RE: Information regarding McClellan US Cavalry Saddles

["Budler,Cindy" <natcon@afrox.boc.com>]

Here in South Africa a lot of the endurance riders use an adapted
McClellan saddle. It has the McClellan tree , but has some skirts  and
also the seat is filled in(padded)- therefore no hole down middle. The
tree still has the wide open gullet and the pads that sit on the back
are very broad and flat. I have just recently bought one and have tried
it on all 3 horses - one very stright flat backed narrow arab with good
withers. one broader backed older arab and my "little fat man" who has 2
years off- he is the only one I am having problems with as his belly is
so big at the moment the saddle keeps on slipping forward due to the
placement of the girth(supposed to stay back , but can't !!!!) Only
distance will tell if the saddle will continue too work on them - but it
is the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden in- my legs are in the
correct place for the firts time and it sure is difficult to fall out
of!!
Cindy

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Teddy Lancaster [SMTP:Teddy@runningbear.com]
> Sent:	Wednesday, January 27, 1999 4:11 AM
> To:	Tracey Zellmann
> Cc:	ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject:	Re: Information regarding McClellan US Cavalry Saddles
> 
> I rode in a McClellan, the 1904 model for YEARS and loved it.  BUT, it
> does NOT love
> most of my horses and visa versa.  It was built on a rigid, narrow
> tree and does not
> fit most horses of today.
> 
> Teddy
> 
> Tracey Zellmann wrote:
> 
> > Perhaps a list member has some experience and knowledge of these
> saddles. My
> > understanding is that the US Cavalry used a modified version of this
> saddle,
> > developed in 1928, throughout the final years of the cavalry, in the
> mid 1940's.
> > I am curious how they were adjusted to fit the horse and the rider.
> Also, if
> > someone has ridden in these saddles, how do they compare with modern
> endurance
> > saddles?