Guest Blogger: "It's About Henry" by Edie Tschorn

Every once in a while, you run into one of those pieces of writing that makes you stop in your tracks and think, something that speaks to you in more ways than the writer probably intended, something that's so pithy and germane that you have to share with everyone you know. 

That happened to me today. 

Being the TMT Grammar Nazi, it falls to me to edit most of the articles that go on our web site and into our monthly newsletter (which you can sign up for here if you're interested; the little sign-up box is toward the bottom of the page on the left).  When Edie's article popped up in my "In" box, I scanned it quickly, had a great laugh, and then set to editing.  It was tough to do, because I kept getting caught up in the message, thinking of ways it relates to my relationship with Lyric ... and my kids and husband ... and my dogs ... and my work ... and my martial arts .. and ...

Well, you get the idea.

When I was finally through with the technical stuff, I asked if I could reprint it here.  Edie kindly gave me permission.  Hope you all enjoy it.

The Undead

Anyone who's ever seen the sequel to any really popular slasher / zombie / vampire / chainsaw-wielding maniac / cave-dwelling mutant movie will recognize this scene:  Our Hero(ine), who nearly died at the end of the first movie while dispaching (in some dramatic way) The Really Bad Thing, is sitting in bed, late at night, watching TV and snuggling with The Love Interest.  Suddenly, there's a noise ... an eerily familiar noise ... Our Hero(ine) bolts upright, and The Really Bad Thing bursts into the room and proceeds to reduce The (Now Shrieking) Love Interest to bloody hash while Our Hero(ine) screams, "Ohmygod!  Why won't you just DIE?!"

I had that happen today.  Okay, so there was no Love Interest and no bloody hash and no screaming (though there was profanity), but ... Remember this saddle?  "It's ba-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ack ..."

... even more ragged and unsafe than before.  Both panels are still loose, but now the left front panel has lost the screw that held the upper corner on the tree, the stitching is broken and the panel's almost completely adrift:

Nice view of the panel foam (what's left of it).

And the other side's just as torn up:

  

I'm being stalked by The Undead.

Has this saddle been in use since I declared it dead almost two years ago?  I hope not, because this is a wreck waiting to happen.  It was awful back then, and it's worse now.  Perhaps I need to couch my diagnosis in stronger terms this time and hope my message gets through:  I won't be party to a horse and/or rider getting injured because I did a Dr. Frankenstein on this saddle.  I ought to shoot it with a silver bullet, cut off its billets, pound a stake through the seat, wrap it in a string of garlic, strew it with white roses, take it across running water and bury it at a crossroads.  Begone, demon, and follow me no more.

Buyer Beware

I know a lot of people in the horse world are on a budget - myself included.  If I can get free shipping on my mare's supplements, save $20 by buying my salt blocks in bulk, or get a discount on my winter's hay by spending a few days slinging bales and off-loading hay wagons, I'm all over it.  Saving $10 here and $20 there can be a big help.  However, there are deals ... and there are deals.

A customer of mine bought a high-end used jump saddle on eBay, got it for a song, looked fantastic, only a few scuff marks, couldn't believe her luck ... but when it arrived, she noticed some suspicious-looking wrinkles across the seat.  So she propped it on her thigh and flexed it - and it flexed quite a lot.  Being of the opinion that it's better to err on the side of safety, she brough it to me so I could check it out. The degree of flex made me think I should drop the panels check the tree.  Lots of flex isn't always indicative of a compromised tree, but I agreed that erring on the safe side would be a good idea.

Glad I decided that.

Broken spring bar. "But couldn't a good saddler just replace that?" I hear you ask.  Possible in theory, but usually, if there's been enough trauma to snap a spring bar, there's other damage on top of that.  Case in point:  though it doesn't show in this photo (and I couldn't get a decent shot of it), the tree's cracked on both sides at the rear of the flap.  And ...

... the lower head plate is broken as well.

