Re: RC: Re: Re: Sports saddle

[DreamWeaver <nvrider@home.com>]

At 01:21 AM 04/12/2001 -0700, Sullivan's wrote:
> > If you are not very acquainted with treeless saddles also then you don't
> > realize that all horses get sore after a period of time because of your
>seat
> > bones making pressure points and no weight distribution.
>
>Again, I feel this statement is untrue, "all horses" do NOT get sore after a
>period of time; and I feel between rider weight (seatbones), and stirrup
>weight, the weight is VERY well distributed.

Since I've already proved to RC how stupid I am this week, I may as well 
continue.......

A wise rider once told me that if I wanted to know if my saddle and tack 
really fit, to ride 1,000 miles (competition miles) in a single season on a 
horse.  He was right--if you can do that, then you are pretty much sure 
that everything works.  I have noticed that usually there are several 
riders in the top ten national mileage who ride in sports saddles.  Not all 
are FW's either.  So I don't think it's fair to make statements like the 
above (marilyn's?).  Experience proves otherwise.  A lot of those same 
horses are also getting B/C's.   At the June XP last year, the first two 
overall horses (5 days, 250 miles) and the overall BC horse were all 3 
ridden in sports saddles.  So it must work for somebody. That's the key -- 
you just have to find what works for you and your horse.  Thing is, you are 
more likely to hear when things don't work out then when they do.  RC is a 
great forum to learn from, but really.....the best thing to do is to go to 
rides and see who is using what.

btw, when Rocky finally got his first saddle -- it was the week before he 
did Tevis.  I figured that a horse doing Tevis finally deserved his own 
tack. :+)  Well.....I did ride him in it once ahead of time to make sure I 
had everything attached, the stirrup leathers adjusted right and the whole 
bit.  He did Tevis in it, no problem.  Didn't get a sore back......normally 
not a real brilliant thing to do, but until then I'd been riding both 
horses in the same saddle. (one is 15.1 and 900# and the other is 14.3 and 
1070#)    Identical to the new one I got, just a different color.   That's 
the year I rode with a separated shoulder.  So I probably wasn't riding 
real well.

Happy Trails,

Karen
in NV
& Rocky, 3,380 miles....wide and longer backed
& Weaver, 3,415 miles....(very) base wide, and short backed
http://members.nbci.com/ridephotos