Monthly Archives: April 2008

Good Fences Make Good Horses

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian, equine, horses and tagged with , , , , ,

Today I built a fence. It is amazing to me that with a few fiberglass poles and some two inch electric tape, you can create a new sub-paddock in just 75 minutes. I could have built in less time, but I decided to go all out and use two strands of tape.

The boys were so happy when I turned them out! First they ran around bucking and snorting. But an hour later when I came back to check on them, they were both snoozing in the sun, lying flat out on the (thankfully) dry ground.

This spring has been so wet that subdividing my horses’ pasture is my only hope to keeping their feet in any kind of shape to ride them. Standing ankle deep in mud not only sucks the shoes off their feet, but it leaves the horn so soft that it’s almost impossible to hold a nail. Heck, even I lost a shoe in the paddock this week. It got sucked off my foot and then disappeared into the muck, leaving me standing on one foot like a crane, frantically digging for my missing shoe. By creating an elaborate subdivision, I’m hoping to save their feet, move them to higher ground and still preserve part of their paddock so that they will have grass in a few more weeks.

Of course, finding the right electric fence supplies took some trial and error. I started with Horse Guard Fencing, and loved how easy it was to put together. I also love the color choices. The dark brown and the dark green are a huge improvement over the fluorescent colors offered by some other manufacturers. Unfortunately, over time, half the plastic screws on the insulators broke off embedded into the plastic holder. Not a great feature.

I then discovered that Dare makes excellent insulators that work on the same fiberglass poles and which are easier to attach and which don’t break.

Keeping the fence charged was another challenge. I started with a battery charged unit but discovered that replacing it was a pain. I eschewed the solar unit because I’ve read they don’t hold as much of a charge and installed a charger in my barn. It worked beautifully until the ground became extremely dry over the summer. New lesson: to conduct properly, the ground must be moist. That’s why you see me out in the summer watering my ground rods!

Horse Guard Fencing claims to have solved the grounding problem with a new product: Bi-polar electric tape. It works without a grounding rod so will work even when the ground is dry or frozen. Too bad I have so much of the original tape installed as it sounds like an excellent innovation!

Does this Saddle make my Butt look Big? Saddle Fit for Riders

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian, saddles, Tack and tagged with , , ,

I was once in a tack shop looking at rows of used dressage saddles. I asked the owner why they were mostly 17″ and 17 1/2″. She told me that people often bought saddles in smaller sizes than they actually needed, mostly, she speculated, out of vanity. “People just don’t want to say that they ride in an 18″ or 19″ saddle,” she said. “They think that it means their butts are too large. Sooner or later they come back and trade it in for a larger size because a saddle that’s too small just isn’t comfortable.”

The irony is, that riding in a saddle that is too small is what makes your butt look big. Since there are no sizes printed on the back of the saddle, I can’t understand why people make such a fuss over buying the right size saddle.

The first step to buying the correct size saddle is to understand what influences rider fit. Hint: it’s not just the size of your butt. It has a lot more to do with the length of your leg from your hip to your knee, the position of the stirrup bars, the position of the flaps and depth of the seat. Depending on the variables you might find that you might feel comfortable in a 17″ saddle in one model but need an 18″ in another. Ideally, you want about one hand’s width between your butt and the cantle of the saddle. How you achieve that fit depends on the construction of the saddle.

The length of the seat you need depends on the length of your hip to your knee. If you have long legs, you either need a longer seat or a more forward flap to accommodate your leg. Sometimes just buying a larger seat doesn’t work because while it provides enough room for your leg, riding in a larger seat isn’t comfortable. Many saddles now come with a variety of flap lengths and positions. If you have a longer femur, you might find that using a long flap or a more forward flap will accommodate your leg without going to a larger seat size.

If you like the security of a deep seat, you will also need a longer seat as the deep seat creates a shorter sitting surface.

People often talk about whether a saddle has a wide or narrow “twist”. This refers to the width of the saddle tree at its narrowest part, right behind the pommel. For the rider, it refers to the width of the saddle between your upper thighs.

The style of twist that is most comfortable for you depends on the shape and position of your pelvis, the way the femur is attached to it and the shape of the inner thigh muscle. If the twist of a saddle is too wide, you might feel stretched through your hips. Also, if have shorter legs, you might find that a narrower twist holds your leg too far away from the saddle.

