There is nothing magic about the DeSoto saddle excpet for the fact that the
tree is fit to the horse by an experience rider and saddle maker prior to
making the saddle. It helps a lot that one be close to the saddle maker,
in this case East Tenn. A lot of SE region riders ride in this saddle and
like it.
You can do the wire trick to try to get the back shape, but having the tree
fit to the horse and then having a tree made to the exact specifications of
the horses back is much more accurate than measuring with wires, plaster
cast or whatever.
As a horse gets more fit the backs change on most horses. I am on my
second DeSoto saddle for Misty. It is a pain but one of the problems we
have to deal with in endurance riding. I am currently on my second DeSoto.
I had to get a new saddle after Misty had about 600 miles. Her back seems
to have stabalizied but I am always checking the fit.
I know that the Orthoflex is very popular with riders out West, but you
sure don't see many in the SE. And the few people I know that have tried
Orthoflex seem to be dissatisified with the fit over the long term.
Someone has even suggested that Orthoflex saddles work best on larger,
longer backed horses but not so well on short backed horses. I don't know
from personal experience since I haven't tried one. They tend to be
expensive and with some of the negative stories I have heard, I am
reluclent to spend that much for a saddle than might have problems.
Most of the saddle makers that show up at the convention seem to know the
problem and they all seem to have an approach - but I don't believe that
any have the answer for all horses and all riders.
Truman
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The race is not always to the swift, but to those that keep running.
Truman and Mystic "The Horse from HELL" Storm
and Danson "The Demon in Training" Flame
prevatt@lds.loral.com - Sarasota, Florida
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