Re: RC: Not an endurance rider, but have a question...

[Dave & Abby Bloxsom <cyclone@snet.net>]

> The theory is that a saddle that
> conforms to the horse's back will discourage the horse from
> rounding into a dressage frame because the horse will
> recoil when it raises its back and feels pressure from
> the center of the saddle.
> 
My problem with this theory (and I've seen it happen) is that when a
saddle bridges--especially if the rider is heavy in relation to the
horse--it causes discomfort when the rider mounts.  The horse then
hollows the back to avoid the saddle pressure.  When a horse's back
isn't already comfortable, it's pretty hard to get him to come through. 
The saddle effectively *prevents* the rounding it seeks to encourage.

> JP Giacomini is now living in the United States and promoting
> the idea of classical dressage that emphasizes collection over
> extension and is thus more suited to "baroque" bodied horses such
> as the Portugese Lusitano.  <snip>

I love it when you post, Linda - you always have a nice historical
tidbit to include.  

> Interesting idea.  I don't know if I believe it.  This was one
> of the things that appealed to me about the idea of the Orthoflex:
> that it bent *with* the horse so you didn't have to pick which
> body frame your horse was supposed to be in in order for its
> saddle to "fit" at any given instant.
> 
This is an important point, I think.  The horse's back changes from
moment to moment, and this is probably a large part of why we all have
fit problems.  I have a mare who may be driving me toward either an
OrthoFlex or a treeless saddle, since she's a perfect example of the
horse whose back is VERY flat when she goes round, a bit hollow when she
lengthens out on the trail, and extremely hollow behind the withers when
she starts to tire & go short in front.  So I could conceivably use 3
different saddles during the course of a one-day ride!  One for the
first five miles when we have the brakes on, one for the middle when she
relaxes , and one for the last five miles!  Right now I'm riding in a
dressage saddle, using judicious padding depending what I plan to do on
a given day.

I do think this purchase will have to wait till after the truck though
...

-Abby B



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