 |
[RC] Big Horn saddles and saddle fitting - Linda CowlesHi Folks, I like Big Horn, too! If it fits the horse! I've been changing my business - and my life - around these past few weeks or I would have responded to this email earlier. I owned the Horse 'N Hound tack store in Redwood Valley, CA for 3 years, and in that period, I sold ***many*** Big Horn saddles. I'm selling the shop space and western inventory so that I can actually ride again <grin!>. I hope to continue selling Big Horns, because they're a very well made saddle for an affordable price. Dr Kerry Ridgway is a dear friend, and taught me as much about saddle fitting as he could, and one of my passions as a retailer was ensuring that my customers saddles fit their horses. I encouraged folks to bring horses and saddles - bought *anywhere* - by the shop so that I could check the fit and teach them as much about saddle fit as I could. Big Horn uses a wide variety of trees in their saddles; they have (I believe) 7 sizes, but I've found that each "type" of tree (barrel, roper, pleasure, endurance etc) of the same "size" (QH, Full QH, Semi QH, Arab, TW, Gaited, Draft and Pony) to be subtly different. Why? I assume it's because there are different tree manufacturers and tree designers. So all Full Quarter Horse Bars trees are not created equal! A Full Quarter Horse Bars "A" fork roping tree often fits different from a Full Quarter Horse Bars trail saddle tree. And just because a saddle fits a horses shoulder, it may not fit behind the shoulder... The bottom line? Horse people need to learn to fit the saddle to the horse themselves, or work with dealers who prove that they know what they're doing. Several organizations and service providers offer instruction. And if you're in my neighborhood? I'll help. Saddle fit isn't rocket science; give yourself permission to try it! A saddle that fits conforms to the horses shoulder and back without pinching or flaring to leave gaps. Try and identify areas of poor pressure distribution - usually pinching, gaps in coverage or flaring. Start by putting a saddle on a horses back without a pad, and check: * is there clearance at the withers (an inch or more)? * looking at the seat, is the saddle tilted down in the front (the tree is too wide)? * looking at the seat, is the saddle too high in the front (too narrow)? * run your hand down the shoulder between the saddle and the horse; does the saddle fits the length of the bar there without pinching or flaring out? * run your hand horizontally towards the back of the saddle; is there a gap right behind the shoulder? Does the back of the bars distribute pressure evenly across the horses back? Is the tree too long? Last of all, rock the saddle softly as you look your horse in the eye... If he or she pins his ears, the saddle may not fit. Or the horse could have a sore back or chiropractic problem. The bars need to distribute pressure across your horses back without pinching or bridging. If the first saddle you try to fit seems to fit, keep trying until you find a saddle that doesn't fit, because a saddle that doesn't fit will teach you more about fitting than one that does! I'm going to be riding more now (fingers crossed, because Gavilan's waaaaaay out of shape!), and will have some of my tack at Northern California rides. I would be delighted to help anyone learn more about fitting saddles with trees. I'll also ask Big Horn if they will send me a few bare trees to use as examples... I have a flex tree, now, that I intend to drag around. Good luck - Linda PS. If anyone gets **really** stuck, I will try and help over the phone. Linda Cowles Certified Hoof Care Provider 707-869-8270 - Home 707-621-0240 - Cell HealthyHoof@xxxxxxxxxxx www.HealthyHoof.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|