Saddle Modeling

[Flair]

Jet's saddle arrived yesterday, and I went out to try it on her. I can proudly say that after watching a gazillion videos on tying that western latigo, I did it. I've never really done that before, since I rode english as a kid, and then my western sport treeless saddle for Mitch has english billets, so it's a first for me, and gosh darn, I did it. I took her over to the dressage arena, and was riding with a friend. Jet hated her gelding. She did the pinning the ears back thing, and the glaring, and she tried to kick him. And she was grumpy and cranky when I asked her to trot, and kicked out and bucked a little.

So today, I rode in the big arena, and didn't ride with that gelding. She bucked and kicked a little again when I asked her to trot, but once I got her going and didn't take sass from her, she picked up a nice trot with her head low, and I had my reins long and open by my knees. I'm hoping it's not saddle fit, but since today was the first time I really really worked her (not just walking her around with a bareback pad or the dressage saddle) since I got her in January, I'm wondering if that's the reason. She's more or less done literally nothing for the last 3 years, and needs to get back into a working mentality. Today was really the first day I asked her to trot with me on her back since I brought her home, she didn't seem enthusiastic about starting it, but once we got going, she was really good without protest.

I really looked into saddles, and did a template printout from Horsesaddleshop.com with their different gullets. The wide angle was really close to her withers, but the normal one looked good. She's not a wide horse. We've got some pretty wide ones at our barn, and she's skinny compared to them. I know her last saddle was my Abetta endurance saddle which had the 6.75" gullet, so that was pretty much the target range. Which is why I'm hoping the Tex Tan saddle works out, because I really like it.

Here's some pictures. I'm borrowing the pad, it's a Classic Equine and is 32"x34" and has the memory foam that's pretty much brand new and hasn't been broken in (since my barn mate has a horse that can't wear it) My pad hasn't arrived yet, but it's a 30"x32"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/Jet/jet-newsaddle1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/Jet/jet-newsaddle2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/Jet/jet-newsaddle3.jpg
I think she relaxed her hip here just as I took the picture

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/Jet/jet-newsaddle4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/Jet/jet-newsaddle6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/Jet/jet-newsaddle7.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/Jet/jet-newsaddle9.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/Jet/jet-newsaddle10.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/Jet/jet-newsaddle11.jpg

Her sweat patterns look pretty good. I can get my hand under the gullet, and it seems to fit her well. Really hoping this is the one. I like the weight of it too. It's supposed to weigh 32 lbs, but I can heft it pretty easily, so maybe it's lighter than that.

[mare]

It's pretty similar to my favorite "get on and ride" saddle, so, it gets good marks from me. :)

Hope it works well for you and your horse.

[vicklynn]

I like the saddle, the fit, and the sweat marks.
I think your 32 inch pad will be perfect!
Congrats and enjoy!

I would like to see where the cinch sets on both sides, it looks uneven and maybe? a bit low on the off side.

[BlaiseGlaze]

holey sexy saddle batman!!!

[Flair]

I like the saddle, the fit, and the sweat marks.
I think your 32 inch pad will be perfect!
Congrats and enjoy!

I would like to see where the cinch sets on both sides, it looks uneven and maybe? a bit low on the off side.

Thanks! I like the sweat marks too. She was pretty damp after about 20 minutes of trotting, but then, she hasn't worked that hard in years. She spent a couple of years in a pasture, and then the people I got her from said she was too small for them, so I imagine she wasn't ridden much with them either. I'm quite sure her kicking and bucking (she wasn't going all rodeo on me, but was sort of popping up) is due to the fact that she hasn't had a saddle on her back and been worked in pretty much forever. But it looks like good even sweat marks. I'm 99.9% sure this is the right gullet and bars for her. I was very careful with the cardboard gullet templates and everything.

It's on the last hole on the offside billet. I measured her for the cinch, and pretty much figured she was a 32" based off the measurements I got. I'm using the nylon latigo and billets that came with the saddle, but will move to a leather one once I get that broken in. Think I'd need a 30" cinch? I'll take a couple of pictures today.

[cowgirlup@idaho]

The nylon will stretch fast and if you are on the last hole already, you may end up with a loose saddle that you can't snug. Also, since you've gone western :cowboy: :cool: have you thought about a back cinch too? and a breast collar? I've just gotten to where I feel naked, incomplete or something without them. But that's just me. But definately get leather cinching.