I didn't peel the seat off to check the upper head plate - this tree is a complete write-off as it is - but that may be compromised, too.  This sort of damage usually comes from the saddle somehow coming between the horse and the ground - either the horse flipping over on it, or rolling on it in the stall.  There were some scuff marks on the pommel and cantle which would be pretty consistent with the latter, though if the horse landed on the saddle in deep, soft footing, that could cause similar marks.  


So here's the deal on buying used saddles:  caveat emptor.  If you're buying it from a reliable tack shop with a knowledgeable staff, chances are it's gone through a pretty thorough safety check.  However, if you're buying from an unknown source or individual, they may not be informed enough to know if the saddle's safe ... or they may be unscrupulous enough that they don't much care (though in this litigious climate, that's becoming less and less common).


If my client is willing to spend between $700 and $1200, she might be able to have this saddle re-treed - IF this model is still in production and she can find a replacement tree.  If so, she'll have to purchase it (most trees run between $200 and $350), pay shipping and import fees from the UK/EU (which can easily run equal to or even exceed the price of tree) and another $400-$600 for the actual re-tree, plus shipping to and from the saddler.  Tack on the initial price of the saddle - even if it was only $500 - and you're in the neighborhood of a nice quality used saddle in safe and sound condition ... without the frustration and time waste.

Don't Go There, Girlfriend (Got My Crank On)

I love it when people comment on my blog.  I take that as an indicator that the info I've put out has given them something to think about, or touched on an experience they've had or maybe answered a question they've always had but never asked.  Comments also give me an idea of what people want to hear about, and it gives them a chance to share experiences they've had.


There are two things I will NOT tolerate, however:  First, I won't allow people to talk smack about an individual fitter/trainer/rider/rep/tack shop (see this post), even if they're righteously pissed because of something rotten the fitter/trainer/rider/rep/tack shop has done.  This isn't the venue for that sort of conversation.


Second, I will not tolerate comments made by individuals seeking a sleazy, back door method of promoting their web site - especially their saddle and tack retail web site.  I've had a slew of those recently.  I moderate all comments, and yes, I do check to see where they come from ... so no, you aren't going to get a freebie link on this blog just by saying things like, "WOW.  Fantastic post.  Very informative as well.  Keep posting. I am waiting for your next post :)." This is sort of like pretending to give someone a pat on the back while trying to stick a "GO TO MY SITE" sign on their shirt.  While it's nice to know that people find my posts helpful and informative, I'm not starved for validation.


While there have been a lot of comments in this vein (some quite literate, and some that make me want to repeatedly slam my face into my keyboard) the ultimate in icky (at least so far), has to be this one: "Jeffries manufactures its own spring trees, each to a design that is renowned for its excellent fit, produced in 6-ply laminated wood to prevent distortion whilst retaining flexibility for comfort. Jeffries also source specialist trees from Walsall based manufacturers. The finest quality leather is prepared and finished meticulously, providing ultimate durability and rider safety."  I'm not sure what I find most amazing ...their sheer laziness in lifting something right from Jeffries' ad copy, the fact that they didn't think I'd recognize something lifted from Jeffries' ad copy, or just the fact that they had the balls to lift this from the Jeffries' ad copy and try to pass it off as a legit comment.  Now they're not just trying to use me, they've also brought Jeffries Saddlery (an old and well-respected UK saddle maker) into the mix ... Look, Mom!  Sleaze squared! 


So while I'm more than happy to publish ideas, questions and commentary, don't try to use this as a portal to your web site.  It won't succeed, you'll only piss me off (and that's not much of a feather in your cap - I'm usually just a short jump from that state on most days), and eventually karma will bite you.  You won't rise to the top by climbing over someone else's head.

Circa 1957 - Go Into the Light

I am a sentimental pack rat.  This is not a fact most people know, since it's usually obscured by my ouchy-bleedy, non-warm-and-fuzzy personality ... but it's true.  I save silly stuff:  a matchbook from the dance club where my husband and I met, a cheap souvenir key chain from a trip to Paris, my sons' first shirts and locks of hair from their first haircuts, one of Lyric's baby teeth (and all of my kids' baby teeth) and my very first plush toy (a musical lamb that plays Brahm's "Lullaby").  Of course, this is true of my tack, as well.  I have all of my mom's old western tack as well as my own; I even have  my first western pony saddle and bridle (red leather with brass tacks), so I understand the attachment that can develop with a piece of tack that you've had since dirt formed.  Just seeing it reminds you of the horse or pony you rode it in, and touching the well-worn leather can bring back the adventures and the mishaps and the bone-deep satisfaction you feel when you dismount after a truly good ride.  It's not just a thing made of leather, wood and metal - it's an integral part of your horse life, a history book, almost another limb.  So yes, I understand the attachment.

