Suspended or hammock seat saddles

["Raymond O'Donohue" <rayo@cfw.com>]

Those saddles you saw are not uncommon today,and are pretty much 
the original type from Genghis Khan on up to the present day.Refered to 
as "Universal Pattern" and "Trooper",they pose several advantages over 
any solid or "ground" seat design.In particular, they present the builder 
with the option of using a pivoting side bar,although not many have 
exercised this option in recent years.Assembled in a "seperate component" 
format,they allow a fussy rider almost limitless options for rigging and 
stirrup hanger modification,and they are very unlikely to sore a horse's 
back.Recent Asian trooper saddles that have appeared on the marketshould 
not be considered as representative examples of the type,except in 
general layout.McClellan saddles are NOT suspended seat "troopers".The 
best one on the market today are the Tucker,the Christie,and the Tarpin 
Hill,which sell for about half what they should,at about $800.They all 
share several design flaws in rigging which anyone could re-arrange in an 
evening's work.They will work with you on acustom "tree",although the 
term tree really doesn't apply in the case of a Universal Pattern 
Trooper.These saddles are indestructible. They usually weigh about 25 
lbs.,but that is including stirrups.I reccomend the unpadded seat.Re the 
"hammock":No,the leather wont stretch/settle downwards very much,for 
slung beneath it is a parallel layer of "straining web",nylon in the 
modern day versions.A trooper may or may not be for you,but if you are a 
student of saddles(and who is this group isn't)you'll find them 
interesting and thought provoking.Tucker makes an "endurance" model 
also,but it isn't a trooper as such.