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.

Saddle Fitting for the Endurance Horse by Nancy Okun

Here's another "Guest Blogger" entry - this time, from my co-worker, Nancy Okun.  In addition to her saddle fitting work here at the shop, she's also an endurance and competitive trail rider.  If she's not actually competing at a ride, you can bet she'll be volunteering or crewing for a friend who is competing ... so she has plenty of personal experience in the realm of saddles that works for a horse and rider over the long haul.  She's helped literally hundreds of our customers find the right trail saddle, and shares some interesting insights into the saddle needs of the competitive trail / endurance horse and rider.

The Importance of Accuracy

After re-reading my last entry, I got to thinking about how important accuracy is when taking a template for long-distance fitting. We use the misnomer "wither tracing" when we're actually talking about a more involved process, and sometimes people to send just that - a tracing of their horse's withers. This is only helpful for determining a small part of the overall picture, and only helpful for that small part if the tracing is taken in the correct spot.

So here's the bottom line: your template must be accurate for a fitter to make the correct recommendations. And while it's really not hard to take an accurate template, it is easy enough to make mistakes. If you're taking the tracings in the wrong spot, if your horse is standing with his/her head in an unnaturally high or low position, if your horse is resting a hind leg or isn't square, the template will not be accurate. And if your template isn't accurate, you're going to be spending beaucoup bucks shipping ill-fitting saddles back and forth!

Here are the ground rules:

#1) Your horse must be standing squarely on a level surface with his/her head in a relaxed position. Timing is important here: don't try to take a template when your horse is fretting about being fed or turned out with the herd - you want your horse calm and relaxed.

#2) Be absolutely sure you are taking the tracings in the correct places. If you're having problems locating the rear of the scapula for the first tracing, place your hand on the side of your horse's wither and have a helper pull the foreleg forward; you'll feel the scapula rotate under your hand, and be able to follow the rear edge of it as it moves. (You may also be amazed at how far back the scapula rotates when the foreleg extends, and will understand why you need to place your saddle on the horse's back rather that up on the wither.) Have your helper put the horse's leg back down, and again, make sure your horse is standing squarely on all four legs. Your first measurement will be taken three fingers' width (about 2" or 5 cm) behind the rear edge of the scapula.

To find the lowest point on your horse's back, roll a pill bottle, thick marker or piece of chalk down the wither to the back; it will stop at the lowest point.

To take a topline tracing, place one of the flexible curve on the horse's spine about 2" in front of the rear edge of the scapula, and conform it to the shape of your horse's topline. Remember to mark where it intersects with the first 2 measurements.

#3) Be sure BOTH legs of the flexible curve are pointing straight down toward the ground. If they're angled forward or back, it will distort the measurement.

Accuracy also applies to your photos. #1 above is a very good guideline for photos as well as the template. I'll add that being sure your photos are in focus and well-lit is necessary - I'm not talking professional quality here, I'm just saying that the fitter needs to see the horse clearly. Daylight is always preferred if possible; if not, a well-lit barn aisle or indoor arena will do nicely.

All these directives may sound a bit nit-picky, but this is one situation where "neatness counts" - the more accurate your template and photos are, the less time it will take to find the right saddle for you and your horse.