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[RC] Another Freeform story!-Just the facts 'maam! - Tx Trigger

Lynn G. posted: >>>No doubt, you know how "any change" will often make a
horse happy. The key is whether or not it still works for them 6 months from
now.<<<

I was recently reminded of that. I think I told Lynn my story at convention
as I was sitting in saddles at the Reactor Panel booth.

I've been using a Bighorn on Hank for almost 3 years. Never has had a sore
back, finished Tevis if that makes the saddle any more worthy, and has
competed a bunch of NATRC rides where they check the back extra careful,
just waiting to ding a point of your horse shows any pain. But with the
winter coat, he popped some white hairs, so I knew that it was time to
retire the Bighorn, as it was no longer fitting, even though I thought we
were still doing fine. But, here is where Lynn's statement rings so true.
Hank is goofy at times, and when I'd go to saddle him at times, he would
look at me like he had never seen a saddle in his life, snort at me, swing
away, and I had to do the "chase the horse and fling the saddle on his back
dance". Thought nothing of it more than he was being himself.  But, one day
I was messing with one of our other saddles, doing some rides with the
impression pad, putting saddle on, off, on, ride, off, on , ride, off. Spent
about 1:30 out there. Had a HORRIBLE fit. Huge pressure points on each side
of his withers after only 20 min. rides with the pad. This saddle fit worst
then the Bighorn, so I decided to toss it back on him again. He had been
standing all AM, never moving away as I saddled him, until that Bighorn came
out, and was heading to his back. He swung away, snorted, and looked  at me
like I was the devil trying to climb aboard. ding-ding-ding.  He was
talking, I was not listening. Got the other saddle back out, and he stood
like a rock, no reaction as I put it on him, even though I KNOW it has a
horrible fit. But, it is a different fit than the Bighorn, and he has not
learned to avoid it yet because it hurts.

Indeed, any change can make them stop previous reactions. I have heard so
many people say they tried a >>>enter name of saddle here<<< for a ride, and
they KNOW that the horse loved it. Maybe they just had not figured out yet
that they didn't like it, because they were just happy the regular saddle
that hurt was not on them.I see many of these same people selling said
"perfect" saddle months down the road, as it was not as perfect as they
thought.

And of course, there is no one perfect saddle that will work for every
horse, every rider. if that was true, we would not have so many shopping
options in saddlery, eh? LOL

Jonni in TX


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