Events
Groups
Rider Directory
Market
RideCamp
Stuff
Hello campers!
I've just looked at the Sport Saddle Pages on the 'net and I
understand that they have two 'trees'...pommel and cantle and a 'pad'
type thing in the middle to sit on. Now in the UK people go on and on
about 'clearing the spine' and that you should be able to see through
along the spine from cantle to pommel such that nothing is pressing
on the spine.
*Hi Liz. This is something I might question. I would imagine that
you want nothing HARD touching the spine, but there may be no
problems with a soft pad bearing weight on the spine! Those of you
who think there is, can you cite some studies? I rode bareback on
my old Appy mare for 7 years, with certain portions of my anatomy
touching the spine. I never had any back problems with her. I
also understand in certain regions, there have been riders
doing endurance rides bareback. If their weight was harming
the spine, I would assume they would be pulled at vet checks. Also,
if you look under a Western saddle, you will not be able to see the
spine all the way through. The TREE clears the spine, but the
skirts come pretty close over the spine. YOu cannot see "through"
the saddle.
*I am one of those who has ridden this saddle with very good luck.
Just came off a weekend of 3 days riding, no back soreness at all,
with this saddle. I also believe that the skito pad (or any pad
with foam inserts and a gap across the spine, is important.
So! what I don't understand is this: with the Sports
Saddle is the spine cleared in that middle tree-less bit? If not, why
does this not harm the back? Do the Sports Saddle people supply
saddles with english style leathers and irons or are these impossible
to fit onto the pad thing in the middle? A final question...why
oh why is there no UK agents for any of these spangly US products?
*There is no reason why you couldn't add English leathers or irons,
but I can't see why you would want to! The saddle comes with
nylon-reinforced with leather "leathers", that are basically like
wide English leathers. They are SAFER, in my opinion, in that they
are not an open loop you could get caught up in, but are held
together snugly at the top and bottom by keepers, and also a padded
sleeve. The Sport SAddle folks will not "supply" the saddle with
anything different, or sell the saddle without fittings. Most
people I know with the saddle change the cinch, and put wider
endurance stirrups on the saddle.
*Then again, I am one of those who questions the need to put a very
hard object (saddle tree) between the rider and the horse. It seems
like it only puts you farther up off the back of the horse and away
from the natural center of gravity. There may be BETTER ways to
distribute riders weight than a hard tree! In the U.S., there are
more and more speciality endurance saddle makers developing flexible
trees, panels or treeless type saddles. I personally believe we
will see more and more of these, as technology allows us to measure
pressure and stress on horses backs.
Karen
Cheers!
Liz and Basil (in a wide large pannelled GP saddle at present)
-------------------------------------------------
E. Carpenter
Institute for Cardiovascular Research
The University of Leeds
Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
+ 44 (0113) 2334173
e.carpenter@leeds.ac.uk
-------------------------------------------------
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Events
Groups
Rider Directory
Market
RideCamp
Stuff