Let's Talk Saddles

Saddle fit is such a complex issue, complete with both myths as well as facts and everything in between. I highly encourage every rider to research for themselves and attempt to find the truth, but be warned, once you start, it is a long and treacherous journey!

About a year ago, I got my Duett saddle and decided that my saddle search was essentially over and that I had found exactly what I wanted. Of course, at the time the Duett was what I wanted: a saddle wide enough that I could shim under it and it would allow my horse's muscles to build up underneath. After all, this is the general concept to follow for saddle fit that Parelli teaches and it is why their saddles are so darn wide. And it does make sense, you don't want to fit a saddle to a horse that is not muscled properly to carry a rider. Well after about a year of using my Duett with both the Theraflex pad and the Equipedic pad, I am still seeing soreness in my horse's back, just forward of the lumbo-sacral junction. Along with this, my horse remains to be girthy and hate being saddled despite trying everything imaginable to fix it! (As a side note, I am putting my horse on an acid reducer, per the vet's recommendation to rule out the possibility of ulcers.) 

So where does this leave me? Basically, I felt the need to start over with what I know about saddles and saddle fit and go on a exploratory journey of my own which requires lots and lots of learning. I began researching saddle fit, biomechanics of the horse, differences between treed, treeless, and flex-tree saddles, and finally what models would be best all things considered. I must say, I have received a lot of information but don't have a very good way of sorting it all out. Hence, I'm turning to you, the blogging community of the world, for help. 

First, here is a theory article article about the biomechanics of the horse and how they relate to saddle fit. I would say, I agree with most of the information presented in this article. In fact, and embarrassingly, many of the illustrations of horses subjected to poor saddle fit, look a lot like my horse. :( I don't think I'm doing everything wrong. I do have a wider saddle and place it so that it is behind the scapula, but the panels do not sit flat on her back which I believe could be contributing to her pain. 

As such, here are some of the models I am looking at:

1) The Parelli Cruiser - built on a flex tree and designed with the lowest part of the saddle in the back to help put you on your balance point. I am interested in this saddle because of my interest in trail riding, but it is overwhelmingly expensive, way heavier than my english all purpose saddle, and I am unsure how my horse would react to something built more like a western saddle. 

2) The Freeform Saddle- Technically a treeless saddle but is built with special injection molded foam as well as a flexible gullet that helps provide support. Not nearly as expensive as Parelli and has gotten rave reviews, but still has the taboo of being treeless. 

3) Balance Saddles- What the Parelli's used to use and promote. I believe they are built with a flexible tree but I cant be sure as their website is difficult to navigate. I believe the theory provided on their website is good but I'm still pretty in the dark about these saddles. 

Basically, I want your feedback, advise, personal anecdotes, recommendations, ANYTHING that will help lead me in the right direction. In other words, let's talk saddles!

The Great Saddle Search...

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!