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[RC] McCLellen & Stonewalls - Jena Williams

We have both a McClellan and a Stonewall saddle. We love them. (We also have western, english, Bob Marshalls, and a Mackinder...)

My husband uses the McClellan, and prefers the open channel for his, er "equipment". I prefer the Stonewall, with its thinly padded but very comfy seat. The bare McClellan can cause the rider rubs (OK, huge blue bruises) at the stirrup bars, so you have to play with the buckle position... Learn as you go I guess.

We find that both saddles fit about the same on horses, though the stonewall is designed for better rider and horse comfort. The Stonewall is really just a modern McClellan so I would be suprised if they were greatly different. We tried a couple McClellan model, because thay are not all the same. The pre-WWI had a narrower channel down the middle, and was designed for narrower horses. (this is the one we have, my hubby rides a crazy TB) The post WW1 models had a wider channel, and it was very uncomfortable. It was too wide for our seat bones, we found one side or the other trying to dip off into the channel! But they, overall, were designed/updated to accomodate more modern horses with a wider builld.

The stonewall is still a standby for us, and use it extensively on our smaller arabs. It is really better for horses with a higher witherand narrow build, but because of the way it is designed it fits pretty well on all but my wide shouldered Arab. It also has the extensive adjustablilty in the rigging that is so great in the McClellan.

Would i ride 50 or 100 miles in one? The stonewall definitely, after I rechecked that it was really fitting my horse properly. The McClellan? I wouldn't, but I know my husband would. (did I mention he is a Marine, and therfore a glutton for punishment?) He doesn't know he is having a good time unless he is in pain and has the bruises to prove it...

Good luck.

Jena & Don
Eddie, Annie, Rudy, Twiggy, and Temba too!
Poway, CA

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