I also know understand that your tack, like your horse, will reach retirement age; a time when it's great to look at but perhaps not so wise for actual use.  The saddle in the photos below is a perfect example of this.  It's an old polo saddle that was originally purchased in Oxford, England in 1957, sent to me for a strip flock and new billets.

The plate says it was made by Hayes saddle makers in Cirencester. The leather is on the fragile side - it's covered with rain spots, and I'm not certain how well it would hold up if I started trying to dismantle or re-stitch anything - but the stirrup bars were tight, the billets and webbing seemed sound enough, and at first glance, it looked quite decent for 54 years old.

Then I looked at it from the front, and I noticed some serious crookedness:

As you can see, the cantle slants off to the saddle's left, and the right panel seems to be a smidge higher than the left at the pommel.  When viewed from the back, the crookedness is even more obvious:

The cantle is far to the left of the pommel - looks to me as though this saddle has been mounted from the ground a LOT.  Even the panels are misaligned:

Close-up of rear of the panels - the unevenness is really obvious here:

Giving an owner the news that it's time to put the old reliable trooper out to pasture is always a touchy bit of work.  Some people take it well, and some look for any way to forestall the inevitable:  "I'll only use it on the old horse I've used it on for 23 years" or "I'll only use it on greenies as a breaking saddle" or "I'll only ride at the walk!"  Fortunately, this customer was understanding and figured that after 54 years of service, his saddle was indeed ready to "go into the light."

Saddle Fitting Central

Time for a little bit more about the nuts-and-bolts aspect of saddle fitting and repair.  Longkaiduan asked me about my tools and work space, so I thought I'd give you a short photographic tour of my little workshop and show you more of my tools and how they're used.  (NOTE:  While I'm giving a very basic overview of the tools and their uses, I do NOT recommend getting ahold of them and using them without some training and supervision unless you start on junk saddles and tack and scrap leather.  You can do an amazing amount of damage with these tools, so if you ignore this caveat and start practicing on your good stuff, don't say you weren't warned.)

First, the space.  There's not much of it (it used to be the "close-out sale room" back when we had walk-in business for apparel, supplements, grooming tools, etc. and measures about 6'x10'), so getting photos was a bit of a challenge, but here they are.

My desk.  Mission Control for blogging, answering e-mails, photo manipulation, saddle research and keeping an eye on activity in the barn/parking area and paddocks.  (Not that I spend time staring out the window or anything.) 

As you can see, I use the wall as a bulletin board for to-do lists, memos, blog ideas, wool samples, correspondence, price lists ... basically as a back-up brain.

To the left:  my barn call receipt and saddle work order (completed) boxes, a list of tools and supplies for barn calls, appointment book, UPS delivery zone maps, templates and customer files, a couple statements of personal philosophy and my Big Box O' Hardware.




Interior of the Big Box O' Hardware:  


Dee rings, saddle nails, spare blades for groovers, awls, knives and other sharp things, screws, tacks, keepers; conway, girth, stirrup leather and halter buckles and falldown staples, oh my.

A statement of personal philosophy:

If you turn one hundred and eighty degrees, there's the bench and tools.  The bench was specially made for me by Dennis St. John of Wudsmitten Cabinetry; it's gorgeous - sort of a giant butcher-block affair - and it was honestly a crime to cover the top of it with foam and leather.  Tools above in racks made from wooden slats, an old rein, an old stirrup leather and some brass escutcheon pins.

