Bob's Saddle

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for all the wonderful comments I've received on my anniversary post. I'll speak more to that when I do the draw for the GIVE-AWAY on Friday. If you havent entered yet, please do!

Now....

On to Bob's Saddle.

*****

For some reason the whole time I was taking photos of my saddle today the song "These Eyes" by the Guess Who was running through my head...

Dont ask why... I was just feeling a little nostalgic I guess... But then I cant hear this song anymore without thinking of "Evan" singing it with that group of stoners in Superbad...

Anyways, I took these pictures of my saddle today....


Yes, this is my saddle. It's not Bob's! But it is a saddle made by Bob's Custom Saddles!

This is my third Bob's and I love just love them. My first, which was a Bob's "Bob Avila" reiner, I sold when I sold Ellie and went through my "I'm-scared-of-horses-so-screw-it-I-quit" stage.


But when I moved on to my "I-am-scared-of-horses-but-I'll-be-damned-if-I'll-quit" stage I needed a saddle again because I had bought Shaunti. I found a Bob's Custom "Todd Bergen" but I figured out the day after my trial ended that it did not in fact fit him....


And so I sold my $1800 saddle at a loss because it didnt fit my $600 rescue horse. Go figure. Horse people, we're a crazy bunch!


The Bob's saddle in these pictures is one I bought early in 2008 from my trainer, Kari.


I got it for a smokin' deal too! It is big, comfortable, and pretty to look at....and well made too, of course.

This saddle treated me really well in 2008....

Actually, my butt spent a lot of time in this saddle last year....

I took a lot of lessons on Slyder in this saddle.... and had my first ride on Abby in it too. But mostly this was Shaunti's saddle. Now Shaunit is gone, Abby is off being a Momma and I'm left horseless.

As such '09 has been a lonely year for my dear sweet saddle...

Sometimes I can hear it calling to me... and so I'll go down and pull it out of it's bag and sit in it for a a minute...

But sitting on a saddle that is not attached to a horse feels a little odd....

And might make me look a little odd too....

So, let's just pretend I didn't just admit to that, okay? Thanks.

I REALLY miss my saddle. I miss hauling it around...all 42 pounds of it.

I miss the way that the stirrups would swing and bang on my shins when I carried it from the truck to the barn...

I miss the creak of my saddle, those mysterious clicks and squeaks of leather moving between you and your horse....

I miss the smell of my saddle....of leather, dust and horse sweat.

I miss sitting out in the sun and watching my horse graze while I cleaned my saddle....getting deep in the nooks and crannies with a toothbrush.

I used to love picking up my saddle and hitching it up on my hip and packing it out to the hitching post with one hand....

I'd get my saddle pad under one arm, my sport boots under the other and hitch that saddle up on my hip. Then I'd sling my bridle over one shoulder and pick my tack box up with my remaining free hand... . I dont believe I ever, ever made it to the hitching post without dropping at least one part of my gear...but I never stopped trying....

Never stop trying.