Ridecamp: [RC] English saddles and opinions

> I take that back about
> >All the english [saddles] have lightly attached rings,
>

A little warning about *some* of them. I was riding a fairly cheap
Argentine jumping saddle in a brush track race and when my horse came out
of the starting gates I felt a little "give". As we went around the turn
the saddle went under his belly and I was dragged a little before the
saddle came off. Turned out the billets were just nailed to the tree.

As long as I'm responding to the saddle choice post I'll give my
experience.

My western saddle had my feet too far out in front of me and stirrup
leathers too rigid. If you've got access to a barrel racing saddle,
they're light, they have a more free swinging stirrups and sit you a tad
more forward...also have smaller skirts. Make sure you change the
stirrups, theirs will kill you. On a western saddle ,if you want to fake
a 3/4 rigging you can run  the cinch down to the girth, then back to the
rear cinch ring to tie. (barrel saddles may not have that rear ring
though)

Tried a jumping saddle. Again my feet were forward and I had to lean
forward to get over them. Had constant pain between shoulder blades and
lower back.

Bought a quality Australian saddle. Nice on a horse with a shuffle trot
but the poleys killed my thighs at an extended trot over long distances.
The saddle was made very narrow and gave my horse problems.

Big Horn saddle (can get them used around here for $200). For *me* (I'm
short) The stirrups were too far forward, and the fenders made it hard to
take them up far enough for me. We cut them down, but it still made them
hard to turn and you couldn't move the buckel around under the fender to
get it in a more comfortable position.

DeSoto. Don't like the super high front. Don't like not being able to
move the buckle's placement under my leg.

Ortho-Flex Express. I LOVE it. I can stand up in the stirrups and hold my
hands out to the side and balance perfectly over my feet. I've gotten
away with using it on a wide variety of horses with really nothing but
"A's" on back that I can think of. I think the main reason is that it
helps me ride better. You can sore a back in a saddle that fits if it
makes you slam down and ride rough. I got mine for $500 used...(back in
1990). I've since bought another one just like it for my daughter for I
think about $700. The other day she looked at mine which is about to wear
though (I didn't used to think you could wear through a saddle>g<)  She
said, "Mom, what kind of saddle are you going to get when yours wears
out?" and I said, "yours". >eg< (she chased me pounding me with a pillow)
 

Angie

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