The placement of the stirrup bars is also important for how balanced you are in a saddle. The bars need to be placed so that your leg hangs down with your ear, shoulder, hip and heel are in line. If they are too far forward, again you sit in a chair seat; if they are too far back, your leg will be too vertical and you will be positioned forward onto the front of your pelvis. Placement of the thigh block can have similar impact — a thigh block too far forward pushes you onto your butt; too far back and it tips you forward onto your pelvis.

The flap of your saddle should be half way down the calf muscle. If it is too long, it interferes with your leg aids. If it is too short, it can catch on the top edge of your boot.

Saddle fit for the rider is a very personal choice. What works for your best friend might be uncomfortable for you. A saddle that fits you well will help you sit correctly without effort; in a saddle that is a poor fit, you will feel like you are fighting the tack — always working to bring your leg either forward or back.

Before buying a saddle, it’s a good idea to ride in as many saddles as you can. It will help you understand what features work for you. Borrow saddles from friends, or go to a consignment shop and take a few home. Usually you will know in just a few minutes whether the saddle is the right one for you.

Keep in mind that your tastes might change over time, too. While you might like a deep seat for security when you start riding, later you might decide that a flatter seat is more comfortable. Or you might go from a more padded saddle to one with smaller knee rolls or a monoflap design if you choose a more close contact feel. Whatever you choose, remember that no one but you knows what size it is, and if it’s the right size, your butt will look just fine.

When I try a saddle, I look for one that balances me naturally on my seat bones and which allows my legs to fall naturally in close to correct alignment. I like to have enough room in the back to fit a hand between my butt and the cantle. Mostly I look for a saddle that makes it easy for me to ride, so that the tack helps me find my position rather than pushing me out of it.

Equine Safety: Barnes Buckle Prevents Dragging Accidents

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian, equine, horses, Reviews, saddles, Tack and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Barnes Buckle The Barnes Buckle is an innovation that doesn’t get much mention here in the U.S. — but it should. The Barnes Buckle is

a stirrup release mechanism that fits between the stirrup and the leather and releases the stirrup should the rider’s foot become trapped during a fall thus preventing the rider from being dragged.

The Barnes Buckle first came to my attention after I bought a treeless saddle that had a closed ring attachment for the stirrup leathers. This is an inherently unsafe design because there is no way for the leather to detach from the saddle (unlike the stirrup bars in conventional treed saddles). The other alternative is to use safety stirrups and I prefer to use jointed stirrups which I find to be easier on my knees.

The Barnes Buckle was invented by Maurice Barnes, in England, after he saw footage of a jockey being dragged. There are two models currently available, the standard and the professional. The latter is lighter and smaller than the original model.

The Buckle is made from marine grade stainless steel (no problems with rust!) and under normal riding conditions it will withstand 1,400 kgs before parting. However, the change of angle should the rider’s foot become trapped during a fall will mean that the buckle releases with just 6 kgs of pressure, thus preventing the rider from being dragged.

The Barnes Buckle is popular in England, used at racing stables and by professionals such as Olympian Matt Ryan.

I was introduced to Maurice Barnes and the Buckle at the BETA show in February” said Matt. “Put them on and give them a try,” Maurice said.

“Well I put them on my saddle and tried them jumping and cross country. Initially I was concerned that they might become unclasped. But Maurice assured me that under any riding conditions they would withstand a strain of well over a tonne without coming undone. As I tend to ride with my lower leg very forward and I stand on the stirrups a lot and don’t grip with my knees, the stirrups do have to take a lot of strain.

After weeks of using the Buckle without a problem, I became confident of them. Then in July I had a fall at West Wilts that finally convinced me. As I approached a big ditch and palisade my horse questioned me on take off, hesitated, and his front feet went in to the ditch slamming him up against the palisade. I went zooming straight over his head. I didn’t even realise it but my foot had become trapped in the stirrup, but the Buckle released as it should have done and I landed cleanly on the other side of the palisade. I’m all for safety and so now I never ride without it”, says Matt.

Anecdotal reports from online forums suggest that the buckle works well and does not interfere with normal riding. Certainly this is a safety device that deserves to be better known in the US!

I have not seen the Barnes Buckle sold in the US, but there are several places in the UK where you can order one:

Look Ma, No Bridle!

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, Competition, equestrian, equine, humor and tagged with , ,

I always get a chuckle out of the so-called hunter bits that look like a plain D snaffle and inside are twisted wire or segunda mouthpieces. It never seemed to me to embody the spirit of what a good hunter should be.

