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[RC] saddle rubs - k s swigart

Lori said:


I wonder what it is about the International that is causing
?the rubbing?


If I had to guess from looking at the picture on the web site (which is the 
extent of my familiarity with the saddle), there may be a number of 
contributors to the stirrup leathers rubbing.

1)?If the stirrup leathers are not actually made out of leather (which I cannot 
tell by looking at the picture, but if they are like the Orthoflex ones that I 
have seen, then they aren't) but instead of a stiff synthetic material, then 
this type of material often causes (even on regular english saddles) the 
leathers to pinch.

2) If the buckle for the leathers is underneath the leather cover just above 
the stirrup, then that buckle is gonna dig into your shin, and it is a damned 
silly place to put it. Which is why english saddles don't have a buckle in the 
stirrup leathers there.

3) In the picture on the website, the stirrups are hung too far in front of 
where the rider's seat is, so if you want to get your feet underneath you, you 
are going to have to struggle to keep the stirrups back, and the leathers are 
not going to hang straight down but rather at an angle, which could also 
contribute to the leather not lying comfortably under the leg.

4) The stirrup leathers are much wider than regular english stirrup leathers 
(which are usually 1" or even 3/4" wide).? These look close to 1 1/2".

For problems 1,2 & 4 (depending on how the stirrup bars are made) you could 
probably "fix" it by changing the leathers for a regular set of english riding 
leathers (you would have to get different stirrups too that don't have as wide 
of a bar at the top).

If the problem is #3, then the saddle is not made right for your seat and leg, 
and you are going to have problems no matter what you do...so extra padding 
between you and the stirrup leathers (in the form of sheepskin covers and half 
chaps, or whatever) is probably the only solution available.

kat
Orange County, Calif.
:)

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