formula for saddle fit--question

Wolgram's (bkwranch@cmn.net)
Thu, 20 Nov 1997 20:13:36 -0700

I have been reading Lew Hollander's book "Endurance Riding from Beginning
to Winning" and have really been enjoying it. I had a question and wrote
him, but he couldn't answer it for me, so I thought someone out there might
know. Ch. 3 refers to "the rider and saddle weight multiplied by 1 and 1/3
equals the contact surface area of the saddle." I asked him what,
according to that formula, the ideal contact surface area would be, if
there is a minimum you should have and/or if there is such a thing as too
much contact area, and he wrote back that he just knew there is a relation
but was not sure. He referred to a book by Laney Humphrey called "Choosing
a Saddle for Endurance and Long Distance," but in my tiny town of Craig I
cannot find it. So is anyone out there familiar with this formula or know
anything about this reference to contact surface area? Thanks. Betty