ridecamp@endurance.net: joining the Great Saddle Hunt

joining the Great Saddle Hunt

tina hicks (hickst@puzzler.nichols.com)
Fri, 11 Apr 1997 20:06:12 -0500

After listening to many tales of woe about saddle fit over the last 2
years and sitting here smugly at my computer thinking - glad I don't have
those troubles, my saddle fits just fine - well, this is what I get for
being smug <g>

Going to saddle Tony up last nite revealed 2 perfectly matched white patches
on either side of his withers coming in with his summer coat :-((

What I don't understand is how can a saddle fit poorly enough to cause white
spots but the horse never give an indication of such poor fit?? It's a
Passier 3 day that I have ridden Tony in for almost 4 years. He has
completed 2 50's and 2 25's in it - always all A's on back. However, I know
if I'm just now seeing the spots then the damage has been occuring for quite
some time.

I do remember noting at some points last year that he had dry spots on his
back sometimes but since there was no tenderness or any indication under
saddle of poor fit I sort of discounted them - wrong choice, huh?

The other thing I discounted to some degree and wonder if it was an
indication is the "rooting" he does - that is trotting or cantering with his
head almost to the ground like he's stretching. Never pulling on me just
travelling with his head down sometimes. Perhaps that *was* a sign of the
saddle bothering him? I guess I didn't put 2+2 together b/c it's been going
on for some time (my thinking is that it's just something he does- you know
these Arabs and their quirks <g>) and here again never any tenderness or
indication of a problem.

Sigh....

Tina - now joining the masses in the Great-Saddle-Hunt
Tony - with eyes on his withers :-(
Tina Hicks | Huntsville, AL
Southeast Endurance Riders Association - http://www.hsv.tis.net/~slilly/
hickst@nichols.com

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