No one has mentioned treeless saddles for gaited
horses yet. My daughter has a new Paso Fino and is using the treeless BM and
we've had no saddle issues whatsoever. Even sweat patterns and can really largo
with it. He seems very comfortable too. Gosh, a treeless saddle and a
gaited horse....what could be more comfortable?! They'll be doing their first LD
ride this weekend together!
I'm
and old Endurance.net poster- haven't posted in a long time cuz I've been
battling Lyme disease- and had other priorities for a few years. But as
some of you know I've been fitting for SHaron Saare for about 10 years, and
I've fit alot of gaited horses, that 'don't gait'.
One of
the previous posters was close to right -on when he said the gaited horses
have to have enough room for shoulder rotation.
There's a big wing of
cartiledge at the end of the scapula, that really rotates back pretty far on
these horses, (and on some other non gaited horses) and there needs to be room
under the saddle skirting for that to occur - and if the bottom edge of the
bar (of the tree) is too tight, the horse won't bring the leg as far forward
as he is able to. If the horse also has a well developed trapezius
muscle (the one that ties in just behind the withers) then there's another
important consideration.
But these horses seem pretty tough to
me. Not too much complaining
.