Not as good as we thought. Saddle search

I had another ride the other day which i have not posted about yet so i should catch up while it is so slow at work.

While tacking G up on Sunday i had yet ANOTHER run in with the birds at our barn, this time it was not the pigeons. I was brushing G out when i saw something small fly behind me then a big mass of black and white fying right at my face. It scared the crap out of me and after i regained my composure i realised this stupid magpie was trying to kill a little brown bird that was taking refuge behind me, so after throwing my dressage whip at the magpie it went away. The little brown bird was terrified it didnt even fly away until i (for what ever reason) tried to pick it up and it flew away to hide ontop of our feed room. No suprise my horse that spooks at practically everything didnt even flinch while all of this going on... of course not its no fun to spook unless mom is on his back and he is able to temporarily displace me in the saddle lol.

Anyways the ride was a bit of a fight we really struggled to keep contact on the bit at a walk and a trot. So once he gave a little we did something else, lots and lots of trot work pushing into those scary corners and working on using my legs not my hands in the turns seems like i have been doing a lot of this lately but practice makes perfect right...

I figured that i had so much control at the trot that we should canter... even just a little bit to get started on our canter work... but of course we didnt because i am to much of a chicken S**T. I have come so far with Gjonstone but something about the canter still makes me really nervous, as soon as i start to ask for it i brace for it and tense my entire upper body which i know will just result in a disaster so it makes me more nervous because i cant seem to convince myself to relax and just go with it like i am able to do at a walk, trot and when he has his moments of complete chaos which can either come in the form of dropping a shoulder and bolting the other way or just running off with me on his back while he stretched his head as high as possible resembling a giraffe being chased by lions.

Maybe i need to get someone to lunge G while i ride a canter and get used to the movement and get a little more confidence in that gait... i can handle it when he does it himself but asking him to do it causes me to come completely unhinged and i know he can feel that because he definatly either responds negatively and spooks or bolts or he just ignores me all together because of my lack of confidence.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. My Trainer leaves in 4 weeks to move back to B.C so i dont really want to work on the Canter stuff with her because i can do that with the other girl i was taking lessons with but i really want to get this gait down because then it is just the fine tuning (picking up correct leads, contact) then we can start preparing for next year and our competitions. (i dream big what can i say lol, when i put pressure on myself like this i obtain my goals it makes me work harder).

I have also started searching somewhat for a new saddle and saving my money, i currently ride in a Paris Tack Dressage saddle that has done great up until now but i am finding that my back is sore my inner thighs and my pelvis throb all after riding. G is also starting to get some hot spots on his back.. so more bareback riding it is and more research and possibly when i can afford it... getting a saddle fitter out.

I have been hearing great things about
-Frank Baines
-Hastilow Custom (another blogger recently purchased this and is loving it, Elevation)

Those are the ones i keep hearing about and have read a lot about and of course the idea of a custom saddle and one that can change with my horse seems like a great idea... the price... well out of my price range. But! if it makes me and my horse happy then it is worth saving up for...

(sorry this post is all over the map i am at work trying to get it in, in between clients)