My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
This post on the Chronicle of the Horse Forums caught my eye yesterday. You see, I have a small problem with saddles. In fact, I’ll have to take the fifth on answering the question because to admit how many saddles I own would require counting them, and I’ve decided I have too much stress in […]
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One of the challenges of riding in a treeless saddle is protecting your horse’s spine. With a treed saddle, the gullet keeps the rider’s weight off of the sensitive nerves and protect the horse’s spine. When the first treeless saddles were introduced, most of them did not have integrated gullets; spinal protection was offered by […]
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Many horses are adept at inflating their bellies like balloons, making it near impossible to get your girth tight enough before you mount. Especially when you are riding cross country, or foxhunting, getting that girth up another hole or two can make the difference between a saddle slipping or staying put. The problem is that […]
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Okay. I’ll admit it. I have trouble mounting from the ground with a treed saddle. The combination of aging (my impending birthday makes me feel older), residual stiffness from last year’s fall, and Zelda’s large size conspire against me. I have a three step mounting block (bought after my injury), which is perfect and otherwise […]
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I’ve posted photos of my Ghost Quevis before — it’s a tiny treeless saddle that’s very close contact and minimal. I recently purchased fenders for it (more about that later), but in the meantime, I came across a screaming deal on a Cavillin Heritage, one of the newest models from Camillo Cavallin, who is one […]
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Zelda has been working hard to get back to her formerly svelte self, although the endless rain we’ve had here in New England has cut into our workout time (no indoor). To feel ready for hunting, I bought the velcro saddle, otherwise known as the WintecLite D’Lux. There was only one problem: the long billets […]
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When I discovered Zelda’s saddle didn’t fit this spring (Zaftig Zelda), I wrestled the extra wide gullet into my Wintec Pro Jump, but anyone who knows me won’t be suprised to learn that I was already plotting to find a better saddle to get us through the transition. One thing I’ve learned since my accident: […]
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