 



Closer shot of the tools, and a couple saddle work orders.  Tools, from left:  tweezers, oblong punch, hole spacer, 3 screwdrivers, strap end punch, skiving knife, groover, hole spacer, edger, screwdriver, scratch awl and calipers, nail cutters, short awl, rotary hole punch, lasting pincers, slicker and edger. 




On the right end of the bench, more tools. From left: pry bar, skiving knife, craft knife, sewing awl, 3 backing awls, 3 diamond point awls, staple puller, long handled needle-nose pliers, two pairs needle nose saddler's pliers, leather scissors, assorted flocking irons. Bone folder and exacto knife on rack behind tools, hammers and squares and level above.

  

Above the bench, storage for cement, thinner, clamps, long needles, supply catalogs, spare thread and so on. Rack below holds spools of woven poly thread for hand sewing.

 

Above the bench, storage for cement, thinner, clamps, long needles, supply catalogs, spare thread and so on.  Rack below holds spools of woven poly thread for hand sewing.

Now, on to a little about some of the tools and their uses.  First, the oblong punch:

This is used when you're installing a buckle; this is size 1 and makes a pretty small hole, the sort for lighter-gauge buckles (think a fairly dainty halter crown buckle or even smaller).

The oval punch, used for adding holes to stirrup leathers and billets:

The English strap-end punch.  Handy for shortening billets, stirrup leathers and misc. strap ends (gee ... you think?).



 All the punchs are used by positioning them (carefully!) on the leather and using a hammer on the other end.

The skiving knife, used to thin down the end of a piece of leather (usually a strap - stirrup leather, halter crown piece or billet) before sewing to reduce bulk and avoid a squared edge.

Edgers are used to bevel the square edge of a piece of leather and give is a smoother, rounder finish.  This is a safety edger:



 When you're removing the gullet cover to check a trees or deconstructing a saddle, one of these staple / tack pullers comes in really handy:

You stick one of the pointy parts under the crown of a staple and wiggle it loose.  If you're working on an older saddle with tacks, jimmy the "V" under the head of the tack and wiggle it loose.

The next few tools are often used in concert when you're doing hand-sewing.  The groover is used to mark the line you want to stitch; it also serves the purpose of "counter sinking" the stitching and giving it a bit of protection from wear:

Next you use your hole spacer to mark your stitching holes along the groove. 





Spacers come in varying sizes; each will give you a different number of holes per inch.  Alternatively, you can use a stitch mark iron, but the wheeled spacer is nice if you're doing curved stitch lines.

Next, you can use the diamond point awl to pierce the leather for stitching:

Or, if your stitches are going to be larger, or if you're using a thicker thread, you can make bigger holes.  This is a home-made tool; I ground down the blade of a little screwdriver to make a chisel-point awl.  Works really well for billets, double-thickness halters, etc.:





The backing awl is great for enlarging existing holes, as when you're stitching up a pommel or cantle:

It has a curved blade and a rounded point, so you can wiggle it into an amazing number of places without catching the point and tearing leather.  It's also useful for picking up individual stitches if you need to cut thread or tighten up a line of stitching:

Finally, here's one tool I can't do without:

This is Mr. Squishy.  He sits on my computer tower.  He was a Holiday Fairy gift to one of my kids, but I appropriated him after I found him abandoned on the lawn.  Mr. Squishy is my Stress Management Advisor.

Mr. Squishy's eyeballs used to bug out in a most satisfying way when I did this, but time, age and a lot of Stress Management Advice have compromised his rubber skin and left him rather leaky, so now it's just his brains that pop out.  I'm very fond of him, in light of the help he's given me, and I feel a deep kinship with him, especially since he, like I, no longer bounces back quite the way he used to:

Malaprops, Misnomers and Misinformation

I spend a lot of time in front of the computer.  In addition to blogging, answering e-mails, playing with PhotoShop and monitoring our web presence, I spend a lot of time writing about and researching saddles and saddle fitting.  There's a ton of info about saddles and fitting on the Internet, and in a way, that's a great thing.  All you have to do is type a query into Google and chances are you'll get thousands of results.  I Googled "saddle fitting" and got 157,000 results.  Then I Googled "English saddle fitting" and got 43,800 results. But here's the rub:  the Internet is quite eglitarian and, unless someone's writing something that is defamatory or downright libelous, pretty much anyone can put pretty much anything out there for public consumption ... veracity be damned.

