I had to go to the city today so didn't have time to ride, but yesterday I brought my saddle home to clean it. So I'm going to show you my saddle; Nuzzling Muzzles had a lot of saddle talk on her blog in her search for just the right saddle to fit her horses and it got me to thinking about my journey in finding saddles that fit me and my horses. The first saddle I used on Beamer was too long, and it put me behind his center of gravity- he has a short back- and I was having trouble with my balance on him. My trainer thought it was just me, so he got on him in my saddle and had the same problem. So I traded that one in on this one; it's a reining saddle made by Saddlesmith, and it works great for me and Beamer. I like the skirt rigging which keeps me really close to my horse.
The stirrup leathers have a twist to them which keeps the stirrups hanging straight; they are always right there for my foot, no searching for them! There is plenty of room in the gullet.
The bars on this saddle flare away from the horse's shoulders, which allows ease of lateral movement in the spin and rollbacks.
I like the aluminum stirrups because the weight of them helps to keep them hanging in the right spot. I use a neoprene cinch on this saddle. I never get sore in this saddle, even if I ride a lot of hours.Oddly enough, it did not fit Gussie very well. So on her, I used a saddle made by Brian Ironmonger from Brian's Saddle Shop in Galloway, B.C. and custom built for me and Sundee (Coyote Belle's mother) but that's another story!
I tag anyone who wants to participate to do a post on their saddle!
8 comments:
I have to say I love your blog. I love all the pictures of your horses and dogs. I have 3 border collies and one is a split face. Also a couple of horses and much more. Great blog!
I have too struggled to find a saddle to fit my stud and finally found one.. It is made by Continental Saddlery. It's their Penny Gerardi style and I am in love with it... it is the nicest saddle I have ever ridden in.. It also has a flex tree to move with my stud during spins and any manouver that requires bending his back, pluse it is flared like yours over the shoulders. I am now a Continetal fan!!! i would like another one, I haven't found a horse that it hasn't fit yet!
Tara, I haven't heard of that brand; where'd you find it? Why don't you start a blog? Then you could show us all your horses and the new babies and all that fun stuff; including pictures of your saddle!
I don't know that I would be that great at keeping a blog up-dated like you do.. I find it hard enought to keep my web site up-dated... Anyway, you can see the Continetal saddles at this address
http://www.continentalsaddlery.com/
They only make reining saddles but are awesome saddles even for trail riding and I would recomend them to anyone!
Your saddle is gorgeous! SO is Beamer and the ride in the snow...and your dogs! ;) Hope to stop by and read more over here. My cousin would love your Palominos!
I'm still fiddling around with my new saddle. I read that you are supposed to fit 2 to 3 fingers in underneath the gullet without a saddle pad, so I tried that today. It was 2 1/2 fingers for Lostine and 3 for Bombay. Sometimes I think I should have gone with a larger seat, but 17 1/2 would have put me too far back on an Arab's already too short back.
Thanks, Backattheranch and PonyGirl!
NuzMuz,I always thought I needed a bigger seat in my saddle, but I am riding a 15.5 seat now and find that I have more room in it than I thought I would.Anytime you sit too far back, you get behind your horses center of gravity and throws you and your horse out of sync.
Nice looking saddle!
Dang it is clean! Mine not so much!
Hubby is having one made to fit his horse, we have'nt found one yet that will fit him
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