> Regarding the discussion on saddles, I'm wondering what people think of
> Stonewall saddles. .... I've used it on several horses and it doesn't cause
> problems on any that I've used it on.
It sounds like you have hit a good combination for you & your horse.
Congratulations! A lot of us are still looking for that perfect
combination :(
I'm sure that you realize, though, that a saddle that fits your horse well
will not necessarily translate to a good fit on every horse you ride. A fair
number of problems do not show up the first time you ride a different horse
w/ your saddle. Some problems may manifest themselves over a period of
weeks, months, or the entire season.
For those who don't know:
The Stonewall saddle is based on the idea of the McClellan military
saddle from the turn of the century. It incorporates the good points
(air channel down the back, lots of places to attach things, light
weight) and eliminates the fit problems that MOST folks have w/ an
original McClellan. The old original saddles had narrow trees for
rangy, thin horses on campaigns (no concentrated feed on regular basis -
forage mostly).
Each McClellan tree was hand carved by different contractors for the
US Government per specs, so each tree is slightly different.
(Remember the phrase "Good enough for government work")
Adding to that, most older saddles were poorly cared for in grandpa's
barn. The rawhide may have been well soaked & dried several times. I have
seen McClellans where trees were not broken, but they were badly
twisted. My husband collects antique McClellans & actually rides in
3 out of 6 of them that actually fit a horse that looks TB/QH cross.
(He went thru dozens to find 6 that had any potential to fit!) A
Stonewall is an excellent choice if you prefer the idea of a
McClellan-type saddle.
Linda Flemmer
Blue Wolf Equestrian Supplies/ Blue Wolf Ranch
Chesapeake, VA
"In case of emergency - Fur side up, steel side down!"