Is over!!! After over a year of trying to find a proper saddle, I have finally settled on one that I believe will serve both me and and my horse very well!
When I first started taking riding lessons, I rode western because that is basically the only style of riding that exists in North Eastern Ohio (the land of contesting/barrel racing). Naturally, when I bought my horse, I wanted to buy a western saddle because that is all I had ever known. I purchased my first saddle at a local tack swap for 200 dollars. It was a barely used 16 inch synthetic Abetta trail saddle that was way too big for my short backed Arabian. Of course, at the time I didn't know anything about saddle fit and sadly, it took me a long time to figure out that my saddle didn't fit properly and was hurting my horse's withers and shoulders. :( After wising up (which was around the same time I came to Columbus) I decided that English saddles, being more compact and lighter weight, would fit my horse better and would help me learn how to ride with a more independent seat.
Well, even though the decision to "go English" came easily, finding a saddle that would fit both Rydel and myself on my budget was proving very difficult! To make matters worse, I needed to find a saddle quickly because Equine Affaire was coming up and I didn't have a saddle to ride in during our clinics! (I had borrow an 18" all purpose saddle to film my audition!) Finally, I decided to trade in my western saddle for a discount on a new Wintec 500 with CAIR panels and interchangeable gullet system. At the time, it seemed like a good fit as I was sure Rydel would gain muscle and figured the changeable gullets would come in handy! Likewise, the only other saddle I had ever owned was synthetic so the idea of owning another easy-to-care-for saddle seemed like a good idea. And the saddle did serve its purpose, it fit me and was by far the best fit I had ever seen on Rydel, but it wasn't perfect. It tipped forward on her back forcing me out of my balance point and not giving my horse the shoulder mobility she needs. At higher gaits, it put me in "chair" position, and after about an hour of riding I would be completely sore in my knees and back. To rectify this, I purchased the Theraflex pad which helped to balance the saddle and with shims freed up Rydel's shoulders and provided space for her to build up muscle in her back. Unfortunately though, I still had pain when riding and I knew the saddle couldn't not be one use forever. So again, I began searching for saddles. Knowing about what Linda teaches her students about saddle fit and fluidity, my search criteria focused on finding a wide saddle that I could shim to build up my horse's back, that had the lowest point in the back and would be comfortable for me. The best thing I found (other than just buying a Parelli saddle) was the Duett brand of saddles which are made specially to be wider for the horse and distribute weight more evenly but not feel extremely wide to the rider! After doing much research and reading many good reviews, I decided that their all purpose model was the right one for me! - Now, about that price tag! Considering a new Duett is a little under $1,000 I knew I would have to shop used.
Thanks to Ebay, I am now awaiting the arrival of my used 17" Duett Rondo 2 (black, all purpose model)! I am so excited to finally own a leather saddle and I got such a great deal on it, I don't even feel bad about spending the money! Pictures and updates to come!
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