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Re: [RC] There must be a better way to fit a saddle ! - Robert FerrandLisa, I was in the middle of writing a new article on saddle fitting, when your e-mail arrived, this except from the article may be relevant to those who "are planning to carefully investigate" There are some who believe that a plaster cast or thermoplastic sheet draped over the horse's back is the solution to determining saddle fit. This creates a "mirror image" of the shape of the "Unladen" horse's back. Then everyone jumps to the conclusion that this shape must be the shape of the saddle that fits the horse's back. However, has anyone ever provided any "objective evidence" that this is true? More importantly, has someone actually measured this concept and discovered that it is not true? What if the rider's weight affects the shape of the horse's back? What if the back of the horse does bend just enough, under the riders weight, to cause the saddle that "APPEARS TO FIT", to actually "BRIDGE". Maybe the saddle fitting problem is that we have never had any saddle measurement instruments accurate enough to detect this error. If this is true, then maybe we need to change the way we think about saddle fit. So how can we determine the facts? TO SOLVE A PROBLEM, FIRST DEFINE IT PROPERLY. Throughout history complex problems have been simplified by using measurement. Today, we can send a probe to Mars over vast distances and time by using measurement. However, when it comes to saddling horses, there is a prevalent mythology that fitting the complex polyform shape of the horse's back (a hyperbolic parabola) to the complex polyform shape of the saddle (a hyperbolic parabola) can be accomplished WITHOUT measurement. While some consider a piece of baling wire or plaster cast or plastic sheet to be a form of measurement, the truth is: measurement requires a "UNIT OF MEASURE". Three dimensional forms do not have a unit of measure. More importantly, complex measurement requires some form of "calibration", that relates the "UNIT OF MEASURE" to a "KNOWN STANDARD". NO STANDARD - NO MEASUREMENT. Accurate measurement requires a "feedback loop". A feedback loop corrects for the errors or "hysterisis" in the measurement technology itself - and thereby accuracy is increased by relating the measurement to a known reference point. If you are trying to determine the shape of saddle that will create even pressure on the horse's back, maybe it would be a good idea to actually meassure that pressure under the saddle, rather than guessing. This link (100k) http://www.dblue.net/videos/saddletech.com/fithappenstrailer_100k_ref.mov (300k) http://www.dblue.net/videos/saddletech.com/fithappenstrailer_300k_ref.mov provides a video (broadband only) of a computer pressure analysis of a saddle fit to the "Mirror Image" of the horse's back as you suggest. You may find this video most enlightening.. Robert Ferrand Inventor ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lisa Douglass" <lisa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 7:06 PM Subject: [RC] Be 'Fit' in Reno! It's almost time for the Reno Convention! It sounds like the vending will be top notch this year - Everything on your wishlist. With all of the recent discussions of the best saddles, I'm sure some of you are planning to carefully investigate them all. Here's something that might help you out - The EquiMeasure Saddle Fitting Kit is an excellent tool to help rule out or determine what saddles will fit your horse. Wouldn't it be a great idea to carry one around the vending room with you? If you order one now, you'll have plenty of time to get the mold made in time to bring to the convention. Or if you are flying and don't want to carry it on the plane, you can send it back to us instead and we'll bring it to the convention for you. If you buy a Free'n'Easy saddle, the cost of the mold purchased through Moss Rock will be applied toward your purchase regardless of model or package. For anyone with an EquiMeasure or any other mold or tracings, we would be happy to determine the best tree size and set up a saddle for you to take home and try on your horse. We can also spend time with you showing you how and why we set up the saddle for your horse. As a special treat, Les Spark, the designer of the saddle will be available for your questions and general conversation. See you in Reno! Lisa Douglass Moss Rock Endurance www.mossrockendurance.com lisa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (719)439-2472 (719)495-7083 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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