Looking for the right saddle for our Cancer Ride

[Rose Mary Axell]

We are trying to find a flex tree saddle for our Cancer ride. We are hoping to find a sponsor that would be interested in having us promote their saddle. I like the Bareback saddle but Jane is not comfortable with the amount of movement that she feels with the treeless saddles. I can appreciate how she feels and with all the trauma she has been through in the last few years. She really needs a saddle that will support her - therefore she wants a saddle with a tree. If I can't have a treeless saddle for the ride, then I want a flex tree saddle. That way we can have one make of saddle that will fit all of my horses. I know that one saddle will not fit every horse, but all the horses we are riding are Pasos. They are not the exactly same shape, but they are all similar.

Any suggestions?

[moonrize]

I sat in the Circle Y Flex tree lite at the feed store. It was very comfy and has a rounded back to fit our shorter backed pasos. I have a friend who rides one in endurance and she likes it a lot. It was a western style and priced right around $1,000. It also had all the dee rings and ties you will need to stow stuff on your long ride. Plus, Circle Y is a big enough dealer that they can afford to sponsor a ride like yours (don't know if they will or not...) Worth a try!

[Terri]

I own one of these flex panel saddles and LOVE it (the classic english) http://www.saddleranch.com/. If I had same extra cash laying around I would buy another. The black plantation saddle has Rio's name written all over it. Oh well, no money.

[PLEASURE PASOFINO]

Terri, thanks for the link! can you show me your saddle please?


Saludos!

[Terri]

Sure Felix!
Mine is the classic English, I got it because I grew up riding in hunt seat saddles and feel the most comfortable there, but looking back I would have gone for the classic dressage or plantation saddle if I could do it again. But I do love this saddle, it is the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden in and Rio gaits beautifully with it. But I've also used it on all the horses, including the big quarter horse.
This is it without it's attached saddle pads
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/micomyhorse/S6300723.jpg
These are the flex panels.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/micomyhorse/S6300724.jpg
These are the pads that attach to the flex panels.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/micomyhorse/S6300725.jpg
And here is the saddle with the pads attached
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/micomyhorse/S6300726.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y134/micomyhorse/S6300727.jpg
Hope this isn't "hijacking the thread" But maybe if Felix buys one, Fred will donate one to the ride.
BTW, please excuse the "condition" of the saddle, it has seen WAAAAY to many trail miles, including a few swims through ponds.

[PLEASURE PASOFINO]

Terri! you are fantastic! that was exactly what I was interested (you read my mind) in seeing! the inside part of it..........

Thanks again! I like the saddle! I wonder how the Plantation saddle looks inside? on the site picture looks great!


Saludos!

PS. your saddle is very nice and I thank you for sharing

[Terri]

Felix, all his flex panel saddles are pretty much the same basic structure, it is just the style (angle of flaps, etc) that varies

[Jane Hurl]

Whoa up, there, Terri and Felix! Not trying to be rude, but first off, I'm not lettin' you hijack this thread! *grin* We need the info BAD.

Second, people, you have to realize that because of all my strange surgeries and assorted new parts, I don't have the same balance that you do. (If you turn out the lights at night, I immediately start walking like a drunk! It'd be quite funny if it weren't so annoying!) That translates into not being as secure in a saddle as I was before all this happened. My reflexes are just not there anymore. It's like they're on a half second time delay!

There is no way in the world that I would DREAM of trying this ride on anything other than a western saddle (or maybe an endurance saddle). I rely on the cantle and pommel to keep me where I belong when something happens like shying. I rely on the "holy sh!t handle" when doing things like crossing ditches.

So ... last night Rose and I went to Farm Fair and watched a clinician on saddle fit. After the session we took him and his wife for a beer to talk fit and Paso Finos. His suggestion is Tucker. Anyone here have (new) Tucker experience ... specifically the new "Gen II" Tuckers? (Mind you, there are other Tuckers that I like the look of better, so I'll take comments on ANY Tucker!)

You might be interested to learn that, according to this clinician, flex trees are good if they fit properly, but a flex tree that doesn't fit properly is worse than a stiff tree, whether the stiff tree fits properly or not! The reason for this is that a flex tree that bridges actually pounds on the horse's back again and again and again as you ride.

[ErinC]

Jane I heard that before also, " just because it flexs' does not mean it fits."
I also have heard a treeless is bad for people that can not balance well.
I was told to use a tree if you have new riders ride, because they will put pressure in bad spots and throw the horse off.

I would love to hear and see the info on the New Tuckers.
thanks and good luck!

[Terri]

Didn't mean to hijack AT ALL, just answered Flex's question. I guess I am confused. From what I read in Rose Mary's 1st post I got the impression you were looking for a flex tree saddle.
We are trying to find a flex tree saddle for our Cancer ride.
If you click on the link to saddleranch.com - http://www.saddleranch.com/html/western_saddles.html you will find he also makes western saddles with horns. His saddles are comfortable with deep seats. It might work for you. But if you don't want a flex tree, I suppose a Tucker is as good as any. But ANY saddle, flex tree or not, that doesn't fit the horse will do more damage than good. I personally find Tuckers a little heavy for our pasos and someone once told me Tuckers are made with the rider's comfort in mind and work well for the horse too if fitted carefully. Have no idea if that true.

