McClellans

["Quentin Llop" <qhll@eznet.net>]

I have two antique McClellans. Of 115 horses, that we have owned over a
period of 30 years, they have fit 2. Both were very narrow and knifey
withered. Every year I drag them out and try them on my horses that have
gotten thin . Mostly they bridge. So I haven't ridden in a McClellan in 22
years, but fit is only one of the reasons. The bigger reason is that 22
years ago I was trotting down the trail when my horse tripped, slid for a
bit on his knees then flipped over on me. The high hard cantle of the
McClellan broke my shoulder blade in half. I will never forget my absolute
panic that I would die right there or the three mile ride home. We were
introduced to riding in the Shenandoah Park by a group of re-enactors who
rode for a week every fall in their McClellans,up to 30 miles a day. The
saddles didn't fit well; they traveled at a pace between a walk and a jig,
then the horses(and the men) went home and recovered for a year, before
doing it again.     Libby