correct seat and leg position, but I felt much more connected to Dan. It felt like I was riding bareback but with a big soft comfy seat. My leg was a bit more locked in to the correct position (in a good way) and I could feel the subtle nuances better. It was awesome!!! So that sold me! I couldn't find a used monoflap so I had to get a new one. :) And then I could get brown. :) Heck, I could get brown with black trim, or brown with light brown trim. I agonized over that for awhile as Cindy's trimmed one was so pretty. But I decided that Dan had enough bling on his own and we would just stick to chocolate brown.
And it finally came!! And it was just as divine as I remembered. :) Danny went so well in it and it was so much easier to feel what Cindy was seeing. Yay!!!
So we had a great lesson. My take away was that he was throwing me off his right side a bit. I could actually feel it too. So I had to focus a bit more on sitting on the right side. And he tolerated it well. Then I could really get a lovely canter and trot! Wheee!!! And then I had to remember to not throw myself into the cantle. Good thing my first ride in it was with Cindy. I need to break in it right. :) And my second ride in it will probably be with Cindy too, so even better! Sadly I have to go to Kansas, but at least then my second ride in it will be correctly positioned too.
He was so hot and sweaty and dirty, but... I think he looks quite nice in the brown. :)
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