So how is one to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak?  It can be tough.  Lies, big lies, and damned big lies can go viral as quickly as the truth does (and sometimes, if it's a particularly juicy lie, a lot more quickly), so just because everyone's seen it or is sharing it doesn't mean much when it comes to the quality and accuracy of the information.  Therefore, because I'm a nitpicking control freak (just ask any of my friends and family and they'll be happy to confirm this fact), I'm taking it upon myself to offer up a random sampling of some of the most glaring examples of butchered terminology, grammar and spelling offenses and misinformation that I've found on the Internet.

WRITE AND SPEL GOOD

First, I'll address the spelling and grammar thing.  I'm known (fondly, I choose to think) as the Language Nazi, and that's one fact that I will happily confirm.  A person's use of grammar, spelling and punctuation immediately colors my opinion of the information they're offering.  Yes, I know lots of knowledgeable, highly intelligent people who do not write or spell well, and I do understand that an occasional malaprop or typo will get by even the most anal editor (I edit like a maniac, but as you all know, stuff gets by me - and when it does, my friends and family are unmerciful).  But I really feel that if you're concerned with your professional image - or with your information being taken seriously - you have to exhibit at least basic literacy.  I've seen sites for perfessional independant fitter's who understands the importince of a good-fitting saddle and, knows that comfort  ,for both horse and rider, has got to be taken into consideraton.  They've done alot of saddle fitting and make house calls to your barn and cover the area from east backache to s muckboot, vermont. 

Frankly, if your site is peppered with those sorts of errors, I won't take what you're offering very seriously, nor will I read very far ... mostly because I'll have given myself a headache by grinding my teeth because I can't edit the errors.

CHECKING FOR BACK SORENESS

• One site recommended that the best way to test for back soreness caused by saddle fit is to locate the "under saddle" muscles (I'm assuming this means the longissimus - the long muscle that runs on either side of the spine) and "probe these muscles firmly with the ends of three fingers or your thumb held stiff from your fist ... one must probe as firm as necessary to get a reaction to see if the horse is sore."  Now, in my mind, you check carefully at first for swelling, bumps or thickening, and then probe a bit more firmly.  If a reasonably firm pressure with the heel or palm of your hand doesn't elicit a response (and I just went and pushed on our shop's scale - I'm talking about roughly 15 lbs. of pressure), your horse probably doesn't have any major issues - at least not at the time you're palpating.  If you gouge and rake with great enthusiasm until you get a response, you'll never know if it was because you horse was sore, of if you just gouged and raked too enthusiastically.  And if you gouge and rake really enthusiastically, I don't know many horses that won't react, and if you take a hoof to the kneecap during such shenanegans,  it's your own bloody fault. 

MUCH ADO ABOUT WIDTH

• "To judge if tree width is correct, the tree point should be parallel to the horse's shoulder."  Let's take a look at that:

There's quite a marked difference between the angle of this horse's back and the angle of the shoulder in both photos.  In the top photo, matching the shoulder angle would mean the tree would be too wide for the horse; in the second, the tree would be too narrow. The tree point should be parallel to the surface upon which it rests ... and that would be the back.

• "If the tree width is correct, you'll have no fitting issues with the saddle."  Again, let's take a look. 

Although you'll have to take my word for it because I don't have a photo to prove it, the tree width for this horse is correct.  So whyever is it sitting so pommel high?  Basically, because the horse's back looks like this:

This shark-fin wither requires a deeper rear gusset to make the saddle sit balanced.  And since adding just a rear gusset would probably have brough the gullet into contact with the wither, a K panels and wither gussets were added for support.
• "If the tree feels tight, try adding another pad to cushion it."  If you don't have sufficient width, adding bulk isn't going to improve the issue.  If your jacket is too snug, do you wear a bulky sweater under it?  If your shoes are too tight, do you add an extra pair of socks for cushion?  Of course not.  The same applies here. If the tree's a tad wide, a thicker/additional pad can be a helpful band-aid, but if the tree's too narrow, "there ain't no pad gonna fix that." 
• "If the saddle's fitting correctly, you should be able to slip your hands under the panels beneath tree points when it's girthed and the rider's in it." Uh, no.  See "Scenario One" here.  No further comment.

