Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Angie,
Sounds like you rode in a saddle with poleys that were angled back  
towards your leg at 45 degrees or so for max security, ouch.  The  
endurance-oriented models have poleys that are at a less acute angle,  
for comfortable posting.

Aussies, like regular English saddles, concentrate the weight over a  
small area compared to Western, so a weight distributing pad is a  
good idea--combine improper fit with sack-of-potatoes riders and they  
can be torture devices.  They should be checked frequently to make  
sure they still fit, a rider can learn to adjust the flocking to make  
sure they still fit.  Since the good ones mold to the shape of the  
horse's back, using them on a single horse (or multiple horses with  
similar backs) should be considered.

BTW, Ray, with an endurance length English girth (34-38") and billet  
straps, your leg is nowhere near the girth buckles, because of the  
curve of the horse, yet they can still be up on the sweat flap.  Not  
every horse needs the same combo of billets, which is why having 4  
from which to choose, which aren't restrained to one position by  
being sewn to the flap is a "good thing".

Lynne

On Sep 7, 2005, at 4:41 PM, rides2far@xxxxxxxx wrote:

> I did one 25 miler in an Aussie saddle. The poleys bruised the  
> fronts of my thighs so bad I couldn't even post towards the end of  
> the ride.
>
> Angie (who does not have pencil thin thighs!)
>
> -- Ridecamp Guest <guest-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Please Reply to: Ray O'Donohue rno2m@xxxxxxxxxxxx or  
> ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> ==========================================
>
>   Equipment IS in some sense a substitute for skill.Most of the  
> time,when we fall,we "almost didn't". If,for example,one is in the  
> habit of cantering down muddy,rocky hills(neccesary for a field  
> trial scout),and the you-know-what hits the fan,I'll take a set  
> aussie style "wings"  over five years of dressage lessons every  
> time.Not that 5 years of dressage lessons wouldn't be a good  
> thing.Today's trooper saddl es typically can be easily modified to  
> move the rider INCHES closer to the horse.The resulting improvement  
> in the security of the rider's "seat" when the aforesaid shhhh hits  
> the fan is dramatic.


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