I picked up a couple of saddles from the consignment area of the feed store last week. I am not quite sure why I keep doing this. I guess I remain hopeful that there is a saddle out there somewhere that will fit Lily. I’ll preface this by saying that I’ve realized that it’s no use to do any more of this until she is done being pregnant. That said, here are the results of my recent experiments…
Most western saddles that I put on her may look fine, but as soon as I tighten the cinch they do this.
Circle Y
If they don’t pop up in the back like that right away, they usually will when I lunge her. The Circle Y was a no go from the moment I cinched her up.
Next was an Ausie flavored endurance saddle.
Endurance saddle
I’ve forgotten the brand on this one. It was a much better fit for Lily. She happily trotted, cantered and gaited about. Unfortunately, the seat a a little small for me and I wasn’t crazy about the way that the pommel and poleys were so steeply slanted backwards. So this was a no go as well. I am also looking for something with a horn. I doubt that I’ll be doing any roping, but it is nice to have something to hang the reins on and I will be ponying Cirro at some point.
Last, I tried a saddle that someone at the barn had for sale. It was an old stock saddle. We couldn’t find a maker’s mark. It was heavy too.
Roping saddle
This one fit the best. It didn’t pop up in back. It sat in a decent spot on her back and the seat fit me. I prefer a higher cantle, but that’s a detail. The stirrups were too short for me at the lowest hole too. It was also covered in mold. I know that once leather gets to this state, it is a never ending battle to be rid of it. I did consider buying it for the tree. I tried it on her again tonight and it wasn’t good enough to go so far as that. Again, a no go.
This leaves me back to riding in my dressage saddle or bareback, until I can afford a custom tree. Or if the right fitting saddle happens to appear. I will likely go to bareback soon, as my dressage saddle slides forward now too. I’m blaming it on that expanding belly!
I also bought a nice set of romel reins when I got the saddles. I thought that they were a lovely color that tied my headstall and noseband together nicely.
Weaver braided leather/rawhide reins
They turned out to be about two feet too long in the loop and a couple feet too long in the romel. I had to loop the rome through itself, so that it didn’t drag on the ground. The reins did have a very nice feel though. I would like to get a pair that are the right length. I might start searching the web for pony reins. Or I could ask Alan Bell to make me a pair…
So that was the last couple of weeks. Then yesterday, I took my husband to my favorite feed store. We were out looking at property for sale around where I used to board. I miss going to this store, as the owners are really nice and helpful. They remembered me, even though I haven’t been there for over a year. As we were leaving, I saw a bucket of bits. This is not something that I can easily pass by. I am always fascinated by the various things that we humans choose to put in horse’s mouths. Anyway, there was a mullen mouth, short shank curb. I bought it, with the owner’s offered promise of taking it back if it didn’t work.
I tried it tonight. First with my bosalito underneath, so I could ride on the hackamore part of the time; then alone. Lily liked it well enough that she didn’t want to give it up, when I took off the hackamore. She wanted to chew on it for a while and happily took it back.
She would not 'smile' for any photos today...
It’s not terribly pretty, but that doesn’t matter as long as Lily likes it. I’ve tried a few other western bits on her and she was never comfortable with them. This one was a gamble, as it does have a pretty thick mouthpiece. I was actually surprised that she liked it as much as she did. I guess that she has more room in her mouth than I thought she did. One thing that I will do it bend the upper rings out slightly.
It has pinchless side joints.
After all that, we also had a ride. I practiced transitions, moving off the leg (she’s getting quite sensitive to that with her growing belly), and a bit of shoulder fore and leg yielding. It was interesting doing all this with the curb bit. A new twist on things for me! Lily gaited nicely when I asked her for it. She got trotty a few times and we would come back to a walk and try again. After some canter transitions up and down, we quit. It was cold and had been pouring down buckets during our ride. So some cool down time was in order.
Oh, I also trimmed Lily and tried fitting some Renegade boots that came a while ago. I had needed to shorten the cables and that took me about a month. 
I still think that the straps are too long. The boot part seems to fit well. So I think I need to get back in touch with the manufacturer. I LOVE that they come in colors! And the company seems very responsive to questions and issues.
The Ruby Slippers - Yes, they have spakles!
So, I have bared my soul and revealed all (well most) of my horse accessory buying for the last few months. What have you tried lately?
The tree will cost you about 450.00. Why not have it made and put it away until you can save up for the saddle part. That will put your saddle coming in at well under 2000.00. Mine is only 1200.00 because I am having the tree made myself. It breaks down the expenses over time so that it becomes more affordable and you have a custom tree and saddle made to fit both you and your horse.
Lily would not smile at all, would she?! That last head shot she is actually pulling her lower lip forward, like I do when I am mad! (It’s a jaw-clenching thing.) She sure is growing and looks so lovely, though, even on a non-photo shoot day.
That Aussie endurance saddle is gorgeous. Too bad that didn’t fit – that is a beautiful saddle.
Will you take my father’s saddle back with you next weekend and try that on Lily? I know it is heavy as sin, but just give it a try. You know I don’t ride Western, and it is just sitting here on the church pew at the front door. It would be so exciting if it fit both you and Lily.
Amy Jo – I would love to try yet another saddle. Thank you!
Susan – I would really like to have her tree made now, but won’t she change once she’s had the baby, weaned it and gotten back into shape?
AJ – The Aussie saddle WAS comfy and it is pretty. It would probably fit you.
If the seat had been an inch larger, I would have kept it. It was priced well too!
Hmmm … Did you return it yet? How much did it cost? Why am I even asking? I think we need to start a support group for Tack-a-holics where we can admit to our problem and support one another in our disease. We would probably be able to share a lot of our tack – trade and lend – as I bet between all of us we have way more well-fitting tack than we could ever hope for through individual purchases.
That saddle is really, really pretty, even from this vantage point …
Yes, I returned it. I had 24 hours to try it before they would charge me. If I remember correctly, it was $225 or so? It’s at H &E Feed.
Simrat, she will change throughout the years. So I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I susppose it depends on how much she flares in the ribs, Kindlewood being a longer taller mare didnt change all that much, Whereas Cora did. I’m not conviced it was enough to change her tree though. Remember the back itself doesnt change that much. The ribs change.
Yet if we are going to make the investmeent its prudent to have the best condition possible. And yet on another note, the horses basic shape doesn’t change. A flat backed horse is still a flat backed horse throughout its life with only subtle varying differences occuring if its kept in generally decent fitness which Lily is always in a decent shape.. I’d rather fit a horse too big and have to add blankets, then to fit a horse that is optimum and then have my saddle too tight if the horses gains weight.
In the end it’s your call.