[Flair]

The nylon will stretch fast and if you are on the last hole already, you may end up with a loose saddle that you can't snug. Also, since you've gone western :cowboy: :cool: have you thought about a back cinch too? and a breast collar? I've just gotten to where I feel naked, incomplete or something without them. But that's just me. But definately get leather cinching.


Yeah. I left it on for now because I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep the saddle or not, but I've got a leather offside billet and a leather latigo to put on the saddle. Yup, planning on getting the matching flank set and most definitely getting a breastcollar. I'm so in love with my endurance breastcollar for Mitch that I feel the same way you do ... it's so incomplete without.

[shewasmyshadow]

Got any pictures looking down her neck and towards the saddle? There's just one spot I'd like to see better. Other than that I think it looks good. :)

[cowgirlup@idaho]

Yup, planning on getting the matching flank set and most definitely getting a breastcollar. I'm so in love with my endurance breastcollar for Mitch that I feel the same way you do ... it's so incomplete without.

Good! Just don't forget the strap that connects the front and back cinch, otherwise that back cinch becomes a bucking strap :eek: but I'm sure you already knew that too :p

[Flair]

Good! Just don't forget the strap that connects the front and back cinch, otherwise that back cinch becomes a bucking strap :eek: but I'm sure you already knew that too :p

But of course. :p

[Flair]

Got any pictures looking down her neck and towards the saddle? There's just one spot I'd like to see better. Other than that I think it looks good. :)

I'm not sure if I got any dead-on shots, but here's a couple:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/Jet/7cafd6bd.jpg
Couldn't quite get my arm all the way in there, and still take a picture, but I can fit two fingers in between her wither and the saddle.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/dreamswept/Jet/21d0bc2b.jpg

She's not a wide horse. She takes a medium in the Wintec gullet, so I think this is pretty much average for her. The sweat patterns were really good, and considering she has no topline whatsoever, I think it looks pretty good.

[gabhainn]

I'd like to see a better pic of the near side with out the fender, some thing looks a little off to me(altho it maybe the shadow from the fender and the black nylon:)). Some unwanted advice, I dont used a billet at all I use full length cinch straps on both sides, gives you a lot more flexibilty for adjustment....Kevin

[WashingtonBay]

I think it's just a smidge wide, and in turn, is sitting a little low in front, pitching down and in front and up slightly in back when you're not in it. I do think there's a hint of this in the sweat marks under the front of the tree.

What's inside that pad? Is it a full inch of felt? If not... get a felt pad that's a full inch at least, and see. If it is, I would recommend a little bit of additional pad under the front half of the saddle. Not much at all... The thickness of a good bath towel folded over would be a pretty good test.

[Flair]

I think it's just a smidge wide, and in turn, is sitting a little low in front, pitching down and in front and up slightly in back when you're not in it. I do think there's a hint of this in the sweat marks under the front of the tree.

What's inside that pad? Is it a full inch of felt? If not... get a felt pad that's a full inch at least, and see. If it is, I would recommend a little bit of additional pad under the front half of the saddle. Not much at all... The thickness of a good bath towel folded over would be a pretty good test.


Thanks WB. I was a little worried it might actually be a bit too tight, so it being a smidge too wide is a bit better than that, she's got some hollows around her withers that might fill out a bit as she muscles up and gets a good topline on her. I know this gullet and tree fit her in the past (course then, she was running around a very hilly pasture and getting very fit.)

The pad's the ESP II pad, and I think it only has a 1/2" of memory foam. I'm kind of holding off on my decision until my own pad gets here which is a full inch thick.

[WashingtonBay]

If you've got a thicker pad coming, that will probably do the trick. :)

It's close :)

[Flair]

At least I didn't go get a 7" gullet eh? We tried a saddle on her a while back which was I think a semi-QH bars with like a 6.5" gullet (or maybe a 6 1/4" ... it was pretty narrow) and that was too tight. It also must have weighed at least 45 lbs and there was no way I was going to routinely swing into the air, so I was blissfully glad when Jet didn't fit it.

So I'm reasonably sure the 6.75" ought to do the trick, and if a thicker pad helps, then that might just do it.