the first LD ride I did in this he got the best PRs he's ever had. Now it's all I have. I've got two of these. One fitted with a sheepskin cover, cantle pack, etc. the other one is as is for quickie tackups.
One nice thing is winter riding, you really get the warmth off the horse!
About a dozen of my friends now ride almost excusively in LJs'. I've sold all my "real" saddles....
'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.'
--- On Sat, 11/15/08, Maggie Mieske <msmieske@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: Maggie Mieske <msmieske@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [RC] Saddles for Polish Arabs & others To: Ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Date: Saturday, November 15, 2008, 11:53 AM
I paid big bucks for a custom fit saddle once. It lasted about a year until Malik filled out, muscled up and it started pinching him. I now use a Bob Marshall treeless saddle. I doubt if I'll ever go back to anything else.
Maggie Mieske Lecturer English Department/Foundation Program Qatar University P.O. Box 2713 Doha, Qatar
“Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving safely in a pretty well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming ... WOW! What a ride!”
From: Naomi Preston <mustanglady@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: Ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 8:50:06 PM Subject: [RC] Saddles for Polish Arabs & others
I'd highly recommend the SR Enduro by Steve Gonzales. Steve custom fits the saddle to your horse's back, and he is amazingly knowledgeable about the horse's anatomy and how a saddle should fit. The saddle's built on a unique style of flexible tree. Another great thing about the Enduro is that it puts you in a balanced riding position -- really important. I've been riding his saddles for 20 years, and they're terrific. Steve will also fine-tune the fit of your saddle when your horse's muscling changes, or loses weight with fitness. I had him work on my saddle right before the 5-day Owyhee Canyonlands ride, since my mare had lost some weight in becoming fitter this season. The saddle fit her like a glove again, and we received overall Best Condition for the 5 days. My husband Lee, who's a heavy heavyweight (260 lbs.) also rides an SR. Vets are always
commenting how great his horses' backs look.
And personally, how the saddle fits the horse would be the first priority for me. My horse's comfort is primary -- mine a distant second!
I think Steve's at the Trail Blazer festival this weekend for anyone in that vicinity. He's also an advertiser on Endurance.net
