Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Please Reply to: S. Smith shaynesmith01@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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I did all the research, called/e-mailed and bugged a lot of people including 
Chris Martin many, many times before deciding I was going to purchase a 
Freeform saddle.  I had been through five unsuccessful saddles in the last two 
years.  And between all the money I was out and an unhappy pony, I was very 
frustrated.  I even bought an Impression pad to help me out? which is a 
wonderful tool to use!!  Boy was I wrong on a couple of saddle fits!  No wonder 
my gelding got pissy with me every once in awhile, his back hurt.  He didn?t 
show it, no dipping, no tenderness, he was a trooper.  Only tail swishing, 
which I learned to listen to real quick.

So as I decided to purchase a Freeform, one popped up for sale from a really 
nice lady in North Carolina.  I sent and check and waited for the saddle to get 
here.  And waited.  It took UPS nine days to deliver it.  Bummer, address mix 
up.  But I finally got it.

So off the barn I went to fit it up to my little 15 hand Arab.  Saddle wasn't 
too long (which was the case for another saddle I bought), breast collar was 
good, no crupper needed, stirrups placed correctly and lengthened to my height. 
Ready to girth up.  Uuugh!! the billets were too fat for my Wintec girth I was 
planning on using.  I need to use a 22" for my little guy and no one at the 
barn has a girth that size.  So I was stuck.  No girth, and no riding that day.

I called Chris Martin about 4pm that afternoon in a panic and asked him to Sat 
deliver me a girth that would fit.  Bless his heart; he immediately got it to 
me.  I needed to ride and try the saddle in order to let the seller know a 
decision.  She too had been waiting almost two weeks for a sale.

So Sunday morning off we went to Del Valle Lake to try out my new saddle!!  
Yippee!  Fussed with new stirrup leathers and mounted up.  We rode out and back 
from the Dam about 10 miles worth of trail on a gorgeous day.  Four times I 
stopped and readjusted things.  First it was I set the stirrups too far back.  
Then my Equipedic pad slipped back too far (my mistake).  Then the pommel of 
the saddle started to swish down a little too far for my comfort level.  I 
later learned that I didn?t have the saddle pad far enough forward to hike it 
up into the saddle column.  But I can?t do that with my current Equipedic pad, 
it?s not long enough.  So, I ordered the HAF pad.  Should work.

My overall impression of the saddle was ?I love it!?  I felt very balanced and 
secure.  Trotting and cantering took some extra inner thigh muscles (and yes, I 
am very sore today), but I also felt closer to my gelding than ever before.  I 
do take dressage lessons in a beautiful Kieffer saddle and still, the Freeform 
saddle gave me more of a feel for my guy.  My gelding was even a bit of a pill 
Sunday, so I really got a chance to see how I would stay in the saddle.  No 
problem.  I do need to work of mounting from the ground.  The one time I tried, 
the saddle slipped on me.  I tightened the girth again, but found a really big 
rock to get on instead.   My gelding also really liked it.  I could tell he was 
moving out better than he has in a year and a half, especially downhill.  He 
moved like he did when we had a saddle that fit him properly.

So far, so good.  Thanks a bunch to Chris and Freeform USA!!  If nothing else, 
I would encourage to at least borrow one from a friend and try it!   I will 
keep everyone informed as to make next adventure with the correct pad!

Shayne and a much happier pony!


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