Picking The Right Saddle Tree For Fat Or Inshape Horse?

[Tosch]

Denise and Rod,

I do thank you for putting things straight! And I admire you for keeping your calm while not being amused! I am sure, when you start your saddle tree seminars these biology facts will be a very appreciated topic.

When one is in the right mood though, "Dr. Deb's" forum is an entertaining read – for a max period of 3 minutes at a time. As they say… just enough knowledge to be dangerous and, of course, it is presented in a "I know it all mentality".

David, I have seen some time ago that you are back to this forum. Welcome. I am afraid, however, that due to the way you present your opinions/convictions or due to incorrect "facts" as Denise and Rod have pointed out the discussions will be as confusing as the ones we had some years ago. I think this is very unfortunate.

Tosch

Edited September 18, 2010 by Tosch

[Steve]

Thank You Denise and Rod

Steve

Edited September 18, 2010 by Steve

[Traveller]

Thank you, Denise and Rod, for taking the time to respond to David's points in such academic depth. Clarity and substantiated claims are grand things indeed.

[GrampaJoel]

Rod and Denise Nikkel

You folks are bit of fresh air , in a often time stale world.

[RWB]

Please excuse me for being to simplistic, but I really don't understand the entire controversy of "saddle fit". Don't get me wrong I want to fit horses well just as much as the next guy, but when you get right down to brass tacks the fact is that we are STRAPPING and inanimate object to a moving animal and then sitting on top of him and asking him to do all sorts of maneuvers. With all of that going on, I think that is is inevitable that we are at some point going to sore horses. Again I understand that the comfort of the horse as well as the position of the rider is what we are trying to acheive, however there are always going to be horses that will never be comfortable under saddle, and there will always be people who can't ride for beans. We have become to obsesed with making "saddle fit" a science and not understanding that more of what is at stake is sheer practicality.

People have become to concerned with how their saddle "fits" horses. They think about it to much and fail to understand that their pleasure horse is far more resilient to ill fitting saddles than they are. I can't tell you how many times I've had someone tell me "This saddle fits everything" and it turns out to be the cheapest factory saddle money can buy. But it fits in their brain and that's all that counts.

Again don't take this the wrong way, I want to fit horses as good as we can, but there comes a point were to much thinking isn't helpful. In fact it more of a hindrance. I wish more people would just cinch their horse up and ride him instead of worrying about whether or not they will sore him. I wish that I could tell some of my customers that they never ride enough to sore a horse. Horses have put up with all kinds of ill fitting harness and saddle since the beginning of time.

Ross Brunk

Edited September 19, 2010 by RWB

[bdt46]

Ross, as someone who has been making saddles for over 40 years, I for one agree with you wholeheartedly! I think there is too much emphasis put on whether a saddle fits correctly or not. I almost exclusively make saddles for working cowboys here in Oklahoma. Most of them ride several different horses with the same saddle. They mostly realize that if properly taken care of, a well made saddle will outlast most horses! I try to make the best quality saddle that can be purchased, and one that will fit a variety of horses. Generally by the use of different thicknesses of pads and blankets, a fit can be made on about any horse. These are not pleasure horses, but ranch horses that are are used to do ranch work. You are right that the majority of horse people do not use a horse or saddle enough to sore one whether a saddle fits or not. If they have a decent quality saddle, then the average person will be fine with its use. Just my opinion!

[GrampaJoel]

ahhhh Ross......

While I can't find anything to disagree with in your post I will add this.

If there were never any conversations to sit around and stew about stuff,,,, we'd all be working way to much.

Joel

[Traveller]

I'm only concerned about soring my horse because my horse refuses to be sored. He bucks when the saddle doesn't fit and who wants that. The one I have him in now isn't perfect - I can tell there are places where it doesn't quite meet "perfect" saddle fit criteria - but he's not bucking or going around tight and stressed. And that, to me, is perfect.

[bdt46]

I'm only concerned about soring my horse because my horse refuses to be sored. He bucks when the saddle doesn't fit and who wants that. The one I have him in now isn't perfect - I can tell there are places where it doesn't quite meet "perfect" saddle fit criteria - but he's not bucking or going around tight and stressed. And that, to me, is perfect.

Traveller, when you say your horse refuses to be sored by bucking when the saddle doesn't fit leads me to believe there is some other problem! Generally if a horse is broke at all, he won't get sore until after a ride with something that hurts him. Especially when you say that the saddle you use now is not a perfect fit. How many different saddles did you have to use before you found one that doesn't bother him? Seems to me like it could have been something sticking out of the bottom of the saddle or pads that caused the discomfort. Many of the factory made saddles have nails and screws in the bottom to hold the skirts in place and these sometimes work out and it is amazing how small a protrusion can cause discomfort to a horse. Just wondering how many saddles it took before you found the "RIGHT ONE"?

[Traveller]

Thanks for your thoughts, bdt46. It would usually take a while before he'd complain (although some got to him right away), and he was often good walking, sometimes good trotting, but cantering would make him nuts if it didn't fit. The last one he launched me out of (it was a couple of saddles ago) actually caused a sore spot behind his whithers (there was a fairly long thread about this a while back, with a lot of good help from members of this forum). The most recent saddle didn't actually sore him but somehow interfered with his movement, and he objected to it, though not to the point of causing me pain, if you know what I mean. So I suppose my earlier post wasn't quite correct - he had been sored by saddles, just not irreparably. He doesn't let it go on long enough for that to happen.

I've had some very good saddles on him, about 7 over the past 5 years, including one handmade saddle. Plus he launched me out of a borrowed and beautifully crafted handmade saddle. He's no snob. Some he objected to rather loudly, others just made him uncomfortable. The current saddle seems to be doing the job, at least for the time being. I don't love it but I do love that he's keeping his back end on an even keel with his whithers, and that's a very good thing indeed.

He's an appaloosa with a halter-bred quarter horse for a sire.

Halter breeding does strange things to a horse's conformation.