you may not get alot of replies from your side of the globe, but
certainly here in australia stock saddles are very common at endurance
rides. probably more common than anything else. they ARE heavy, which is
a downside, but for comfort, security and fit, they're great. i was
riding in a syd hill "laura" ladies stock saddle, which i think is a
discontinued line. there are many, many models of syd hills, but most of
the differences are cosmetic IMHO. i initially didn't like stock saddles,
after riding 'english' for a long time, but soon melded with mine and
loved it. i never had a rub or any soreness riding in it,my horse never
had a back problem at all. unfortunately it didn't belong to me and i had
to give it back a few months ago :-(. i'm not buying another one, simply
because of the weight issue, my horse has quite enough to carry with me
alone! :-) but other than that i can highly recommend them, with one
proviso - stick with the syd hills. there are alot of poorly-made stock
saddles out there that i wouldn't touch. but a good syd hill will last
you for life.
nik & the gang (taaj, saki, dippa & sabe) in australia
> My friend has a Syd Hill Australian stock saddle that she absolutely loves
> and it obviously fits the horse well. She is not using it for distance riding-
> just for trail riding. Is anyone using the Syd Hill Australian Saddle for
> endurance riding (or competitive trail riding) and how do you like it?
>
> Celenia
> wencel@foothill.net