Re: Saddle for High-withered Horse

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

>
>NO, PLEASE reply to the list!  I am having this problem.  I sold my Sports 
>Saddle and have tried a (1965) Billy Cook with full quarter horse bars, a 
>Wintec with semi-quarter horse bars, a Circle Y with an Arabian tree, and a 
>Circle Y with semi-quarter horse bars and a Tennessean saddle designed
with a 
>flared tree for gaited horses.  So far, EVERY saddle leaves a dry area
behind 
>her withers, though the Billy Cook is far and away the best fit.  I would 
>really love to get this information too.
>
I have horses with very hard backs to fit...particularly Blaze who has a
wide back, horky shoulders, high withers, and a dippy back.  Absolutely
nothing I owned fit him.  After looking around and checking with others, I
decided on the DeSoto, by Marilyn Horstmyer.  Since it's made for the
individual horse and rider, there is a little bit of a wait to get it, but
it was well worth the wait.  The saddle is well made and fits him
perfectly.  I could tell immediately the difference in his gaits and his
freedom of forward movement.  His shoulder was free, withers not pinched,
and the saddle wasn't bridging as the others would.  It's also well
balanced in that it sits the rider with a good leg position...a very nicely
balanced classical riding position.  It's comfortable for the rider also.
I recently sent in my deposit for Cabby's saddle -- the next one on the
list. ;-)

Sue  
*************
Sue Brown
Tyee Farm
ARICP Certified Riding Instructor
Recreational Riding, Dressage  
Marysville, Wa. 
sbrown@wamedes.com