In a message dated 8/29/2005 12:45:54 PM Pacific Standard Time,
katswig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
I have
not come up with a way to determine whether a saddle fits a rider without
riding in it any better than I have come up with a way to determine whether
a saddle fits a horse without putting it on the horse and trying it
out.
I used to sell saddles in a major tack store. I got to where I could just
watch someone walking toward me and know if I had a saddle that would fit them,
especially if they were long from hip to knee.
The best test (besides trying it out on the horse) is to sit in the saddle
on a rack, let your legs fall down naturally. Look at how the saddle twists your
thighs. If your knees point out and it is a struggle to roll your thigh against
the saddle to get your leg in the proper position, then that is not the right
seat for you. But if you sit in a saddle that just naturally lets your leg hang
in the correct position with your thigh rolled forward and your leg hanging
naturally without the back of your calf making contact with the "horse", then
you are off to a good start.
