This message is from: Jean Ernest <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To Gail re Sport saddle: The Sport saddles wouldn't work on my Fjords, for the spines of the backbone are always somewhat evident, the highest point in the back, even when fat and they would have to be humongously fat to ever get a groove down the back like a quarterhorse or some other breeds. I think the sport saddle would be pressing on the spine in this case and maybe that was what was happening?
How about the Austrailian stock saddle, sposed to have some that fit quarterhorses, but FJords?? Anyway, Colin Danguaard's co. the austalian Stock Saddle Co. is out there in California.(Malibut: (818) 889=7271) I go along with the suggestion to use your Collegiate, tho, with those other stirrups, and a longer leathers, etc. At 10:09 AM 6/18/98 -0700, you wrote: >This message is from: Gail Russell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >I am posting this message to the Fjord Horse list and the trail riding list. >Sorry for any repeated messages. > >Well, it appears that Gunthar is the kind of horse who needs a "stretch Mu >Mu." And he isn't even all that fat. > >I decided yesterday that I needed to try out a Circle Y (Bob Marshall) >Sports Saddle for Gunthar.>(For those in Europe, it is known as a treeless saddle, essentially heavy >leather joining a pommel (sp) and cantle - and that is it. I do not exactly >understand how it works. I think it differs from a bareback pad in that the >pommel and cantle act like two separate "trees" joined by the leather >between them. [snip] >Well, Gunthar hated the saddle. And he repeatedly told me in no uncertain >terms that it is *not* a "one size fits all." [snip] as I >know. However, after it sat there a few moments he put his ears back and >kept trying to turn his head back to the saddle. When I cinced it up he was >clearly very unhappy. The look on his face was such that I decided to treat >him like a horse that just might buck when mounted (put a little weight in >stirrups from the ground, test things out, etc). Gunthar is used to an >elastic cinch, and the big wide felt one I got with the saddle seemed to >wrinkle his skin some. I tried to correct that, loosened the cinch some. I >think it is possible that I put the saddle on too far back such that the >"pommel tree" was digging into his back/shoulders. However, this should not >really be all that crucial if this is truly a "one size fits all" saddle. >ANyway, he nipped at me when I tried to mount (*never nips*) and was >generally very very unhappy. > >After riding for a little while we loosened the girth and checked things >out. Decided the saddle might be a bit too far back and moved it forward. >Still seemed to dig into his shoulders - sort of like a saddle that is >really designed for a horse with higher, narrower withers. There was a >*lot* of pressure under the front "pommel tree". [snip] may be sticking with the Collegiate >Senior Event saddle - but adding Cloud Stirrups (already ordered) and >possibly some kind of elastic stirrups to give my knees a break (anyone >remember where to order them - I've seen them somewhere). > >TIA for your assisatnce. > >Gail and a very unhappy Gunthar, who does not want to demo this saddle this >weekend unless there are some *big* changes in management. >Gail Russell >Forestville CA >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ****************************************************************** Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska [EMAIL PROTECTED]
