This message is from: Kathleen Prince <kathl...@pookiebros.com>
Sounds like you are right to me. This is why I've been researching treeless saddles for my wide girls :-) -- Kathleen Prince kathl...@pookiebros.com Pookie Bros. Pet Sitting Professional Pet Care In Your Home! http://www.pookiebros.com On Sep 8, 2011, at 7:12 AM, igs...@tds.net wrote: > This message is from: igs...@tds.net > > > Ok, at the risk of becoming the most flamed person in Fjordie-land, > I am going to weigh in on the saddle issue. To fit a fjord properly > with any type of treed saddle, you need the right tree. I am sure > you understand how a tree works - it is the wood or plastic > skeleton that is designed to get your weight up and OFF your > horse's spine. It is supposed to make good contact with your > horse's back the entire length of the tree, while staying free of > the shoulder area, so that the shoulder can swing freely. Most > western saddles do not fit ANY horse except a very specific type of > quarter horse because they are all using the same tree, all made by > one company. It does not matter what you do with panels or gullets > or whatever if the tree does not fit. > There are only 2 companies in the US who still make their own > trees. Billy Cook and Big Horn. I own 2 wide tree Billy Cooks and > they are fabulous! I think that any one who saw my show saddle at > the MWFHC show has to agree - fabulous tack that fits like a glove. > I ride my BCs all the time, and I do not need a back cinch or a > breastcollar or a specific type of cinch. My saddle does not slip > because it FITS. If you need all kinds of rigging to keep your > saddle in place, it does not fit. It is that simple. > Think I am exaggerating? Let me tell you about my dumb-ass moment. > I cleaned my saddle, and took the cinch completely off to clean it > too. Re-attached it sort of half-assed on the off side (just enough > to keep it physically on the saddle), thinking I would get it done > properly at the barn. Got really busy and did not ride for a week > or 2. Forgot about the cinch not being adjusted properly. Tacked > up, jumped on, and did some ring work. We did serpentines and lots > of trotting in circles, etc. At the end of the ride, I jumped off, > and the saddle came off with me. The saddle did not slip around as > long as I stayed balanced, because it fits! > I can not speak to the issue of small manufacturers who custom make > a saddle for you. If you are going to pay that kind of money, make > sure you ask who made the tree. If it is a Steel (company, not > material), save your money! > Here's the part that is going to get me hate mail. My trainer grew > up (literally) in a tack shop. Her mom is a fantastic tack fitter > and award winning saddle designer. In my trainer's opinion, there > were TWO saddles that fit properly at the recent fjord show. TWO! > Mine and one other. (No, I do not know who the other one is.) > Fjords are great at just sucking it up and carrying on. The fact > that your horse is not bucking does not mean your saddle fits. > Julie in Madison > Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile. > > Important FjordHorse List Links: > Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e > FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw > Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
