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[RC] Treeless Saddle - resending - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: Sandy Holder sandy.l.holder@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or 
ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
==========================================

For some reason my original message will not go through - but it's important to 
me so I'm resending.

Hi Patsy - I've recently purchased two FreeForm saddles from Chris.  The first 
was a direct result of my THIRD saddle (a custom made to fit my high withered 
horse - will not name mfg.) FAILURE!  I have spent more than my mortage for 4 
months on saddles prior to buying this one (thank goodness I could resell them) 
and missed one too many rides.

Here's my story - after traveling 6.5 hours to Twenty Mule team, doing a short 
10 mile easy pre-ride and my horse (with his custom made saddle) a bit 'touchy' 
in his back afterward, I decided not to start the ride.  Frustrated and 
disappointed, I asked a trusted friend, Michelle Rouch, DVM, what she was 
riding in - a FreeForm as it turns out.  At 1/3 the price of my custom made 
saddle, I found that it not only fit my hard keeper (15.3 h, 900 lbs), but also 
our 'porker' mare (1100 lbs and 15.1 h) and every other horse I tried it on 
including my 14.2 h short coupled 800 lb arab.  The thing that most people who 
haven't seen it should know is that its not a 'piece of leather' sitting on the 
horses back but injected (firm) molded foam that sits ABOVE the horses back.  I 
use an equipedic pad that DOES NOT MOVE under the saddle (is connected to 
nothing), my comfortable sheepskin cover (ok, I spoil myself) and have PERFECT 
sweat marks (completely dry spine/channel) on every horse.  My plan is to do 
Tevis in it this year and I believe Michelle as well as Jeremy Reynolds will be 
doing the same. We're all riding in FreeForms.

Negatives (sorry Chris) - don't buy the girth, it galled two different horses 
when going on step downhills.  I use my Wintec shaped girth (looks like an 
hourglass kind of) and everything is great.  By the way, my 'break in' of the 
saddle was to ride it at Cuyama - first time for me, first time for my horse - 
we both loved it.  We finished all three days (155 miles) with same horse and 
rider team.  It was a risk to try this but I didn't have any other options and 
seriously was positively shocked.  I can't imagine these kinds of results with 
any other saddle out there.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Good luck,
Sandy  (AERC #M30961)


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