In this video, Brandie Holloway provides a terrific example of good horsemanship that shows you can get a hunter round without resorting to fancy bits. What an inspiration!

Is Eventing at a Crossroads?

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian, equine and tagged with , , , ,

In general, Combined Training/Eventing doesn’t get much press on a national level. It is a great sport that tests your riding ability in three phases — dressage, cross country jumping and stadium jumping.

It is a shame that what has put eventing into the spotlight is the recent (and severe) injury of Darren Chiaccha, an upper level event rider, and a series of other incidents. It is important that the sport be run as safely as possible so I hope that this coverage galvanizes the community into making positive changes, rather than creating a backlash against eventing. Landing on the front page of the New York Times, certainly will generate discussion about the sport; currently it ranks 2nd in the list of topics most emailed today.

Equestrians’ Deaths Spread Unease in Sport

Personally, I’ve never competed beyond the Novice level and have only schooled as high as Training. At those levels, the fences do not ask very technical questions and the speeds required to complete the courses without time penalties are not excessive. Essentially, it is a blast. Competing at the upper levels of the sport are very different; changes to the format have given more weight to the dressage portion of the competition and it seems as if courses are becoming more technically challenging.

I agree that it is time to look carefully at the sport, but I hope that any resulting changes come from those within the community who have the experience and the insights to build on the success of the eventing tradition.

Are Treeless Saddles for You?

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian, equine, Equine Law, horses, joint supplements, Reviews, saddles, Tack and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

Treeless saddles are all the buzz. While conventional saddles with wooden or fiberglass trees have reigned supreme for thousands of years (the first “treed” saddles appeared in 200 BC in Asia), during the last decade there has been a vocal movement toward treeless saddles.

Some people claim they are more natural, a throwback to saddle designs before the tree was invented, some say they eliminate many of the problems with conventional treed saddles by moving more closely with the horse’s back, and other people like the fact that you can use the same saddle on several different horses.

Trees were first added to saddles to help distribute a rider’s weight more effectively. This was particularly important when armor was involved. The downside of treed saddles is that they need to be carefully fitted to a horse’s back or it can cause soreness, muscle wasting, and in extreme cases, nerve damage.

Advocates of treeless saddles see them as a panacea to these problems. And they do have their place. Today’s treeless saddles are much more than just bareback pads with stirrups. Many of them feature sophisticated designs that help distribute a rider’s weight effectively over horse’s back without causing pressure points, most are very secure to ride in, and are very comfortable. However, to really protect your horse’s back, they should be used with special pads that create a channel over the horse’s spine. The pressure points that can occur with a treeless saddle are primarily either under the stirrup attachment points (if you ride with a lot of weight in your stirrups) or over the horse’s loins (if you are put in a chair seat by the saddle).

My Experiences

I became intrigued by treeless saddles about four years ago. It was winter, a time when I mostly trail ride, and I wanted to feel close to my horse, but I wanted more security than a bareback pad.

The first saddle I tried was a Hilason that I bought on eBay for a couple of hundred dollars. It was a total and complete waste of money! The saddle was stiff as cardboard to the point where it sat on top of my horse like a hat! The seat rubbed my legs. I tried taking the stuffing out of the pommel to see if it would fit better and the zipper broke! Since I’ve read that some people have had better experiences, I suspect there is a lot of variability between saddles.

It was about this time the the Barefoot Cheyenne became popular. I found a used one for sale on Endurance.net (this is a great site if you’re looking for used endurance and/or treeless saddles). Compared to the Hilason, it was heaven. The saddle hugged my horse. The nubuck leather was soft and supple, it was comfortable and never rubbed. I rode in it for about a year, but eventually got frustrated because it put me in a slight chair seat and sold it.

After selling the Cheyenne, I spent a lot of time researching different treeless designs. Eventually, I decided on a Torsion Extra Light saddle. The Torsion brand has been around a long time. In fact, the Barefoot saddles are patterned after them. The Extra Light is the minimalist version of the saddle. It has no flaps or fenders to speak of, just a seat. When you sit in this saddle, you can feel your horse’s back and yet you feel completely secure. I’ve had a few “interesting” rides on my TB gelding in this saddle and never felt unbalanced. I have the version in Buffalo leather and find it very durable. When I bought this saddle it was not available with inserts. From what I read today, these can help distribute the rider’s weight and are recommended if you weigh more than 190 lbs.

