I'm the person who bought Paddi's 1996 Boz and I
LOVE it!!! I already had one that I had made earlier this year with the
performance seat that I paid almost $3,000 for. A lot of money but I too, had
been through 6 saddles in one year. So far, both these saddles seems to work
just find with may high-withered, narrow backed Arab X and my mutton-withered
CMK mare. It also works well on my little narrow Mustang. However, I use a
Supracor pad under mine and am using the 1" foam pads that came with it. I will
say that the day I forgot my Supracor pad because I had washed it and had to use
a thin wool pad, we didn't get 3 miles down the road before we had to turn back.
My horse very openly told me his back hurt.
I just did two days at DVE and he seemed
comfortable. I did notice that the pad rubbed his winter coat to a crew cut on
the loin area. And I was more comfortable and less trail worn than I've ever
been.
I just barely squeak in at the top of the
middleweight division and I'm, shall we say, top heavy. The Boz is the only
saddle I've ridden where I wasn't toppling over the horse's withers every time
they changed speeds suddenly. And my back doesn't hurt like it used to with the
other saddles.
What was interesting was that I borrowed someone
else's horse on the way back from DVE to take my husband for a 5-mile ride and
put my Boz on her horse. It fit horribly. But I wanted to see if after a 5-mile
ride it had settled down on the horse as advertised. Not only was it still
sticking up in the back, but it had moved back several inches after going up and
down some hills. It's NEVER moved on the horse I used it on all the time. In
fact, sometimes I wonder why I even use a breast collar on him. That was in
interesting test.
I'm counting myself fortunate that I've finally got
two saddles that fit the horses I ride after all the looking I did. Just think
... if all horses and riders were the same, there would only be one saddle
maker!!!
I rode many miles for many years in
my 1996 BOZ which I have sold. I am a lightweight.
When they fit they work
fine.
I was contacted by a few people who
owned BOZ saddles and wanted to know why I was selling. One rider was having
trouble with both her and her husbands Boz saddles.
They had gone on a long pleasure
ride lots of hills. Both are heavy weight riders . The horses were skinned in
the shoulder and wither area. She said it was very nasty.
We came to the conclusion
that when they were going up hill the flexible tree spread from the weight of
the rider being forward . It then was pinching and rubbing the shoulders. Both
horses were burnt from the rubs and needed time off.
Another rider with a BOZ at a ride
in Canada I was at had bad rubs on either side of the withers. Skinned would
be a good description.Again he was a heavy weight rider. He had the new pads
without the sheepskin. I think the Boz pads hold to much heat and sweat
against the horse. A Dixie pad might help.
I removed my pads and put a Skito
and Dixie under it.
Mine were the older style pads with
the sheepskin.
When I bought my BOZ I was very
happy with it. The price was far more reasonable in 1996.
Kim has a newer Boz with the
performance seat tried that and did not like it at all. and she paid
extra.
I rode in a Balanced ride saddle
owned by a neighbour after that. It was a BIG heavy western saddle.
Personally I decided I don't like
the leg position of the Monty Foreman rigging. Balanced ride has the Monty
foreman rigging.
I found that in hills
the back of the saddle lifts and that makes the front dig into the horse. No
pad fixes that.
I live in the hills.
Good Luck to anyone saddle hunting.
I am trying the torsion endurance model now.
Like the princess and the pea it
has to be just right or I am not buying it.
Paddi who has owned a
synergist, a boz, a bighorn, a podium ect ect ect