Again sorry to hijack. On the other hand if Felix and I didn't start taking saddles this thread was headed for the bottom, so just consider it a "bump'

[PLEASURE PASOFINO]

I agree with you Jane! this information is crusual! I thank Terri for posting the making and the inside of the Flex saddles.... I am sure that will help Rose Mary a great deal. Saddle is a subject that fascinates me, since I also was paralized for sometime due to horse related accident.

I have a collection of saddles! and what I have found, saddle that does not fit properly, will create some damage to thehorse along the way!, also a great padding will help....

Sorry! no mean to hikack! I was also under the inpression that Rose Mary needed more information on the Flex saddles!

Saludos!

[Terri]

I guess I am alittle confused on the original question. When Rose Mary wrote"
We are hoping to find a sponsor that would be interested in having us promote their saddle.
I guess I assumed that you were having a benefit ride to raise money for cancer (research, awareness???) and were looking for a flex tree saddle to offer as a prize or something (can fit a lot of different horses). But then after Jane's post it looks like you are looking for a saddle for Jane to use that is comfortable for Jane and others like her recovering from the types of truama Jane has been through. So you would promote the saddle in that way?

Could you rephase exactly what you are looking for and what you are hoping to accomplish.
Thanks

[Jane Hurl]

Not to worry, Terri. I wasn't the least upset ... just making sure we kept going on "saddles for distance riding by the unstable". *grin*

Thoughts, suggestions, warnings. We'll take 'em all 'cuz right now we're frustrated beyond reason. We've gone around and around and around. What works for everybody else?

[Jane Hurl]

It's funny how something can be misrepresented (by the writers -- meaning us, Rose and Jane). Looking back, we didn't do a good enough job of describing what's happening ... so I'm going to take another crack at it. Here we go:

We are doing a 500 mile ride right across the Province of Alberta. The purpose is (for me) to raise funds for breast cancer research and to promote awareness of the things women (and men) should know about breast cancer. The purpose for Rose is to raise cancer funds, yes, but also to promote her Paso Fino horses as the premiere trail riding horse.

We need saddles to accomplish this. We need four saddles that will be used on Rose's Paso Finos (none of which are 13hh high. They are all 14.2+) and one saddle that we will raffle off as part of our fund raising.

We live in QH country, so any saddle we're raffling off will NOT be the same saddle as the ones we ride ... so if the saddles could come from a large company that makes both gaited and QH saddles, that would be ideal, as the plan is to offer saddles-for-sponsorship-benefits if we can. (If we can't do that, we'll find a sponsor who will purchase the saddles WE need and purchase another one entirely for the raffle.)

All that being said, the saddles WE ride have restrictions. They cannot be treeless. I've tried Rose's Barefoot. I'll fall off. They cannot be English or anything that resembles English. Again, I'll fall off. They cannot weigh more than 25 lbs. I'm not supposed to lift things heavier than that (though I do from time to time, so we could live with, say, 28 lbs, but that's about it). If God were in his heaven, they'd have cushy seats because I can use all the cushioning I can get, but that ain't crucial. And finally, seat-belts are optional. *grin*

Now ... if I'm still missing the mark, just lemme know.

We are really, really, REALLY frustrated. Every time we think we've found "the" saddle, somebody comes up with a reason why it isn't. Heeeeeeeelp! (Please?)

[PLEASURE PASOFINO]

Now, I have a better understanding!

Saludos!

[PLEASURE PASOFINO]

Jane check your PM!~ I am not sure if you got one from me! my Pm has npot been working properly ever since we change server.

[Terri]

Okay, I got it. Good luck with that, it is very difficult to get even one saddle donated, much less 4. Also western saddles tend to be relatively heavy except for the synthetic kind. But I sure as heck wouldn't want to ride 500 miles in one of them. I still want to encourage you to take a peek at the saddle ranch link I posted. Their western saddles are 23 lbs, have a padded seat and are flex panels. They can be used on any breed of horse. They are not cheap and I doubt if you'll get anything donated, but hey it doesn't hurt to ask. I really am not trying to push this saddle above anyother, I just find it so comfy that if I were going 500 miles, THATS the one I would be in.

BTW, a 500 mile ride will be quite an accomplishment! You go girl.

[PLEASURE PASOFINO]

Here are some with horns I think they are around 20 lbs!

[PLEASURE PASOFINO]

Some more!

[pasobeat]

You might take a look at timberline saddles. They have a regular tree, but a panel that is supposed to spread the weight over a greater area and not produce pressure points. Here is a link: http://www.timberlinesaddlecompany.com/. The dealer in Montana often has used saddles for sale and they will ship you a saddle to try out for a week. Here is their link: http://www.saddleoutfitters.com/. They have western and endurance models that could fit the bill.

[Rose Mary Axell]

Thank you everyone for your replies. We have been following up and researching saddles like crazy. I have just got back to the BB after being away for a few days. I just want you all to know that we do appreciate your input.

[Jane Hurl]

Yeah. What Rose said. *grin*