Yep. Saddle fit.

I am going to print out the following notes in 64 point type and glue them to the inside of my tack trunk:

• If all of a sudden it seems that you’ve forgotten how to ride, your saddle is probably out of balance, meaning the fit is also changing.

• And before things really start to go to Hell in a hand basket and get to the point where you are convinced that you have developed a severe and sudden onset of EA (equestrian Alzheimers’), note that things that once seemed simple automatic will become difficult.  And by things I mean steering.  This is a red flag. Pay attention to it.

• If, out of the blue, your lower back starts hurting, your horse is going like a green donkey and you find yourself wanting to do incredibly stupid things like cross your left rein over to the withers to the vicinity of your right elbow in order to get. INTO. the. damn corner you might have a saddle fit problem.  In case you missed the point above, these are more red flags.

• If for the very life of you it is impossible to access the inside hind or even get the horse on the bit, you might have a saddle fit problem.

• If you ride one horse like a drunken monkey, and then ride another horse quite well on the same day, chances are pretty good you’re fighting an imbalance in the saddle.  Stop crying, it isn’t you.  (And I’m not just saying that.)

• If you dismount and uncharacteristically want to kick your adorable horse in the shins en route to drowning yourself in a water tank because you SUCK and can’t effectively ride a bar stool much less a quality 20m circle, you might want to look to your saddle.

Vent over.

After a chat with Christy, who is also having an episode of the saddle fit fits, I put the narrowest gullet into one of my Wintecs, and promptly had a ride that restored some hope.   The second I sat in that saddle, I knew I was in business. I could feel my seat bones again!  Praise the Lord!  I was able to put the walk together in about a nanosecond, and got much better trot work too.  We did diagnose the fact that the I need to reinstall some buttons and responsiveness but tonight was a move in the right direction.