Forum


Monty Roberts Equus Online University
Horse Training Video Instruction Program

Learn all about Equus • Dually Halter • Shy Boy Mustang • Jumping Horses
• Story of a Horse Whisperer • Riding Horsemanship • Dressage Horses • Willing Partners
• Horse Training • Round Pen Lessons • Performance Horses • Join-Up

← back

Horse Care and Comfort

Dear Monty Cavallo comes up Trumps

Hello! 100 lessons completed

Dear Monty and all friends,
I got in touch with Cavallo direct at their base in Canada. They agreed to post me the Performance Enhanced Barrel/Endurance and Performance Enhanced Western Saddle Pads. They came a week ago and so far I've tried the Barrel pad. It's been great. The first time I used it I had to fiddle around a bit to get the PE bits under the bars and in place properley.
But inexperienced as I am, I was sure I could feel Leggs better. You know feel where each leg was at any particular time. I'd been struggling with this for ages.
We've now done a couple of sessions in the school (well unused grass padock) and 3 hacks. Today we did 14 miles and at last it was a little warmer so I could clearly see where the saddle was fitting.
The dorsal ridge along the spine was completely dry. The pad stays in place quite well but with hard work there is a slighty dryer and more ruffled area just behind the scapula.
But so far i think we're both impressed. As I can feel Leggs more I'm sure she can feel me more too.
Messing about with schooling type work on the way home one day ( we often play silly games whilst out to keep concentration and skills up)i was working on adjusting her speed. On the way home this is usually fast or faster! Anyway, i found if i swung my leg forward i could when her shoulder was moving forward - kinda right left, right left, i could get her to extend her stride. If i slowed the speed and put my leg less far forward i could slow and shorten her stride. It was really fun. Try it. we even had brakes without any use of the reins - a major mirracle for us!
My conclusion is that not only cn i feel Leggs more but she can also feel me more. Hopefully this is a good thing but as I'm not that good a rider i'm sure she must forgive a lot of the bad stuff as well. What a darling girl.
So Krystle from Cavallo was brilliantly helpful and the pads seem to work. Certainly, our experience so far has been positive and the pad is far enough back to avoid the area around the loins that was rubbing. But time will tell if her hair heals well that will be just fabulous.
Thanks for listening
Liz n Leggs