I saw the same ad in Trail Blazer for the Solstice Saddle. It "looked" like a nice saddle.
But I have to wonder about any saddle maker that claims one saddle fits all Arabs, or any
other breed for that matter. There is a tremendous amount of variation in the backs of all
Arabs. If you've ever been to a Sharon Saare saddle fitting clinic, you could see this for
yourself. It's a real eye opener! (good clinic, I highly recommend it).
I have the same Arab as you...short-backed, well sprung (personnally, I prefer the term
"well-sprung" to "round-barreled" as it sounds so much more elegant. :) ). I purchased a
Sharon Saare saddle, size D tree, but it wasn't working on this horse. I like the Saare
saddle. When I sold my last Arab, the Saare went with him because it fit so well. BUT, it
wasn't working with this fellow. I thought about the Ortho-Flex saddle, but I knew of too
many troubles with it. Fortunately, my husband acquired a Rocky Mountain Horse and
purchased an ortho-flex. The Ortho-Flex rep suggested I try it on my Arab without the
booties to see how it fit...sure enough, the panels were way too long. (BTW, the Ortho-Flex
works great on the Rocky Mountain Horse!).
Yes, there is a happy ending to this story... Friends then suggested that I talk to Marilyn
Horstmyer about a DeSoto saddle. She ordered a tree for him with extra thick bars. When
the tree arrived, I took him back for a "refined fitting". When she was finished, there was
quite a pile of sawdust on the floor. She cut a good bit off the length of the bars, and
flared the front to stay out of the way of his shoulders. The extra thick bars allowed her
room to file-away! She then marked the angle of the rigging so that the girth could stay
behind his elbows, and the saddle stay back where it belonged. On a well-sprung horse, the
girth will typically find its home behind the elbows, no matter how much you try to rig it
otherwise. The saddle fits beautifully. It is very well balanced and I get even contact
throughout the length of the bars. I love the saddle on this horse. He no longer resents
being saddled, and I no longer feel like I'm being thrown forward. And, amazingly, the
saddle doesn't slip when I mount, even though I ride with a loose girth.
I don't recommend any brand or style of saddle except the one that fits you and your horse.
Regardless of which saddle you choose, some things to keep in mind for the short-backed,
well-sprung horse are (IMHO):
* Length of the bars, from front to back - use a tape measure to see what that length looks
like on your horse...would it interfere with the shoulder or loins?
* Angle of rigging - the rigging should be angled slightly forward to allow the girth to
rest behind the elbows and the saddle to be behind the withers. This configuration generally
requires that the rear of the saddle be anchored to the rigging in some manner as well.
Otherwise, it might tip up, and you would not get good contact throughout the length of the
saddle.
* Pitch and Twist - You will need a wider twist and a flatter pitch for those ribs that
spring out into tomorrow. Otherwise, with each driving stride from the rear, you'll be
launched forward. Or, worse, you'll get saddle sores in the middle of the back from a too
narrow twist.
For me and my horse, the DeSoto was the answer. For you and your horse, it may be something
else.
BTW, Marilyn has a system for custom fitting via long distance. I'm just lucky enough to
live closeby, and I love visiting with her. She's also a seasoned Endurance rider and
farrier, so she knows the sport. I'm also very pleased with her biothane tack.
Hope this helps. Again, these are only my very humble opinions, and not the expert advice
you were seeking.
Kathy Seibolt
Tennessee
> sponsored by T-X-Ranger enterprises Inc
> http://www.txranger.com
>
> I am in need of your expert advice, guys. I'm finally in the market
> for a real saddle and more confused than ever. For me, I love the
> Orthoflex stitchdown but worry that it would hurt my horse, Oran. He
> is a short-backed, round-barreled arab. I saw an ad in this month's
> Trailblazer for a Solstice Endurance Saddle for Arabs. Their ad made
> so much sense ....but I have never heard of them. Has anyone out
> there tried one? What did you think? Please I have to make a
> decision or I will end up spending my saddle money on something dumb
> like groceries!!
> Thanks for any help or suggestions that you can offer.
>
>