Re: wintec western saddle?

[Tara Wheeler <harpy@io.com>]

Title: Re: wintec western saddle?

> Kelly toast131@yahoo.com
> Ok, I think I've decided I really am going to try this endurance stuff :).
> I was wondering if I could still use the tack I use for trail riding now.
> I have a wintec western saddle. It's really comfortable for me, and seems
> to fit my horse great and has never made him sore.  I'm not sure if I'd
> still like it this much after riding for so long..but I dont know. It only
> weighs 10 pounds, or somewhere around there...which I think is good? once
> again, dont know. I use a thick fleece barrel pad, since it's small and
> doesnt make my horse's whole back sweaty. I have a fleece breast collar,
> but it seems like everyone says the kind shaped like Y's are best...mine
> is a T shape and goes across his shoulders. I also have a cantle bag. Is
> this ok to use? Atleast in the beginning? It's all synthetic. I'm not sure
> if that's good or bad either. The horn doesnt seem to get in the way
> either, I kind of like it there. I usually just go on trailrides,  with
> the longest being around 4 hours, so I dont really know how it'd do for
     longer then that. Lemme know what you think. -Kelly


Dear Kelly,

This is great stuff to start in.  Don't let someone talk you into spending a couple thousand on tack right out of the gate.

If this is what you're conditioning him in now, use it on your first several rides, unless it starts to hurt him or you.  If it works, don't fix it!!!  

As you go along, you'll be continuouly upgrading your tack.  You'll find a saddle you and your horse like better, a better breast collar, better girth, better saddle pads, better bit and bridles.

I don't know a single rider who is 100% happy with their current tack situation.  It's always a work in progress.

Just try not to change stuff out all at once.

I prefer the synthetic stuff.  Cleans easier and, trust me, everything is going to get filthy.
The weight is also fabulous and if it does get totally trashed, you're not out thousands.

I would lose the fleece breast collar first.  Fleece breast collars scare the bejesus out of me after I saw what one did when the horse wearing it ran though a sticker bush and brought a few dozen along with him for the rest of the ride.  We're talking hamburger here.

I'd look into neoprene and biothane.  These two will soon be your new best friends.  :)

Keep the cantle bag.  Get a shoestring, a folding hoofpic, a tube of desitin lotion (and put that in a separate ziploc bag), a whistle,  a roll of vetwrap, some sort of multi-tool (a swiss army knife or leatherman type thingie) a few packets of goo or a granola bar, a few bandaids and a couple of conveninece store packs of pairs of your choice of aspirin, tylenol, benadryl and/or peptol bismol.

Oh, and find some way to carry water. Either get another pack for your horse, or a camel-back type carrier for you.

The only other thing you'll need is either a sponge or some sort of cup thingie that will attach and de-tach from your saddle to allow you to get lots of water on your horse in a short time.

If you're coming up to the Austin area anytime in the near future, I'd be more than happy to show you my gear.