No Subject

["Kristine Hammond" <tinka@reno.quik.com>]

Greetings Dee,

Well, sorry it took me so long to respond, I was gone for the weekend.  I didn't know what was keeping me from being able to post-I was flopping around in my new saddle like a kid just learning to ride.  Someone suggested I move the stirrups forward 1 or 2 inches.  I moved them backwards 1 inch by mistake, and wound up riding about 35 miles this weekend and wound up being able to post without a problem.  I guess stirrup position is more important than I thought.  That inch made a big difference.  This saddle has a center fire girthing system, I have never used one and neither has my horse.  It was of course back further on his barrel than his other one, and I was told the proper way to saddle my horse with this saddle was approsimately 2 inches further back of where I had been saddling him previously.  I would say it's probably 3-4 inches back of where his other cinch went.  In the beginning he was quite surprised!  Spent the first 20 minutes (on the lunge line) crow hopping around,  He has adjusted to it now, only rarely kicking up while going downhill.  I think his long winter hair is being pulled when we go downhill.  I am going to clip that area to determine if that is really the issue!  I have only used this saddle essentially since December 26.  It is the first time my horse has had this type of saddle on the my knowledge, previously I used a big horn. I don't know if he is feeling the pressure from my seat,  I still have a lot of things to figure out about this rig.  Any suggestions are welcome, and I am grateful for them.

 

Kriss