RE: Saddles for endurance

["sumralls" <sumralls@gateway.net>]

On Jan 20, Jessica Tuteur wrote:
	I have owned Stubbens and other English saddles.  Don't recommend them for
endurance because panels of the tree are narrow and focus too much weight
in one area.
	
	As always, there are two sides.  I too have performed The Great Saddle
Search.  I was having back soreness problems with an Arab gelding who had
developed so much musculature in his back after having him a year or two
that he was being pinched and jabbed by my Big Horn Cordura Endurance
Saddle, which I had purchased when I purchased this "little" arab.  I had a
very hard time finding a saddle with a wide enough tree.  Tried many a
saddle from used tack shops and new.
	I finally after many, many months and many, many saddles later settled on
a Courbette Marschall Special but had to order the extra wide tree.  It
is an all-purpose/dressage model, nice knee roll, very deep, padded seat,
and of course it's pretty.  The panels on this saddle, unlike many English
saddles, are very wide and I am blown away by how perfectly these panels
lie on my horse's back.  They apply even pressure from front to back and
side to side on each panel.  It's the most
impressive thing I've ever seen.  I've had to adjust to riding in an
English saddle -- wasn't my style before.  But it fits the horse so well, I
just had to buy it.  I think I paid about $950 or so.
	Now, I might add I'm nowhere near a 100-miler, so seriously long
distances, I couldn't tell you the comfort level.  Another very comfortable
saddle that lets you, the rider, not have to work very hard to stay
balanced is Marilyn Horstmeyer's (SE) DeSoto Endurance Saddle, which she
hand makes to your specifications.  Though, just as with the Orthoflex
saddles, many people like them, many don't.  
	
Lori Sumrall