A few months later, I saw a Freeform Classic for sale on the Yahoo Treeless Saddle Group. This was a saddle that intrigued me because it is modular; you can change out the seat for different sizes, and you can move the position of the stirrup attachments. My full review is here.

I have been eying the new “Ghost” saddle from Italy, especially the Phantom bareback pad.

My Results

So far, I’ve used the saddles on both my horses. One is a Trakehner with a broad back, low withers and wide shoulders. The other is a TB with more prominent withers and a short back. To date I’ve had no problems with back soreness, despite the fact that I’m not exactly a lightweight rider. I am careful to protect their backs by padding properly. I use a Saddleright pad under my Torsion and a Skito pad under my Freeform. Neither of my horses has extremely prominent withers, so I cannot say how well the treeless designs will work for that body shape. Both saddles fit both horses just fine; this is not the case with my treed saddles as one takes a wide tree and the other takes a medium.

I find both saddles to be comfortable in different ways. They each give me a closer feel to the horse and I believe that they have improved my riding. That said, with a treeless saddle the communication goes both ways. I think you need to have a quiet and secure seat because your horse feels every shift in your weight. Treed saddles are far more forgiving of rider error, so treeless saddles might not be a good choice for a rider that is unbalanced.

Since my Trakehner is so broad, I find that with the Torsion saddle, my hips are spread quite wide. I don’t have a real problem with this, but it is a design consideration for people who might find this uncomfortable. Heather Moffett sells a hip saver saddle cover that is supposed to address this issue. The design of the Freeform saddle addresses this issue in the style of the seat.

I cannot mount from the ground using either saddle. Of course, since both my horses are over 16 hands, I find it difficult to mount from the ground even with a treed saddle! Mostly, I’ve had no problem with slippage. Occasionally, my Torsion saddle will slip on my Trakehner, mostly because he’s so round. I fixed that my adding a Thinline pad under my Saddleright.

I have not yet tried a treeless jumping saddle. The Freeform site suggests that you can jump in that saddle but the flaps are way too straight to accommodate my leg in a jumping position, so I’ve not used it to jump. Currently there are two types available on the market. Ansur makes two models, the Konkusion and the Elite and Trekker introduced the Bascule last year(this is not a true treeless, but rather has a leather flex tree). I am not yet convinced that the pressure that would be created by riding in a half seat/jumping position and the impact that results when you land from a fence with so much weight in your stirrups would be adequately dispersed by a treeless saddle.

Conclusions

I find treeless saddles to be a great addition to my tack room. I love their light weight. I love being able to use the same saddle on both horses, and I enjoy the really close contact feel. For much of the riding that I do, a treeless saddle works fine. However, for foxhunting and jumping, I think I’ll stick to my conventional treed saddles.

While my horses have not had any problems with the treeless saddles, I do not think they are the panacea they are made out to be. Yes, they can be used on many shapes and sizes of horse, but they are not going to work on every horse. And fit is just as important as with treed saddles, it’s just different. With treeless saddles you need to be very aware of your padding system to make sure it is offering your horse’s spine (and nerves) the protection they need.

They are particularly suitable for horses with lower withers and for riders who are well balanced and who ride “lightly” in their stirrups. I would not recommend them for riders who have problems with balance.

Avoiding EBay Saddle Scams

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Commentary, equestrian, equine, Equine Law, horses, joint supplements, Reviews, saddles, Tack and tagged with , , ,

I frequent the saddle listings on eBay, looking for those great deals on saddles that I’ve always wanted to try. Sometimes the deals are too good to be true — for a reason: they are scams. Mostly, these are people who don’t have an item to sell but have pirated the photo from another auction. Sometimes a scammer has hijacked a seller’s account, using their positive feedback to trick people into bidding. And occasionally, people are selling a saddle that is not as represented.

How can you tell if an auction is legit? Here are a few ways:

  • Only buy from sellers with positive feedback.
  • Look at the seller’s other listings and past listings. Do they have a history of selling equine-related items? If the only thing they’ve sold is antique coins or car parts, chances are their account has been hijacked.
  • Only pay through Paypal, using a credit card. If there’s a problem you have more avenues of recourse.
  • The photos should of the actual item being sold, not a retail shot. Ask for additional photos if they don’t show all the views that you want to see. A legitimate seller will take them for you.
  • Ask questions. A legitimate seller will have answers, a scammer won’t know.
  • Ask specifically if the tree is sound or if there is any damage to the saddle.
  • Never buy from someone with private feedback.
  • Always correspond with the seller through eBay — if they list a separate email or phone number the account has likely been hijacked.
  • If you don’t win the auction but get a “Second Chance” offer, make sure that it is from the original seller. It’s a common scam for third parties to make these offers.
  • If you think the auction is fake, try doing a search for that saddle using the “completed” items search. You might find the same photos used in a previous auction.
  • If a deal looks too good to be true, it generally is.

