Saddle Help!

[pepper]

This question is mainly for Michelle but anyone can answer.
I've deceided I need to buy a new saddle for Amigo.I've been using a treeless saddle since last April which fits him great,but I'm not lovin' it!Without a tree,it feels like you're riding bareback,and I just can't adjust .He's soooo broad that my hips are too spread out & my legs feel useless , so I want a standard dressage saddle .
Sooo,I'm wondering what dressage saddle you're using on your wide-backed kigers & cross-breeds??He has moderately high withers that taper to a table-top.I prefer a deep seat as I'll be using the saddle on the trail also.Any suggestions of brands will help.Thanks :>)pepper Oh yeh,Hi everybody,I've missed you all!

[Michelle Clarke]

Hi Pepper, good to have you on Board!

Ah, saddles, my nemisis! Trying to fit a stiff, imobile object onto a living, breathing, moving horse and still be comfortable for the rider, has got to be one of the hardest things ever!

For the last eight years I have only used one type of saddle. Well, one type of tree, different saddles on it. It is a flexable tree, but not your average type that is really not very good for your horse. It is made out of two fiberglass pieces in the front and back (like an A-frame), then the center is a very strong hinge wrapped in leather. The way the saddle is designed is to keep you off of the horses back and the "flex" to take up the movement and concusion. You are not bouncing on their back and they are not jarring you. The other benefit of the way it is shaped, is that it allows you to sit more naturally, meaning, you are not straddled wide, it fits the contour of your thigh and leg more. Because you are "above" the horse per se, the widest part is not your hip, it is more toward your knee as it should be.

Everyone I let ride in my saddles falls imediately in love and buys one. The horses love it to. We have done tests with different saddles, one right after another, and hands down they always go better in these. The saddle shapes nicely onto the back, gives the shoulders room; is short, so it puts no pressure behind the rib cage onto the lower back where there is no support (like alot of western saddles). The horse also can get round in it easily because there are no pressure points like a regular dressage saddle.

I know I sound like a commercial, but I have searched high and low for saddles and I just won't ride in anything else now, I am spoiled with mine. My huband broke his back years ago and cannot ride more than one horse without being in severe pain; that is until he now rides in one of these.

I have three models: the Potrera (which is a Portuguese schooling saddle), a dressage saddle and yes, even a western one! That is funny because they are made in Spain...even in the western saddle, you are put into a nice classical position. The Potrera has saved my butt with young horses many many times - I can remember a time or two with Charro that I was happy to have it too!

Here is the link:
www.iberianconnection.com/saddles/saddles.html

Dianne and Bill are wonderful folks,let them know you heard about them from me and they will know where you are coming from.

[lwood92]

I have the western saddle Michelle is talking about and I love it! Michelle is right, I rode in it one time and fell in love. My best friend rode in it one time and fell in love. I wish we had video taped the first time we put it on my friends horse. Her horse was so much more relaxed. She moved better and you could tell that she loved it too. I highly recommend one!

[DianneC]

Do you have pictures of the western one? thanks!

[kigerfan]

I would also enjoy seeing a picture. I finally received my torsion saddle and will be making a report on it soon. It's wonderfully light weight and well made. I will soon be posting pictures of Firefly with it on

[Michelle Clarke]

Took me long enough....can't get Rev to stand still! Every time I backed up to take the pict, he came right with me. That pad was thick for the saddle, but the regular pad I use was wet from Desi along with the regular (longer) girth...

[DianneC]

Looks like it has a lot going for it. What kind of price range are we talking about?

[Michelle Clarke]

I belive with the increase in the Euro, the price is about $1,800.00. One of the best feature is the leather is great and the saddle feels broke in already with the soft and supple leather.

[angelsdream]

Oh WOW! I really like that saddle. So it fits them pretty good? Will it fit most any horse pretty good, whether kiger or quarter horse?

[Michelle Clarke]

Yes, it fits a variety of breeds because of the way it is made. There are no long bars along the back that have to conform, thereby only fitting certain types of horses. One of the gals here bought the saddle and she has a paint. It fits her wonderfully. I had a half Andalusian/Paint cross that I used to ride my Portuguese saddle in (it has the same tree) and it fit him perfectly and secure enough to where I could do mounted airs without issue.

[angelsdream]

Ok. Sounds like Im going to have to save up some money... thanks Michelle

[toucan]

admin said:

Yes, it fits a variety of breeds because of the way it is made. There are no long bars along the back that have to conform, thereby only fitting certain types of horses. One of the gals here bought the saddle and she has a paint. It fits her wonderfully. I had a half Andalusian/Paint cross that I used to ride my Portuguese saddle in (it has the same tree) and it fit him perfectly and secure enough to where I could do mounted airs without issue.

Wow!!! I'm impressed! I've only seen mounted airs done when I went to see the Lipazanner's many years ago. Can you please tell us more about the horse you performed this with? Who did you study with to learn such skills? If you were riding at that level, you must have pictures somewhere. I know I would along with everyone else would love to see them.

Stephanie

[kigerfan]

I agree, I would love to see the pictures

[Michelle Clarke]

Ralphie was brought to us to be trained to do commercials and exhibitions. he was owned by a gal who owned a national feed company and he was to be the spokes horse. He was 7 yrs. old and had been to a trainer when he was 3...bucked him off every day for two weeks and the guy sent him straight home!

Ralph had a great sense of humor and was always looking to make people laugh. The first 2 years of training were just spent on the ground because his job required no riding. He went quickly from bowing, laying down and rearing to upper level stuff like terre-terre, levade, spanish walk and finally the capriole. This was all at liberty too - he was quite talented. He could answer any question yes or no depending on how you influxed your voice at the end.

Well, the company was bought out and that was the end of Ralphies job. By that time, we were very attached so my huband bought him for me. I then began the fun job of starting a 9 yr. old horse under saddle - not to mention he now knows every trick in the book to get out of stuff!

When he did not want to do something, he would go through his whole repitoir of stuff, including laying down with me (like in the river) and jumping up in the air and kicking out at horses behind us on trail. So, many of the airs were not exactly on purpose! Mainly the reason I got that saddle to begin with!

When he did want to conform, he learned pirouettes, piaffe, passage and lead changes. He also transferred the terre-terre easily along with the spanish walk and levade under saddle. I never officially asked him for the capriole under saddle, but got it many times when he would feel the task at hand was much more difficult...

I sold him to my best friend at the time before we moved. She just adored him and they got along well. There was no way he wanted to go live in the Texas rock! He was quite spoiled and liked his comforts by then! In fact, it did not take her long before she was doing mini-events at the prelim level.

Pict of Ralphie in canter pirouette:



Pict doing piaffe with only a string in his mouth (was a HOT august and his third demo that day):



I have some picts of him rearing/levade, I will have to dig them up...

[Michelle Clarke]

Don't know why whomever was taking these picts did not get one of him actually laying down, but here he is going down....







These were all about 10-12 years ago...I HATE my picture taken to begin with! These were all taken by students so they are not always the best positioning or the most flattering! You can tell every one loves the rearing!