Re: English saddles

[Horsestwo@aol.com]

Delores;

I have to disagree about the foam panels being as good as wool stuffed.  I had
the maker of an excellent saddle (Arabian Saddle Co.) come to my house to see
my Miller's all purpose and fix the fit.  He hadn't tried to fix a foam
stuffed saddle but said he would try.  He wasn't in the market to sell me a
saddle and even remarked that this saddle fit my horse tree-wise but needed to
have some excess taken off the panels over the loins where he was soring.  He
took the saddle back to England to see if it could be fixed.  The composite(?)
foam was glued to the tree and they shaved the foam but were unhappy with the
results.  He said the foam was already decomposing.  As a result I have a
saddle that needs to be replaced and it won't be with a foam stuffed saddle!

The Arabian Saddle Co. now has a Solstice model that has serge(?) fabric on
the bottom so it is easier to reflock.  It is even softer and more conforming
than the leather.  I just saw it at the Scottsdale All Arabian show.  

Melanie in AZ