Happiness is a tall mounting block
Okay, so I am a simple person and I get pleasure out of simple things. Today... it is having a tall mounting block. Silly you might say. And if someone told me that is what makes them happy I would roll my eyes and chuckle. But folks, I have to say that it is what has made me the happiest on this day.
I have a 17.2 hand horse and I am 5'8". This means I should be able to get on my horse from the ground. But I can't, probably has something to do with this flat tire around my waist. Anyway, since I moved out to my current barn I have been using upside down water trough, turned over manure buckets, fences, and small unstable step ladders. All of which I am SURE I am going to flip over and end up under my horse. By the way I have done this on a poorly build mounting block before and got my butt wedged in between the steps. Luckily Dublin just step sideways and came back to look at me in my unusual position. And I used the stirrup to un-wedge myself. Good boy!!!
So I was in Pinehurst for a conference. It ended in the afternoon and all the guys were running to the golf course (Pinehurst is where the US Open golf championships were and are going to be held). But right next door to Pinehurst (about 4 miles) is Southern Pines, or better known to us North Carolinians as "horse heaven"! So I drove over and went shopping at the local tack store Cabin Branch.
I really like this store, because you are always welcomed at the door by a big lab. Who then walks around with you as to say "did you see the new show shirts, oh here is my favorite horse treats..." After playing with the dog and being escorted around to her ultimate place in the store... dog treats display, I saw it a three step mounting block!!! Made of hard and heavy duty plastic with a little door on the top step that reveals a storage place for brushes or whatever. I was in love. It was large and sturdy enough to comfortably step up and not worry about it tipping over, but it was also small enough to carry around. And the best of all things... it was not overly priced. I recently saw one marked for $150. This was about half! I was in love.
I quickly grabbed it up and shuffled to the cash register (with the lab showing me the way, gee that dog is well trained) and gladly whipped out my credit card. After the purchase was complete, I was led to the door by the lab again, and walked my new mounting block out to my truck. It was a glorious site to see it in my back seat where it road around for two days.
Today, in the rain and all, I pulled up to the barn and pulled out the new mounting block. Both my riding buddy, barn manager and I stood and stared at it. We were all very happy with my new purchase. Then we ran in and tacked up Dublin and Orion. Both are 17.2 hands and this was going to be an easy day to mount up. I rushed out with my horse and got lined up to get on, walked up the THREE steps and discovered I only had to lift my left foot up about 12 inches to reach the stirrup. There would be no stretching for me today and I would not worry about the graceful flip under the belly of the horse. No folks it was solid and a lovely height. All was grand.
Then I swung my leg over picked up my other stirrup and walked off in the rain with a huge smile on my face. Then Dublin informed me he had another idea. He produced the largest hump in his back which only means I am about to go sailing through the air. I got to dismount right beside the new mounting block, go in search of my lunge line, and then go to the covered arena and lunge him for a good 20 minutes to get all the bucks out. And THEN, I got to remount using the two step, way too short mounting block. But at least I had my happiness given to me early in the morning with my new TALL mounting block! Life is good!
I have a 17.2 hand horse and I am 5'8". This means I should be able to get on my horse from the ground. But I can't, probably has something to do with this flat tire around my waist. Anyway, since I moved out to my current barn I have been using upside down water trough, turned over manure buckets, fences, and small unstable step ladders. All of which I am SURE I am going to flip over and end up under my horse. By the way I have done this on a poorly build mounting block before and got my butt wedged in between the steps. Luckily Dublin just step sideways and came back to look at me in my unusual position. And I used the stirrup to un-wedge myself. Good boy!!!
So I was in Pinehurst for a conference. It ended in the afternoon and all the guys were running to the golf course (Pinehurst is where the US Open golf championships were and are going to be held). But right next door to Pinehurst (about 4 miles) is Southern Pines, or better known to us North Carolinians as "horse heaven"! So I drove over and went shopping at the local tack store Cabin Branch.
I really like this store, because you are always welcomed at the door by a big lab. Who then walks around with you as to say "did you see the new show shirts, oh here is my favorite horse treats..." After playing with the dog and being escorted around to her ultimate place in the store... dog treats display, I saw it a three step mounting block!!! Made of hard and heavy duty plastic with a little door on the top step that reveals a storage place for brushes or whatever. I was in love. It was large and sturdy enough to comfortably step up and not worry about it tipping over, but it was also small enough to carry around. And the best of all things... it was not overly priced. I recently saw one marked for $150. This was about half! I was in love.
I quickly grabbed it up and shuffled to the cash register (with the lab showing me the way, gee that dog is well trained) and gladly whipped out my credit card. After the purchase was complete, I was led to the door by the lab again, and walked my new mounting block out to my truck. It was a glorious site to see it in my back seat where it road around for two days.
Today, in the rain and all, I pulled up to the barn and pulled out the new mounting block. Both my riding buddy, barn manager and I stood and stared at it. We were all very happy with my new purchase. Then we ran in and tacked up Dublin and Orion. Both are 17.2 hands and this was going to be an easy day to mount up. I rushed out with my horse and got lined up to get on, walked up the THREE steps and discovered I only had to lift my left foot up about 12 inches to reach the stirrup. There would be no stretching for me today and I would not worry about the graceful flip under the belly of the horse. No folks it was solid and a lovely height. All was grand.
Then I swung my leg over picked up my other stirrup and walked off in the rain with a huge smile on my face. Then Dublin informed me he had another idea. He produced the largest hump in his back which only means I am about to go sailing through the air. I got to dismount right beside the new mounting block, go in search of my lunge line, and then go to the covered arena and lunge him for a good 20 minutes to get all the bucks out. And THEN, I got to remount using the two step, way too short mounting block. But at least I had my happiness given to me early in the morning with my new TALL mounting block! Life is good!
posted by Dressage Princess @ 11:16 AM
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