Ortho-Flex Saddles - System 3

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

Barb Peck bpeck@together.net
From Barb Peck
SBJ:  Loin Rubbing
Reference:  Lenghth of overall saddle

IMO, Yes indeed, a saddle can be too long for a particular
horses back. A too long saddle *can* cause loin problems
including rudding.
I'm a fitter for Sharon Saare (as are others on this list) and
I shuddered when I read that the Ortho-Flex Rep said that loin
rubbing was caused by the 2- pt. position causing the saddle
to dip in the front & raise the back.....This is a description
of a saddle that DOESN'T fit.

I don't know how short your horses back is.. but I've seen
some Morgans around here that had to have saddles who's over-all
lenghth did not exceed 22-23 inches. With an English type saddle
that's easy to find, but much harder to find a western endurance
type that short. No saddle should be so long that it crowds the depression
just before the point of hip.
For 2K,  you should be as sure as you can be that what you're getting fits you and your
horse.
There's no magic formula for saddle lenghth.. but there are guidelines:
Pull one of your horses front legs forward and watch how far back
the scapula (shoulder blade) rotates back.
No part of the saddles' tree should interfere with the scapulas full
extension. If the fit is good, the scapula can rotate under the skirting
leather just fine.  If the fit is too big at the withers, the front of the tree
drops, droping the whole front of the saddle and most likely will
interfer with free shoulder movement... plus other problems.

For 2K, if your can't fit your horse with a semi-custom,
then go full custom..

Good Luck.
Barb






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