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[RC] treeless saddles - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: Nicole z_arabs@xxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== I am one of Candy's customers that she mentioned. I purchased a Barefoot saddle from her and only had a chance to take it on two hour-long (if that) test rides before riding a 50 in it. It's an awesome saddle! Extremely comfortable for me and the horse. Only problem I had originally was the buckle on my English leathers poking me in the thigh, but by rotating them so the buckle was at the bottom that was eliminated. I have ridden a demo of the Torsion dressage model. I picked that model because it was the 15" seat (the other demos are 16") and the stirrups are set further back. When I demo-ed it, I felt like I was swimming in that 15" seat (thought I might have needed a child's model, but then I was afraid that would be too small). I also felt like the seat was almost too padded, like there was too much material between me and the horse. Oh, and while I like riding bareback (ok, LOVE riding bareback), the Torsion was even wider than riding bareback. I also almost felt like I had lost control of my legs; they were swinging too much and it was a bit disturbing, this is from a person who often rides bareback and even bareback with stirrups (gasp!). Even with those issues, I was still planning on buying a Torsion. The advantages to the horse made it seem like it was worth it for the irritations I might have to work through for myself. But, then Candy announced right here on Ridecamp that she was expecting a shipment of Barefoot saddles so the waiting period would be much reduced. I bit the bullet and bought without a demo. The new Barefoot has none of the irritations that worried me in the Torsion. It also has the stirrups hung perfectly under my body. I have ridden in dressage saddles for years, and even those have not had the stirrups as balanced for me as this saddle. By the time the first loop of the 50 was done, I'd worked out my balance with the new stirrup placement, and was as comfortable as I've ever been in a saddle. As for side-to-side rotation, it does have some when mounting, but I think that's the Equipedic pad not the saddle -- the pad instructions call for it being tightened several times prior to mounting and I didn't really do that since I tend to ride with a loose girth. Plus I prefer to use some sort of mounting "block" for my horses' sake. And as a loonie who rides in a bareback pad (with stirrups even!), I don't worry much about the saddle slipping sideways during even the most rambunctous ride. My balance is not in my feet. Of course, I also try to train my horses so that we don't usually have rambunctous rides where unseating me is an issue. And I do plan to use this saddle to start a couple horses that will be started in the next couple months (a 4 year old of mine and a 10 year old a friend just bought). I wouldn't hesitate to use this saddle on any horse at this point. Oh, I've also test ridden a Sports Saddle for just a couple minutes. The stirrups may be a tad too far forward for me. I have heard that from other folks, too. But, that may have just been that particular model and it's stirrup placement. Even though I bought without a demo, I do think getting a demo of the various treeless saddles is probably the best way to pick which one works best for each individual. I suspect the benefits to the horses are the same/very similar with each of the major brands (I didn't try an Ansur due to price). It really comes down to what the rider is comfortable with, and we all know that's an individual thing. :) ~Nicole www.zephyrarabians.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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