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[RC] Fw: Flex Panel Saddles - appleg8I have been through the great elusive saddle search like the rest of you and I did my research this past year in great depth and I bought a flex panel saddle. Robert, Timberline is not the same people that built the original OF saddle for Len Brown. Richard Watson was the original saddler for Len Brown and the original OF saddles way back when. Richard Watson started the Timberline Company but is no longer associated with them. Their saddles are much like the saddles that Watson started when he started Timberline Company. After I researched all the flex panel saddles, I went directly to RL Watson himself and asked him to make me a saddle. His Distance Runner model is a wonderful saddle for us endurance riders. But I like a little flatter seat and I coined a term called "the female friendly seat" for us wimmen that most saddle makers don't understand. Richard was open enough to listen to me and he came up with a new model called THE SADDLE LITE model. It has less rise in the front and a lower cantle in the back. A one inch memory foam cushion on the seat and trust me gals and guys, your hiney will love you for the distance in this saddle. I ride a short coupled RMH/TWH cross breed. I have used treeless, Tuckers, and a Custom Desoto. Because of the way this horse was bred to gait nothing seemed to work on him. The custom Desoto was the worst of them all leaving his back with sores and white hairs all over from wither to loins. And my customer service from Desoto was appalling to which I am very sorry to report. I spent months and months researching everything from rigging, pommels, cantles, rises, ground seats, trees, flex systems, you name it I wanted to know about it because this next saddle would fit both myself and my horse or I wasn't going to ride until I found that perfect saddle. And this year I didn't ride. I tried a Watson flex panel saddle and for me, it was simply heaven! My legs and hips were never in such perfect alignment. Clear down to my ankles, my body as in correct position. My back was aligned. I felt wonderful. We discussed the Female Friendly Seat and a few changes that I thought would be good and Richard went to town making his new Saddle Lite Saddle for me. I want to tell you, this is IT! Richard over the past decades has worked out the kinks of the mounting screws for the tree onto the panels. There are no pressure points on his saddles. You don't feel perched up off the horses back at all on his saddle. The quality is right up there with your very expensive $3000 saddles. The leather is like buttery soft. The stitching is craftsmanship, the tooling is outstanding. The look of this saddle is awesome but the most important thing is it FITS my horse. I can feel the panels working with my boy as he racks up a storm or relaxes in a lovely running walk. Moving in rhythm with that rocking chair canter. The sweat pattern is always perfect. No sores on his back, no flinching when I palpate him after a ride. It is lightweight, 15lbs, stylish, comfortable, a fit for me and my horse. PLUS.....it also fits my TWH stallion who is built nothing like D'Artagnon! Richard saw pictures of my three boys all built differently and promised me this saddle would fit them all. I have not put it on my KMSH stallion who is built yet again different from the other two but I will and I am betting it will fit him just as well. If it fits all three I will most likely drop over dead from shock. One saddle that could fit all three horses and fit me??? That is way too much to dream of. But the fact it fits one horse and then two horses is almost beyond my wildest dreams as any of you can imagine! The rigging on Watson's saddles is a bonus to boot! It is patterned after the Mc McClellan Calvary saddles. A *Y* rigging to balance the front and back. You can adjust it to be center fire, 3/4 or 7/8 for whatever shape your horse is in for perfect placement of the girth. All of this and strings, rings whatever you want where you want to carry all your goods. The price on a Watson Saddle is only $1399. There are no options unless you had some weird something or another you must have that isn't already on there. You get everything for that price including leather covered EZ Ride stirrups. A darn great deal. And if you can ever find one on eBay, you will pay just about the same price as brand new. Richard Watson has his own website from his dealer and I will only deal directly with Richard Watson and suggest you do the same. His website is RLWATSONSADDLES.com and his phone number if you want to call him and talk saddles is 417-276-6493 And no, I am not on his payroll. I just love my saddle and I am most happy to share my years of despair with anyone that wants to read a happy ending. If anyone would like to see a photo of my Watson saddle and the rigging email me privately, I have some great shots of it. amber g8nfool www.applegaitnendurancehorses.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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