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Oh yes, I can vouch for that! Patrick and I skiived off on Friday
afternoon and drove over the Sierra to Nevada, to Karen's house,
last Friday to try out various sized saddles and decide which
size/type I wanted.
Karen very kindly let me try three saddles, on her two lovely
horses and I had a ton of fun (except for my hands that froze).
Thanks a bunch for the time and effort, Karen!
Prior to that, Katja Halfmeyer had let me try out hers for a few
brief minutes on both Mouse and Provo... and I was hooked after
about the third step.
My credit card is pouting and won't speak to me, but I came home
a'grinnin' from ear to ear (kept patting it in the back seat),
with a black, 14.5", endurance, stirrups back, w. cheyenne roll
(lip on back of cantle to stop you flopping around when mounting).
I rode Mouse briefly in it on Saturday (once she'd finished doing
her "I'm an ay-rab teenager" impersonation) and she looked like she
was really listening. Trouble is, it also looked like she was
responding: "What exactly are you trying to say, Mum?".
Hopefully, this saddle means I will be able to teach her subtle
and sensitive seat/body aids - provided I can stay balanced and
consistent. Hum.
For her, it is the perfect saddle - to fit her now in her dumpling-
mode, to fit her when she gets slim, and to fit her when she gets
fit (in about 15 yrs time <g> at this rate).
One other thing: although I initially thought they were the ugliest
saddles I'd ever seen (but note, I still bought one anyway), since
mine has spent the last few days being a sofa ornament, I'm beginning
to quite like the look of it.
> >statement regarding size. I don' feel rider height necessarly
> >has any bearing on seat size. I am slightly under 6 ft. tall, and
> >both my Sport Saddles are 14". I really depends more on the size of
> >the riders butt and thighs!
I would agree with that too - Patrick, who is 6'1" and I ride
(should I say "rode" - he's got a broken leg) in the same size
saddle - he's, er, "small-butted", so to speak, so I'm hoping
that my SS will fit him once he gets going again.
* * *
On the subject of young horses (all posts carefully filed
away for future reference), Karen's 6yr old Rocky is *loads*
of fun! Can you say "impulsion"? Probably scare me to death
actually riding him on the trail (if I could keep up - I had
to hang on tight each time I asked for a trot). Karen
bought up an interesting point about him, re. bringing on
young horses. Even though he could probably zoom through
any ride, his type of temperament needs for him to learn that
"sedate and calm is the way *all* horses ride out on the trail,
honest".
As someone else put it - to avoid frying the horse's brain, better
to wait until the horse has a little self control.
* * *
Great fun all round and I'm praying for lack of rain over Christmas
so I get to practise.
-- ************************************************************** Lucy Chaplin Trumbull - elsie@calweb.com Displaced English person in Sacramento, CAhttp://www.calweb.com/~elsie http://www.calweb.com/~trouble **************************************************************
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