New Wade Saddle Got Me Bucked Off All Weekend

[Denise]

Thanks Keith. I know good saddle makers go to a lot of trouble to get the rigging in straight. It can be hard for a saddle buyer to know for sure but it is good for people to have some idea how to check it out.

[AndyKnight]

I will be the saddle maker that says something different maybe.. re Dry spot.. If the saddle was too far ahead which it sure looks like to me, the dry spot may more likely be due to no pressure.

The whole horse was not sweated and it did not appear caused by pressure to me. Of course pics only convey limited info.

.

I would look at how tight you cinched the horse. as well as looking at the horses" softness" or ability to give to the pressure / cues of the rider over all. Your horse was speaking and some of it may have been the saddle but definitely not all.

respectably.

Andy Knight

Edited April 12, 2010 by AndyKnight

[Huntet02]

I will be the saddle maker that says something different maybe.. re Dry spot.. If the saddle was too far ahead which it sure looks like to me, the dry spot may more likely be due to no pressure.

The whole horse was not sweated and it did not appear caused by pressure to me. Of course pics only convey limited info.

.

I would look at how tight you cinched the horse. What does this mean you think the cinch was was too lose or to tight? This sweat pattern was NOT the day she bucked she performed nicely the day of these pictures. as well as looking at the horses" softness" or ability to give to the pressure / cues of the rider over all. A trainer plus myself rode her I will give you that I might not be giving her perfect cues but ......

Your horse was speaking and some of it may have been the saddle but definitely not all.

respectably.

Andy Knight

[kseidel]

I will be the saddle maker that says something different maybe.. re Dry spot.. If the saddle was too far ahead which it sure looks like to me, the dry spot may more likely be due to no pressure.

The whole horse was not sweated and it did not appear caused by pressure to me. Of course pics only convey limited info.

.

I would look at how tight you cinched the horse. as well as looking at the horses" softness" or ability to give to the pressure / cues of the rider over all. Your horse was speaking and some of it may have been the saddle but definitely not all.

respectably.

Andy Knight

Good Morning Andy,

Respectfully I reply to your post.... Dry spots under the saddle are not caused by the absence of pressure. Only pressure points or the inability to sweat will result in a dry spot. Sometimes the skin suffers enough damage to cause the sweat glands to not sweat properly or at all. If the horse sweats properly, then a dry spot will be caused from a pressure point. If it is a large dry spot, it is caused by a smaller pressure point compounded by movement causing the pressure to be spread over a larger area. You cannot have a pressure point the size of the entire front bar pad. Even a saddle with excessive bridging will fully sweat under the saddle. Only the air flow space thru the gullet may remain dry, and that not after riding for very long.

Keith

[AndyKnight]

Good Morning Andy,

Respectfully I reply to your post.... Dry spots under the saddle are not caused by the absence of pressure. Only pressure points or the inability to sweat will result in a dry spot. Sometimes the skin suffers enough damage to cause the sweat glands to not sweat properly or at all. If the horse sweats properly, then a dry spot will be caused from a pressure point. If it is a large dry spot, it is caused by a smaller pressure point compounded by movement causing the pressure to be spread over a larger area. You cannot have a pressure point the size of the entire front bar pad. Even a saddle with excessive bridging will fully sweat under the saddle. Only the air flow space thru the gullet may remain dry, and that not after riding for very long.

Keith

, You have a better way with words than I do.. I agree however the areas that are contacted by even pressure will often sweat quicker than the areas that have less contact or pressure . If you get the horse warm enough the areas with less contact( but still suffient) will also be wet. When looking for even sweats I want to see the horse wet beyond the blankets. What I am saying is make sure the horse is sweated up well before reading too much into sweat patterns. I see too often riders worrying about dry areas when the horse hasn't been sufficiently warmed up.

Edited April 12, 2010 by AndyKnight

[kseidel]

Keith

, You have a better way with words than I do.. I agree however the areas that are contacted by even pressure will often sweat quicker than the areas that have less contact or pressure . If you get the horse warm enough the areas with less contact( but still suffient) will also be wet. When looking for even sweats I want to see the horse wet beyond the blankets. What I am saying is make sure the horse is sweated up well before reading too much into sweat patterns. I see too often riders worrying about dry areas when the horse hasn't been sufficiently warmed up.

