First saddle

[ArtS]

I'll work on her. I agree with you.

Thanks,

ArtS

[Traveller]

ArtS, for the past couple of months, I've been riding in a Billy Cook Ranch saddle (a decent production saddle) with a hard, slick seat and I really like the feel of it. It looks slippery and hard -- which I suppose it is! -- but I'm very comfortable in it. I've been on a couple of 2- and 3-hour trail rides and haven't been uncomfortable at all (and I only have a regular amount of padding on my own tush... not too big, not too small...). If I were going to do an all-day ride, I'd probably invest in a sheepskin tush cush, but as it is, it's great for arena work and regular trail rides.

In fact, my gelding did a huge spook today and I stayed right in the middle of the saddle. He didn't get far -- he's a pretty sensible horse -- but he's got a huge, powerful hind end so the initial jump can be pretty big. And the saddle didn't feel slick in the slightest.

When I eventually order my custom saddle, I'll definitely want a hard, slick seat. I figure that if I find this production saddle seat comfortable, then a custom one should be amazing!

Here's a picture of it:

[ArtS]

When I made mine the man teaching me said if it's made to fit me I wouldn't need a padded seat. I listened to him but I was doubtful. The saddle that I was using I had put a pad on to make it more comfortable. Well he was right. I've ridden 8 hours in this saddle and no problems for me or the horse. I feel better in it after 8 hours in this one than in my old saddle on after 2 hours. Now if I can just talk my wife into it. She doesn't even want to ride in mine.

After I finished mine I added bucking rolls. (You can see them in the second picture)

ArtS

[Rod and Denise Nikkel]

JAM – Dennis has his website up and running now. Contact him through www.DennisLane.com.au or PM him or David A Morris through this board. We feel his system is definitely the way to go as far as keeping records and being able to compare between horses easily and consistently.

As far as the tree we made for you, we just wanted to be clear that we didn’t do anything really “extraordinary” with it. The idea behind a “custom tree” is that you get a tree that works well for the horse or horses it is intended for. It doesn’t necessarily mean it is a “weird” tree. We used the flattest bar angle we now produce for your horse based on the back drawings you sent us (made before Dennis’s production cards were available), but it is getting to be an angle we are using more commonly as time goes on. It is not excessive but it is toward the far end of “normal”. The rock again fits into a “not uncommon” category. I always wondered about that designation when it came to diseases, etc. but it is handy. Your mare has more rock in her back than the majority of horses, but it is not excessive or “weird”. We see other horses like her. So while we are glad this tree fits your mare the way you want, it shouldn’t need to be restricted just to her. Other horses with the larger body type and a back that isn’t really straight (flat front to back) should do fine with it.

I would encourage you, if you have a chance, throw it on as many horses as you can before you build on it. This is a great way to see what sort of horses it will or will not work on. It won’t fit a narrow thoroughbred, but I think you might be surprised at the range of horses it will be useful on, especially with a bit of padding. That may help in the future to know what else you can comfortably use your saddle on if you have a chance to ride other horses.

[JAM]

Thanks, Rod - great idea. I've considered that, and now you've motivated me to actually DO it before I upholster the tree. Before I upholstered my Dittmer tree, I put it on the mare for whom you made your tree, and it fit reasonably well (better than the Bowden QH or Full QH trees) although just not as "perfectly" as her own tree. But I use my new saddle on both mares now and they're both happy. And thanks for the link to Dennis' site.

Julia