My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
I have always been a saddle snob and wasn’t sure that a synthetic saddle was for me. The Wintec Pro Jump really changed my opinion. It was a much nicer saddle than I anticipated. I decided to try the Wintec Pro Jump because I had just bought a horse and didn’t have a saddle that […]
Read MoreMy most important Christmas present this year was coming home from the hospital in time to spend the holiday with my family instead of the hospital staff . I was delighted to get sent home yesterday after my colic episode, having recovered without the dreaded surgery. Okay, so my holiday dinner will most likely be […]
Read MoreA lot of people knock the All Purpose saddle, calling it a “no purpose” saddle that makes too many trade offs to be suitable for either dressage or jumping. In some cases, that’s true. But you shouldn’t cross the A/P saddle off your list. Depending on your goals and the design of the saddle, it […]
Read MoreAlthough women now dominate most equestrian pursuits in the U.S., it’s taken a long time for saddle manufacturers to catch up with the gender shift. English saddles were originally made for men to ride in the military or the hunt field. During World War I, that trend which was solidified, causing most saddles to be […]
Read MoreI’ve owned several Wintec saddles over the years. Until now, they’ve always arrived with the right size gullet. Until this one. A few months ago I bought a Wintec Pro Jump on Ebay. I like the saddle a lot. I’d owned one before and sold it because I didn’t think the flap was forward enough […]
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Sunday was our hunt’s pace event. It’s a major fund raiser for us so we loaded our horses up and set out despite the threat of rain. And rain it did. It started to drizzle as we headed out the driveway; by the time we reached event the rain was coming down in sheets. We […]
Read MoreIn theory a saddle that fits well shouldn’t need anything other than a thin pad to keep the panels clean. However, for an older horse, especially one that’s lost some of its natural padding, may benefit from a pad with some extra cushioning according to saddle fitter Gary Severson. That was his prescription for Fortune, […]
Read MoreIn saddle fitting, choosing a saddle with a wide enough gullet is essential so that the saddle properly clears your horse’s spine. I’ve written about this before — Evaluating Saddle Fit: Gullet width is one of the most popular posts on this site. Here’s the third in the Saddle Fitting series from Schleese which shows […]
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