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Before telling you how the demo saddle is working out so far, a quick 
history for those who haven't read my whining rants about failing to 
find a saddle to fit either of my wide-backed horses:  I've gone 
through a number of wide saddles that bridged or were still not wide 
enough or simply seemed to bother the horses despite looking like they 
fit.  The only thing that seemed promising was a gorgeous Ortho-flex 
Cutback with short panels but it turned out to have a cracked tree.  I 
need two saddles, and, for some reason that bewilders me, I want them 
to be different types.  Something about being a basically ambivalent 
person I guess.

Anyway--finally decided to demo a Freeform.  First of all, it looks way 
cooler than I expected.  It's built way better than I expected.  It's 
way lighter than I expected.  It arrived with EZ ride stirrups and an 
Equipedic pad.

Day one:  I narrowly avoid falling off by realizing, a millisecond 
before putting all my weight into the stirrup,  that I had the stirrup 
adjustor on backwards so the velcro couldn't attach itself.  Pretty 
humorous moment for the friend who had stopped by to take a look.  
Attach the stirrup correctly--MUCH better.  Sitting in the saddle feels 
really odd at first--keep slamming into the front of the saddle--very 
uncomfortable.  Stirrups seem to be set way too far back--odd for 
someone who likes stirrups straight underneath her.  Never had stirrups 
too far back before.  Move stirrups farther forward hoping this will 
keep me from tipping forward into the front of the saddle.  No such 
luck.  Changed horses.  Better, but not much.  Really impressed by how 
it fits both horses backs.  Wow, only once before have I been able to 
slide my hand easily under every part of the saddle.  It's a perfect 
fit for both horses, even the mutton-withered one.  I'd heard that with 
these saddles one shouldn't mount without a block, tailgate, stump, 
etc.  Didn't like that notion because one never knows when one might be 
caught flat-footed out on the prairie somewhere without a hummock in 
sight.  Decided to try mounting the mutton-withered mare thinking that 
I might as well try the worst-case first.  Zero problem.  Granted, I 
leap up pretty quickly so don't usually have a problem, but still, this 
is one worry out of the way.  Have I mentioned how great those wide 
stirrups feel to this inexperienced aspiring endurance rider?  Darn it 
though that the seat feels so awkward and painful.

Day two:  Hmmm.  Thought about the seat all night.  (I just deleted a 
bad joke.)  There's no way this thing can be this uncomfortable when so 
many people love the saddle.  I must be doing something wrong.  Try the 
saddle again.  This time I simply lift and sit my bottom further back 
to where the seat rises up in back.  AAAAHHH.   Everything changes for 
the better.  However, now the stirrups are too far forward.  I move 
them back by lifting the really cool velcro-d seat and repositioning 
the contact strip for the stirrup hangers.  Takes about 1 and 1/4 
seconds.  Try sitting in the saddle again, this time sitting farther 
back so I can feel the back of the saddle.  Note, the saddle seemed 
almost too big last time out.  This time, with the new position, it 
seems just right.  It feels exactly like my lovely County dressage 
saddle offering even a little bit more contact.  One really wraps one's 
legs around the horse's body.

Day three:  hasn't happened yet.  It's pouring and I don't dare take 
the demo (a plain black leather model) out in the rain because, if I am 
going to buy the saddle, why not get a shocking blue suede one?  :-)

Cheers everyone.  I think I've finally found one saddle that should 
work well enough or even terrifically for every horse I have.  Please 
G-d, let it be true!   One more outing of greater length and I'll 
commit.  Then we can move on to find a saddle for horse number two.  
Maybe this time it won't take THREE YEARS.

Mary K.


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