RE: Valerie Kanavy Saddle

[Rightrider@cs.com]

I keep waiting for someone with more info than I have to answer the posted 
questions re:
 the VK special saddle, but till someone does, here's what I know:  Yes, it 
is a custom
 saddle.  As I understand it, the seat of the saddle was initially designed 
for a rider who had
 surgery on her tail bone (painful) and wanted to continue riding.  Sooooo, 
the saddle maker
 designed a "hammock" seat which suspends the rider's seat slightly above the 
tree, rather
 than directly on it.  Now this does two things that I know of.  First, it 
allows a greater
 "range of motion" for your seat bones and second and probably most important 
for the 
basic endurance rider, it is more comfortable on the tush (especially the 
seat bones).  The
 spinal channel is a good width and the panels are better then most other 
English saddles
 (DSS English Synergist is the only saddle I know of which has wider panels). 
 The other nice
 thing about the VK special is that it has a wide variety of tree widths, 
from narrow to wide
  at 1/2 inch variences.  Additionally, they can custom make the flap to 
accomodate a rider
 with a long thigh.