Dennis Lane Measuring system participating Manufacturers

[Raynman]

The DL Measuring card site lists a few custom tree makers are using the system. I was talking to Bowden and they said they would interpet the results of the cards. I am assuming that means that they accept the method. Does anyone know if other Production Tree Manufacturers i.e. Timberline, Felkins, Quality, etc are also accepting DL Measuring data to produce trees. What criteria does the manufacturer need from DL to work with the system? Are there costs associated to be a participating Tree Maker? I sure hope this takes hold, saddle life would be so much simpler.

[Denise]

Raynman,

Your best bet to get the answer to these questions is to PM Dennis Lane here or e-mail him through his website (www.dennislane.com.au). At this point I don't know of any other production manufacturers using the system (though if they get asked about it from enough saddle makers maybe they would start looking into it more?). There are no costs I know of to use the system as a tree maker except the cost of a set of cards and the time it takes to correlate the horse shape Dennis's system is describing to how you are already building trees. Some people seem to think that they would be expected to change their trees to fit the system. It is totally NOT SO! All it does is tell them the shape of the horse. But they do need to card a bunch of horses to get to know what, say, a D6, D7, D8, R9 horse looks like and decide what tree specs they would use on that horse, and this does take some time.

[Raynman]

Raynman,

Your best bet to get the answer to these questions is to PM Dennis Lane here or e-mail him through his website (www.dennislane.com.au). At this point I don't know of any other production manufacturers using the system (though if they get asked about it from enough saddle makers maybe they would start looking into it more?). There are no costs I know of to use the system as a tree maker except the cost of a set of cards and the time it takes to correlate the horse shape Dennis's system is describing to how you are already building trees. Some people seem to think that they would be expected to change their trees to fit the system. It is totally NOT SO! All it does is tell them the shape of the horse. But they do need to card a bunch of horses to get to know what, say, a D6, D7, D8, R9 horse looks like and decide what tree specs they would use on that horse, and this does take some time.

Thanks Denise. I should have my cards in a few days. I guess Bowden was just saying yes maybe? These cards could be like bending wire if I trace the patterns and indicate where marked. I am not a saddlemaker but love the topic of saddle fit and the horse. Gret campfire stuff.

[daviD A Morris]

Well said Denise, you understand and explained it perfectly. The DL measuring system just gives a set of numbers/sizes to the shape of a horse's back. Tree makers don't have to change their trees just work out what the DL measurement is of the horses that they have designed each of their trees sizes to fit idealy. Of course the trees will fit a range of horse measurements to varying degrees of comfort. I'd like to say here that I commend Francis Bowden for so quickly being so open minded to DL system when he saw it at Sheridan this year. Within a few minutes he was able to see the essence of what it is about - "just measuring the horse and giving it a number" not trying to tell treemakers that they need to change the shapes of their trees.

regards

dam

[kseidel]

I have made a reverse of the cards and with careful measurements and proper placement of the cards, you can profile a bare tree or a finished saddle for the type of horse it will fit. It is not as easy as measuring the horse, but it does work fairly well.

Mr. Bowden was quite interested in the system and was planing to return from Sheridan and try to implement the shstem into his existing patterns.

Keith

[Raynman]

I have talked to several of the production tree makers and Bowden is the one who will use the DL system. I am getting a lite trail saddle made and was thinking of using Bowden because they are supporting the DL system but I hear mixed reviews. This saddle won't be doing ranch work but technically challenging trail riding. I would appreciate any input on using a Bowden tree on this type of saddle.