If you think an auction is a scam, you should report it to eBay. I hate to see people taken in by schemers. It’s hard enough to come up with the money for a saddle; you should at least get what you’ve paid for.

On the Bit(less) Bridle: A Comparison

Posted by Liz Goldsmith in Bitless bridle, Commentary, equestrian, equine, horses, Reviews, Tack and tagged with , , , , , , , ,

I have nothing against riding a horse in a bit. In fact, until recently, it wasn’t even an issue. I’ve ridden all my horses in some form of snaffle and never thought much about it.

For my Trakehener gelding, bits have always been an issue. During the 12 years that I’ve owned this horse, I’ve yet to find a bit that really worked for him. Part of the problem is that he has a thick tongue and a low palate, which doesn’t leave much room for a bit. He is also uber sensitive and needs rock-steady hands (and of course his expressive movement makes that more difficult to achieve).

Every ride he would spend a good part of the time fussing with his mouth. Keeping his attention was difficult. I had reasonably good success with bits that stayed stable in his mouth: Happy Mouth Mullen Mouth with either eggbutt or D cheekpieces, Baucher with a french link, Myler Full Cheek Triple Barrel Mullen, for example, but none really addressed this issue. Yes, focusing on energizing his hind end helped, but he still fussed with his mouth. I’m not a big fan of using a crank noseband, flash or figure-8 to keep a horse’s mouth shut; to me that is addressing the symptom rather than the cause.

My first foray into bitless riding was with the Dr. Cook’s Bitless Bridle. I’ve read excellent reviews about this design, which seems to work for many horses. Here’s how it’s described on their Website:

The Bitless Bridle™ . . . allows the rider to communicate by painless pressure that is distributed around the whole of the head. Whereas a bit often applies harsh pressure to the mouth, over a small area, The Bitless Bridle™ distributes its gentle pressure to far less sensitive tissues and distributes even this amount of pressure over a wide area. It does this through two loops, one over the poll and one over the nose. Essentially, it gives the rider an inoffensive and benevolent method of communication by applying a nudge to one half of the head (for steering) or a hug to the whole of the head (for stopping).

Here’s a diagram, also from their site, on how the bridle works:

Dr. Cook’s Bitless Bridle

Unfortunately, this design didn’t suit my horse, probably because of the poll pressure. His reaction to even the slightest pressure from the bridle was to try and rear. Instead of taking any kind of “contact” he sucked back and avoided any pressure from the bridle, no matter how much leg I put on. I tried this for a few weeks, and then moved on. I don’t think that it’s a bad design, just not appropriate for this horse.

Next, I tried a jumping hackamore, which is similar to riding in a halter. The result was okay, but not ideal. I did not feel that I had a lot of control, but felt fine for going out on hacks.

Last year I became intrigued by the LG Bridle because it operates in a completely different way, using pressure across the nose, and in some positions pressure from a curb chain, rather than poll pressure, and uses the more traditional approach of a direct rein aid — to turn left, you use your left rein (the Dr. Cook’s bridle, due to its cross under design “pushes” on the opposite side of the horse’s head to achieve a turn). It also can be calibrated in its effect with milder and stronger settings. I’ve posted a review here on the bridle, but in short, it’s a great solution for my horse. With this bridle, my horse will take contact. He doesn’t lean and isn’t heavy in my hands, but is steady and consistent. After schooling him in the traditional position, which has a mild mechanical action.

I still find that I have to be careful to calibrate the strength of the bridle to the task. For most ring work or trails, I attach the reins in a side pull position. For more exciting events such as foxhunting or hunter paces, I revert to the conventional configuration. I have not ever tried attaching shanks to the bridle which would make it a conventional hackamore.

LG Bridle

Next, I’m interested in trying the Micklem Multibridle which has a more conventional appearance, can be used with or without a bit, and which also allows different levels of control. I also like the way it’s been anatomically designed so that it fits a horse’s head more effectively. One of the complaints that I have with the LG Bridle is that the cheekpieces tend to creep up toward my horse’s eye. More on that design to follow soon!

Miklem Multibridle