> I have a 7 y.o quarter horse gelding. I purchased a McClullen saddle a
> few weeks ago. I enjoy riding in it so far.
>
> I do have a question about it. I can never remember this, but
> when you have "dry" spots under the saddle after riding, is this bad?
> The spots that are there are even on both sides. Approx 8 inches past
> the point of the shoulder. And a strip down the spine.
Isn't a true McClennan open in the middle???? That would account for dry
spots there, but the rest simply indicate a bad fit. Don't worry about
fitting the saddle to you, FIT IT TO THE HORSE! I've been through it in
competion and dumb me it took sometime until I figured out the horse's
poor performance was totally due to a sore back. None of the ride vets
figured it out either. Until one day after a poor barely finishing
performance at Bridgeport where the ride vet couldn't figure it out I ran
my thumb down the area where his saddle rested and, what ho, he knelt to
the ground. Many years and thousands of miles ago. You might want to
palpitate the area around the saddle marks to check your horse's reaction.
Every horse I own has a saddle that's fitted to him/her or two. Heck, with
the expense the animal's health is foremost. Don't try to fix it with
pads. The gel pads, <IMHO> seem to make a tighter fit in the very place
you're trying to pad out and make the whole area surrounding it a bit
tighter. I think that could account for an even greater general area of
discomfort at each rubbed spot. Plus the things weigh as much as my
DiPetra saddle. Any other pad, except may the EQUALIZER, will just make
the fit tighter and more uncomfortable for him at the problem areas.
A Stonewall that fits, built on a tree based on the McClennan principal
is a very good saddle. And remember the McClennen was orginally built for
the horse's comfort not the rider's. The most important facet of a real
one is that they were built with a with withered, spiney TB cavalry horse
in mind. Not the typical round backed Arabian endurance horse. I hate the
way a real McClennen is supposed to be rigged to the horse. Are you using
the strapping system orginally designed? If so you might think about
converting it to fittings that the Stonewall Saddle uses. They're in
Perris, Ca. and will send you a color sheet catalog upon request. The
photos would allow you to imitate their girthing system.
Hope any of this helped...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tommy Crockett~Los Osos, California USA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~tomydore@goblin.punk.net~~DAMS028%CALPOLY.BITNET@cmsa.berkeley.edu~
www HOMEPAGE http://www.slonet.org/~tcrocket
"There's more then 1 answer to these questions pointing me in a crooked line"
Emily Sailors