The weather keeps fluctuating between cold and rainy and sunny and warm (much to the annoyance of my arthritic hand which have been swelling and de-swelling with the weather!!) so decided to get out while the going was nice this weekend for some fast hacks (and to practice what Roger Philpot taught me!).
We did two circuits of the cow field at a fast canter and gallop which goes uphill and which has furrow and ridge and putting my weight forward onto my left thigh towards the knee, really does make for a smoother and more secure cross country ride. It also helps when braking as I can put the leverage on stronger as I start to sit upright for the transition downward.
My "new" off-side Champion & Wilton did not move all through our fast hacks this weekend and is a VERY secure and comfortable saddle. I'm so pleased with it.
After our gallops, there is a meadow in the adjacent field which you can walk all around. You can do any fast work as many people use it to walk their dogs but it's so peaceful just to walk around it. The other week, there were hundreds of butterflies flying around it and this weekend, I had choirs of crickets singing to me. It's like a piece of heaven.
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I also have started conditioning my C&W with Effax and scraped down the mottled seat with sandpaper so is much more grippier and cleaner now. I also gave the wykham pad a good vacuum as well. Here it is, an off-side wykham pad complete with ventilation holes at the gullet channel. The bottom is lined in linen.
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We did two circuits of the cow field at a fast canter and gallop which goes uphill and which has furrow and ridge and putting my weight forward onto my left thigh towards the knee, really does make for a smoother and more secure cross country ride. It also helps when braking as I can put the leverage on stronger as I start to sit upright for the transition downward.
My "new" off-side Champion & Wilton did not move all through our fast hacks this weekend and is a VERY secure and comfortable saddle. I'm so pleased with it.
After our gallops, there is a meadow in the adjacent field which you can walk all around. You can do any fast work as many people use it to walk their dogs but it's so peaceful just to walk around it. The other week, there were hundreds of butterflies flying around it and this weekend, I had choirs of crickets singing to me. It's like a piece of heaven.
I also have started conditioning my C&W with Effax and scraped down the mottled seat with sandpaper so is much more grippier and cleaner now. I also gave the wykham pad a good vacuum as well. Here it is, an off-side wykham pad complete with ventilation holes at the gullet channel. The bottom is lined in linen.
