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SADDLES
This month I think writing about saddles would be a good
idea…. the season is coming up where everyone will be out
getting their horses in shape for the spring.
A good saddle is an absolute necessity for anyone that
cares about his/her horse. A surprisingly large number of
people do not have a well- fitting saddle and the only reason
they don’t is that they do not know how to fit one.
It is an art.
I
have a fairly hard to fit horse, she is barrel backed and has
quite a bit of muscle around her shoulder area.
I have tried every saddle imaginable that could be
purchased…. dressage saddles, all purpose saddles, treeless
saddles, wide
saddles, medium saddles and everything in between.
I went through at least 20 saddles, none of which
worked on my horse…. some of which caused sores or worse, a
sore back which reduced my riding.
I
decided that the Western saddles were a bit too heavy for me
and to cumbersome, putting too much leather between me and my
horse and not allowing me to feel what she was going to do.
So I started doing some research on the endurance
saddles and found a person that was willing to make a saddle
for her, and not at a ridiculously outrageous price!
Her
website is here.
She talks to you about what you use your horse for, how long
you ride, etc. Then
she gets pictures of your horse from all angles.
She gets your measurements as well, or not exactly
measurements, but your height and weight.
She has a knack for matching people with saddles.
There is also something she uses that takes almost an
instant measurement of your horses back and is very close to
exact. It is a
3-D model and helps immensely in making a custom saddle.
The website for that is here.
She works closely with them to insure a perfect fit.
These
saddles weigh only about
15 lbs and can be custom made with any number of D-rings or
personal touches you may want, like longer/shorter fenders,
wider seat, shorter seat, taller/shorter pommel or cantle.
Her
saddles have been used for many endurance rides and multi-day
and the horses fare very well, no sore backs, no fatigue and
quite a few winners! The
riders love them as well.
One rider sent her a testimonial that after a 275
mile ride, both horse and rider fared well, the horse
scored an “A” on back and withers, which in itself is a
feat!
Here
is one testimonial from a distance and multi day
rider………
"Last
year I started riding the Advantage saddle on my two main
Endurance horses. I was amazed to see how this saddle, being
so light in weight, fits so perfectly on my horses. I
have completed several Multiday rides of up to 275 miles on
this saddle without having any back problems or pressure
points whatsoever. In fact. after the last Outlaw trail, my
horse BW Triple Divide received an "A" on 'Back and
Withers', and BC after 5 days and 275 tough miles. The saddle
fits not only the horses well,
but is also very comfortable for the rider. And because
every saddle is custom made, this saddle can be modified to
individual needs for horse and rider. The Advantage saddle is
truly amazing and opens a whole new chapter in the saddle
world."
At
any rate, if you want to try a saddle that will be custom made
by a woman that really cares about craftsmanship, your horse
and its fit, then at least contact her. Katee Owens will talk
to you and at the very least, give you an idea of what your
horse may need, even if you don’t purchase a saddle, your
horse will appreciate the effort when there are no more sore
backs!
If
you have any question, you can email her at owensall@sierratel.com
and she will reply quickly.
If
you want to see one of her saddles, I work in Raleigh and will
be glad to bring my saddle to show anyone interested.
If
you have any questions about a saddle that you may want to try
and need another opinion, email me, I probably have tried it
and can tell you what I found out about it from trying it.
Gather as much info about the saddle you buy before you
buy it….it will make all the difference in how your horse
acts.
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