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Re: [RC] Saddles that move forward/backward - Kristi SchaafI was reading a post of a rider who had problems with several different saddles moving forward during riding.....Horses that typically have issues with saddles moving forward are ones where the trunk slopes down from the front legs. Physics says the girth cannot possibly stay where it is, so the girth/saddle will begin to work its way forward. The forward movement can be even worse if you have a horse that really drives from the rear. A crupper is an excellent way to keep your saddle from moving forward. Don't automatically assume because your saddle is moving forward that it isn't fitting properly. ___________________________________ Lisa - that rider is me. : - ) Thanks for the info - I appreciate the feedback. I think that possibly saddles slid forward because my horse's loins 'thrust' them there - he's short backed and race built and even though his withers are higher than his croup, he has a 'downhill' look about him. It's possible that other very short saddles, such as English style, would have alleviated the problem also. Anyway, in the saddles that I did try, the girth would actually often stay in the proper groove way behind the elbow (or I'd have it so loose that it had no possibility of pulling forward), yet the saddle would still move forward past it. I do disagree about relying on the crupper to hold the saddle back, at least in my horse's case. The sliding forward problem was bad enough that the crupper put constant and significant (unacceptable to me) pressure on his tail at a trot or canter. I still ride with a crupper in the Specialized Saddle, but am happy that it very very rarely has to come into play. I don't believe that the Specialized Saddle is staying in place because it's running into his shoulders, because the way that it's built accomodates shoulder movement. I have a light therapy unit with a scanner, and when I scanned him after several days of mountain riding, there was no indication of any soreness in the area around the scapula. Also, he's a horse who will tell me if a saddle hurts him by getting upset when I put it on him, and in the half dozen rides I have on the Specialized, he hasn't said a word. : - ) As most of you reading this know, saddle fit is a combination of science and art, and if anyone ever figures out how to make a saddle that works for EVERY horse, they'll go down in history. Kristi iluvdez at yahoo dot com Life's a journey, so enjoy the ride (and try not to fall off) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.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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