TREAT THE SYMPTOM, NOT THE CAUSE

• "If your horse acts up every time he's saddled, or when he's being ridden, your saddle's not fitting properly."  While saddle fit may well be the cause of your horse's misbehavior and should definitely be checked, it's not the only thing that can cause bad behavior.  There are a LOT of other issues that can mimic or be mistaken for saddle fit issues.  Physical problems like lameness in the hock or stifle, problems with the SI joint, arthritis, Lyme disease, neurological issues, reproductive issues in mares, ulcers, dental problems and shoeing issues can be mistaken for saddle fit problems.  Your horse's training and your riding can come into play as well.  If the saddle's slipping to one side,  you may think it's a fitting issue when in reality it's an issue of an asymmetrical horse or a rider who sits hard to one side.  If the horse objects to being saddled, it could be that the horse has been ridden in an ill-fitting saddle in the past, and expects it will hurt every time he's saddled.  If the horse grinds her teeth when she's being girthed, are you doing up the girth gradually, or are you hauling away at the billets as though you're trying to raise a sail?  Time for a little detective work. 
• "If your horse won't come through the back and work properly, try the Pessoa training system/draw reins/chambon/Vienna side reins/neck stretcher."  This is taking it to the other extreme and looking at everything except saddle fit - again, time for some detective work.  And gadgets are ... well, in the right hands, gadgets can be useful; in the wrong hands, not so much - the scalpel in the hands of a surgeon vs. the scalpel in the hands of a madman. 

"ALWAYS" AND "NEVER"

My mom used to say, "Just when you think you have horses figured out, one will come along who'll prove you wrong."  I think it's pretty safe to apply that to saddle fitting as well.  While there are some basic guidelines that are pretty immutable - the pommel arch must clear the wither, for example - few things are written in stone ... contrary to some of the information out there.

•  "If the saddle is sitting in the correct balance, the pommel will be 2" lower than the cantle."  While it's a pretty true rule of thumb that the cantle will be higher than the pommel, let's take a look at these photos:

These saddles are all sitting in pretty good balance (the top one may be just a smidge pommel-low), but there's quite a lot of variation in the pommel-to-cantle height.

• "If the tree width is correct for you horse, you will have 3 to 4 fingers of clearance under the pommel."  Again, depends on the horse and depends on the saddle.  I prefer the term "adequate clearance" - which means that the saddle sits in correct balance and at no time comes in contact with the horse's wither/spine.  Sometimes "adequate" is 2 or 3 fingers, and sometimes - especially with hoop trees - it's less:

You also need to make sure that the clearance extends all the way through the channel of the saddle.  It's possible to have a saddle tree with too slow a rise - that is, too flat from seat to pommel - bang a horse's wither around the stirrup bars or a bit in front of them ... which you may not notice if you're just focusing on the area right under the pommel arch.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:  DO IT WITH STYLE

If you're going to screw up, do it with as much panache as you can muster.

As I mentioned earlier, things can slip by even the most vigilant editor, especially if you choose to believe spell check.  My most memorable one here on the blog was when I was talking about hunter/jumpers and referred to them as "hunter/humpers".  However, since no one is immune to mistakes, I have to share what is probably my most epic fail:

I once wrote a highly indignant letter to my high school alumni association for publishing my e-mail address in their newsletter without first clearing it with me.  I basically ripped them a new one for making me the recipient of a flood of communication from a bunch of people that, for the most part, I didn't much like and quite happily left behind when I graduated.  " ... and furthermore, you showed a blatant disregard for my privacy ..." (I tend to get polysyllabic when I'm pissed off) "... by publishing my e-mail address in the newsletter without first obtaining my persimmon."

(Ironically, at my high school graduation, I received an award for distinction in English.)