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[RC] crupper/saddle going forward - rides2farI can understand that your horse may very well be different from mine, but just for the sake of someone else whose horse might fit this description I will reply. To restate our original disagreement. You feel the crupper should be snug on the flat. My experience is to have a bit of slack on the flat or you're just asking for unnecessary contact & rubbing throughout most of your ride...I just adjust it where it's taut when they tuck their butt to go downhill. There are a couple reasons a saddle can go forward without the horse > being> downhill or even the saddle not fitting perfectly. Some horses bring their hind legs so well under them that their rear end> action really drives the saddle forward. First, my horse Kaboot is a tad downhill and he travels like a rabbit. He spreads so wide in the back that the vets in Vemont noted on vet in "Base Wide". Then when he did his 96 mile trot out another vet commented, "Wow, this must be that base wide horse they've all been talking about". So, sounds like he meets the criteria you set for one that needs it tight on the flat. using a panel saddle that fits him very well, I use panels too (OF). Don't know that it fits him "very well", I guess it did well enough. He always had good scores. . However, he just did his first 25 mile ride and > decided> that this stuff is kinda fun and cantering all the time to keep up > with> hubbies speed demon is work so he learned to travel wide and do a serious> trot. Now my position is less steady (I used to be able to sit his > trot if I wanted to) Never in this lifetime can I imagine anyone sitting Kaboot's big trot. It has hang time. I had to shorten my stirrups a good 1"1/2" in competition over my normally fairly short setting just to stay up long enough not to meet him coming down once he hits "turbo". and the saddle is inching forward just a touch. I haven?t> started him in a crupper yet, I might just wait til he gets his balance> really figured out, but that change in how he moves his hind legs makes a> huge difference. Again, Kaboot has never had lather between his hind legs because they don't touch at all. He travels WIDE. The other time that cruppers can be useful is with panel saddles > that don?t> rely in the shoulder to keep the saddle in place. I agree when you're talking downhills...but I haven't had a problem with my OF on the flat. But the dressage > trainer is really teaching her how to use her hind quarters to drive and that > is> pushing the saddle forward at the canter. We cantered pretty much all of Hahira the year we did it in 4:21. Hahira is about the only ride I don't use a crupper at since there is no hint of a hill anywhere. I *can* see that a horse whose ribs are extremely well sprung (like my new horse 7 right now) could cause a saddle to go forward simply because the girth is hunting a narrower spot, but I don't think it's so much the cantering or the saddle being a panel, or traveling wide that would do it. I know there are a lot of people that think if the saddle fits the horse it> won?t go forward ? but I think there are an awful lot of cases where it?s> just the saddle running into the shoulders that prevents further forward> motion. When you're talking downhills, I totally agree. I?d way rather use a crupper to> keep that saddle back just that half inch or so when necessary and let the> shoulders move properly. I agree, I just think you can do it (at least on the horses I've had so far) without the crupper being tight at all times. Angie McGhee http://www.lightersideofendurance.com Some people are like slinkies. Not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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