>>> I've always felt that a crupper could hide a saddle fit issue. I'm sure I >>> could go without a girth on Gusti's BM...it stays in place no matter what I >>> do.
I feel that way too. I remember Virginia struggling to find a saddle for Gat though, and I know she tried several saddles and several girths and didn't make that decision lightly, so I guess they may be inevitable for a few horses. However, Virginia and her girls are little and I don't think they are riding Gat for hours on end over all kinds of terrain - yet! Anyway, I'm not really talking about her, since I do feel like she made the decision after some thought. I just cringe when I hear people who swear they won't ride without one, because they are necessary - "just because." (If you ask me, someone should make them walk and run for hours with a rolled leather wedgie...) I rarely even use a breastcollar, even on hills. To me, if the saddle tends to roll or slip back when the rider is up, something is up - either the rider needs to work on his/her balance, or the saddle is a poor fit - or both. I DO use a breastcollar on occasions (Sina looks cute in her black/turquoise one) and I don't think they are as intrusive as cruppers - plus it's much easier to keep an eye on any binding or rubbing while you're riding since the breastcollar is in front of you, where you can watch it all times. The last time I rode in KY with Anneliese, my Sensation slipped back a little on her horse that I was riding. I'm sure that a breastcollar would have helped, but if I were going to ride that horse regularly over that terrain, I'd prefer to look at putting some shims in the pad, changing the pad or the girth, or even using another saddle on the mare - something that would directly address the root cause of problem, not just fix the symptoms. I've only had Sensations slip back on two horses - and probably not coincidentally, they were half-siblings. (I'd love to have that mare here beside her sibling so I could try to isolate what is unique with their conformation...) I've never had a Sensation that wanted to roll while I was riding - but then, by the time I got mine, I'd been struggling with my recovery for two years, so working on MY balance had become a top priority for me. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.20.8/1288 - Release Date: 2/19/2008 8:47 PM