Andy,

I'm sure I am no more eloquent than any other of us, just misunderstood more maybe and therefore careful not to put my foot im my mouth unless I mean to.

You are correct that when warmed up sufficiently a horse will sweat more evenly throughout the areas of varying pressure. Many riders, even experienced, put much too much emphasis on dry spots that may not cause any problems at all. A great percentage of horses do not sweat evenly over their whole back, rendering dry spots an unreliable tool in diagnosis. I am only concerned about the small pressure points that cause pain. Sometimes when ridden longer, these become less visible from the sweat migrating into these spots. Once I have determined that a horse is sweating normally, then when fitting a tree, I want to see the the earliest sweat pattern. That tells me where the pressure is and where there is none, without the "filling in" of the sweat into the medium pressure areas. I usually try to get the horse warmed up in a round pen or long line before saddling and then ride only 15 minutes or so, then strip the saddle to see where the horse and tree make initial contact.

I also feel it important to test the fit in difficult terrain. Many times a saddle fits acceptably in an arena, but sores a horse badly in the mountains. Our current subject may be dealing with some if this with her current situation. The mountains can be a most unforgiving proving ground! Here, for example, trees with too much rock leave dry spots in the center that almost never show in an arena. If ridden too long, they usually sweat through, even though the horse is exhibiting discomfort.

Just more information to complicate the field of saddlemaking even further!

I mean no disrespect, and appreciate your point of view and the input of your experience.

Have a good day my friend!

Keith

[Huntet02]

Andy,

I'm sure I am no more eloquent than any other of us, just misunderstood more maybe and therefore careful not to put my foot im my mouth unless I mean to.

You are correct that when warmed up sufficiently a horse will sweat more evenly throughout the areas of varying pressure. Many riders, even experienced, put much too much emphasis on dry spots that may not cause any problems at all. A great percentage of horses do not sweat evenly over their whole back, rendering dry spots an unreliable tool in diagnosis. I am only concerned about the small pressure points that cause pain. Sometimes when ridden longer, these become less visible from the sweat migrating into these spots. Once I have determined that a horse is sweating normally, then when fitting a tree, I want to see the the earliest sweat pattern. That tells me where the pressure is and where there is none, without the "filling in" of the sweat into the medium pressure areas. I usually try to get the horse warmed up in a round pen or long line before saddling and then ride only 15 minutes or so, then strip the saddle to see where the horse and tree make initial contact.

I also feel it important to test the fit in difficult terrain. AN "AMEN BROTHER" coming from Huntet02 on this one!!!! Many times a saddle fits acceptably in an arena, but sores a horse badly in the mountains. Our current subject may be dealing with some if this with her current situation. The mountains can be a most unforgiving proving ground! Here, for example, trees with too much rock leave dry spots in the center that almost never show in an arena. If ridden too long, they usually sweat through, even though the horse is exhibiting discomfort.

Just more information to complicate the field of saddlemaking even further!

I mean no disrespect, and appreciate your point of view and the input of your experience.

Have a good day my friend!

Keith

[Huntet02]

New pictures after a ride with different trainer;

This trainer thought I will need shims so she had me contact <about the horse.> This trainer also thought the saddle in the other pics was placed too far forward. She didnt like the slipping blanket on pic #021 and her not being quite straight but I thought you all could understand ....

But here's the best news of all...my husband just bought a new truck tonight (we've been trailering with a 93 GMC that 2nd gear was almost completely gone in trainee replaced more than 6 times in this trucks lifetime) Anyway so maybe NOW I can get my horse/saddle to my local saddle maker and go above 55MPH..........Hallelujah!!!!!

[AndyKnight]

You could rotate your stirrup leathers so that the buckle is lower, hopefully below the rigging. It will eliminate some of the bulk that they would be causing as they are in the pics.

[Traveller]

How would you do that, Andy? I see what you mean about the buckle being high enough to cause some bulk, but I'm not sure what you mean by rotating the leathers to fix it. Would you pull them through so that the buckle would sit lower? I guess it's the rotating part that's got me a bit confused. Thanks!