RC Saddle Fit

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Lynda Townsend arabians4u@hotmail.com
Dolores, sorry about the part of being a guest.  I have filled out
the registration and mailed my cheque, but I still keep coming up
as a guest.
The reason that you are only hearing about the Impression Pad now
is that it has just come out on the market.  I was fortunate to
have to oportunity to try it for a year.  And I can't praise it
enough.  I have nothing to do with the company.  But when I find
something this good, that anyone can use, that will help make our
horses life much better.  Shouldn't we talk about it.
You can see and feel the pad, and tell where it is thicker or thiner.
Imbalance and pressure show very well.
I realize that all endurance and competitive riders are concerned
about saddle fit, and I believe that we work harder at making 
sure our horses are comfortable and that our saddles do fit well.
But there are still alot of people who do not know until they 
have the white spots on there horse from so much pressure, or until
the horse starts to act up. There is something posted almost every
day about which kind of saddle to buy because theirs doesn't fit.
We had a fellow here who rode regularly, and when he came back he
would blanket his horse.  This horses back was so sore, that if you
were the one taking the blanket off, you were taking your life in
your hands.  This horse told the fellow for a long time, little 
things, like, not liking to be brushed.  Not standing to be saddled
someone had to hold him.  When he got on him, the horse couldn't 
stand still. He said the horse was hot and just wanted to go.
Truth was, the saddle was bridging.
Yes you are right, this pad does not correct the saddle fit.  That
is not its job.  It is an impression pad, and it will give you a
very good impression of how your saddle fits.  You can't correct
a problem, if you are only guessing.  This takes the guess work out
of it. 
I have found that if the saddle is fitting pretty well, that you
can usually shim it with the rubber shims that are about 1/8" thick.
You can really play around with your saddle until you get a nice
impression on the pad.
If you could tell, just by looking, that your saddle didn't fit,
then we would have this problem.  Everyone would own a saddle that fit.
In the past I have said that our horses body is changing all the 
time, as they grow, age, muscle, gain weight, whatever.  But at 
least now we have a fairly easy way to check our saddle fit regularly.
I'm sorry if it sounded like advertising, but I would love for everyone
who owned a horse to know that we have a great new way to check
our saddle fit.  To make our horses lot in life just alittle better.
Until I got to use this pad, I to, thought my saddle fit.
For a long time, I read the posts about saddle fit, and couldn't
say anything because it was still in the works.  Now its out and
I feel that we have a great opportunity to learn about our horses
and their saddles.  Isn't that what its all about.  When you hit on
something you think is great, do you keep it a secret, or wouldn't
you like the horse world to know. 
I want to learn all I can to make my horses life better, to make 
his job easier, and more comfortable.  Thats why I read ridecamp, 
I use the suggestions I like, and think about the rest.
Lynda