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Re: [RC] [RC] [RC] [RC] Saddles and more and more - - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: Nicole z_arabs@xxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== Mel Copeland wrote: heidi-about the trailer-you guessed right about the center divider. I did not expain it well. Yes, the divider takes the 16' stock trailer and divides it into a front and a back section. I hauled 2 fillies that had minimal handling in a trailer with this setup. I did not tie either horse and placed one in each section. They loaded great and hauled without a complaint. One faced backwards and the other turned kindof backwards and diagonally. << Hi Mel, For what it's worth, I have an old 4-horse straight load trailer and I'm toying with the idea of fixing the side windows so they're more horse-safe and then taking the dividers out between the side-by-side stalls to make two large roomy "stalls" rather than four small ones. In effect, I'd turn it into a stock trailer. As it is now, I have actually been using it as a 3-horse with a rear tack room and using one rear stall as a tack room to free up the actual tack room as my "living quarters" for camping. Or I may do a combo of what I'm doing now and a single large front stall -- where the horse would not be tied. But, I do have to fix the side windows first (they've got glass in them, and if I pull out the glass they're of a size that a horse could probably stick their head OUT, but not necessarily pull it back IN gracefully. Until those windows are safer, the horses will have to remain in the regular straight stalls. But, I digress... More on saddles... Currently I have a Simco endurance with the western seat and cordura fenders. It looks a bit beat up but is fairly comfy to me and fits my old gal well. << Sounds like you should stick with this for the time being unless there is some pressing reason to replace it. Girths and breast collars-I have a neoprene girth-good or bad? << Neoprene is great if it works for the horse. I have used neoprene girths for years. I now have my first neoprene-alergic horse, so he gets wool. I think it serves me right, since a while back we were having the girth-material thread and I told Heidi that I didn't like wool/fleece girths because they get sand in them on our local trails (we cross a river 2 or 3 or more times per training ride and water & sand are splashed up on the horses). Now I had to go and buy a wool girth and I also bought some girth covers for spares to use the neoprene on him if the wool one is dirty/wet/whatever. (I don't like having only one girth available, I have a surplus of girths around.) What is the best type of breast collar to get for a western seat endurance saddle? << Personally, I like English-style breast collars for endurance no matter what saddle type you use. The strap over the withers makes it much more convenient to use at a ride, since you can unclip it from the saddle to allow the horse to reach down easier, but it won't fall to the ground like a western one would if you did that. :) Of course, if you don't need a breast collar, you don't need to use any. My experience tends to be, though, that every time I decide this-is-a-superfluous-piece-of-equipment-that-this-horse- doesn't-need and take it off, that's the ride I'll find a hill that is so darn steep that the saddle will slip. This goes for the crupper, too. ;) Oh, and boots (for horses) -I have some neoprene running boots that I used to use when I was proving that pasos could barrel race...would these be good to use on a LD ride? << Does your horse interfere? Horsey leg protection is another very personal choice, but I go with the minimal approach. I have one horse that likes to beat himself up, but even he is rarely ridden in boots. He'll likely wear splint boots during endurance rides, though, since blood running down the legs of a grey is pretty ugly and would send the wrong message about our sport.... even if he's more likely to ding himself while romping around playing than he is while ridden... Anyway, if the horse doesn't interfere, I don't use leg protection. If I do use leg protection, I do use neoprene because it's cheap and easy and luckily my only horse who needs it isn't the one with the neoprene alergy. Do I have to buy those tights that everyone wears??? I have some degree of thunder thighs and am not in a big hurry to show them off in a set of riding tights!<< LOL! I have a friend I introduced to endurance who still insists on calling them "those funny looking pants." But, she wears them. She also admits that they're FAR more comfortable than the jeans she used to ride in before she started riding with me. :) I asked her if she thinks breeches are funny looking, and she said only tights are funny looking, breeches are fine. I told her to buy some breeches and try riding in them then, but I did warn her that breeches are not as comfy for hours & hours & hours. As an English rider myself, I'm not remotely bothered by the look of tights. They just look like schooling clothes to me, and I've ridden in schooling tights for years and years even before getting back into distance riding.... Besides, I was a teen in the 80s, so I wore stretch pants even for non-horsey activities... I figure that since I am just trying to learn the ropes, I will use my Simco for the time being. My horse is old and I am a newbie. We aren't planning to do anything more than LD. When my filly comes of age, then I will set my sights higher. And then when my colt gets old enough, my sights will go even higher :-)<< Sounds like a great plan! :) Just get out, ride, and have fun! ~Nicole www.zephyrarabians.com OK-the ramble is finished for the moment. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 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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