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<< While at Equitana last July, I visited with the folks at Tucker Saddlery
in
Memphis, TN..
I had them make me a combination of their equitation
endurance and the endurance saddle.
. . .snip snip . . .
Ask them too about the pad that massages the horses back and lets air
circulate under
the saddle. >>
I visited Tucker Saddlery in Memphis last weekend on the strength of a
mention on this list some months ago. I was amazed to find that the trees
are solid wood (not laminated) and that there are no panels, just a 1/2 inch
of wool felt attached to the bottom of the tree. Although they can be custom
made to a profile of the horses's back, I do wonder if these saddles continue
to be comfortable for the horse when/if the shape of his back changes through
muscling and weight gain or loss. A half-inch of felt is not much
cushioning, and there is no flexibility in a solid-wood tree.
Is there someone on the list who has used one of the Tucker Endurance Saddles
(not the trooper saddle) over a period of years on 50+ mile rides and would
share his or her experience?
I, too, looked at the mesh pads that allow air circulation. I tried one of
these about 20 years ago, thinking what a great way to let sweat disperse and
air to circulate between the saddle and the horse's back (not to mention they
never need to be washed, just hosed). Unfortunately my horse's back became
very sore after only a few rides and I never tried it again. They are made
of a randomly entwined plastic filament (think "Tuffy" scouring pads for
non-stick cooking surfaces), and have some springyness to them.
Again, anyone used one of these pads with success over the miles? They are a
great idea.
Thanks for your report, Dorothy. Keep us posted.
Linda
San Francisco
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