Next remove the screws from the pulley buttons. Getting the cover off was a bit challenging, as they are flush with the heel captivator. I knocked the captivator against my kitchen counted a few times, until there was enough to grab with a fingernail. Once the front is off, you can pop the pulley out the back side.
When everything is disassembled, it’s not a bad time to clean it all. I did that as I went.
New cable
Take a new cable and thread it through the top hole in the shell.
Loop for the pulley button
Run the cable into the pulley hole and back out on the bottom side leaving a loop inside the heel captivator.
Inserting the back side of the pulley button
Place the pulley into the loop and pull the end of the cable to seat the pulley. Replace the pulley button cover and screw.
Cable run back through the shell
Run the end of the cable back through the shell and into the cable slot.
Cables run through the new cable clamp
Place the new cable clamp in the shell and run each cable though the clamp. Adjust the cables, tighten the cable clamp and seat it back into the boot.
The reassebled boots
With the straps reassembled, these boots are ready to go try on Lily.
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WordPress is croaking on the image laden post, so I’ve cut it into part one and part two.
I traded a pair of size 0 Renegades for a pair of size 1. The 1s were too large for Lily. The cable clamps turned out to be stripped or jammed. Whichever it was didn’t matter. I couldn’t adjust them. The only way to fix it was to replace the clamps and cables. I searched the Renegade site and the web for instructions, but found nothing. So I just went for it, taking photos along the way. I thought that it would be worthwhile to post this How To.
The tools I used
After several trips to the tool chest, these are the tools I used: flat screwdriver for prying the cable clamp out, phillips screwdriver for the pulley buttons, wire cutters, pliers (a smaller standard pair of pliers would have been a better choice.), and the tiny allen wrench for the cable clamp, of course!
The spart parts
Here are the new cables and cable clamps ready to go.
Boot- cleaned with the heel captivator liner removed.
The liner in the heel captivator needs to be removed. You can do this now or after the next step. I also found that it was easier to remove all the straps at this point.
The first cable cut off
Cut the cables between the heel captivator and the shell. If your cables are just frayed and can be removed by loosening the cable clamp, you can do that instead.
The shell with all the cables and straps removed.
The next step is to remove the clamp. Prying it out can be challenging. Newer clamps have a small hole on the front. It allows you to use the allen wrench to lever the clamp, exposing the screws. Mine were older and didn’t have that nifty feature.
Cable clamp pried out showing the adjustment screws (and mud).
Once I had the cable clamp out enough to grab it with my pliers, I just pulled it out. It did look like it was ripping the boot where the cables run though, but it only stretched. No real damage was done.
Cable clamp with stuck cables removed.
Success! But look at all the mud that had accumulated under there…
I saw the sun yesterday afternoon from my office window. I finished up, hoping that it would stay long enough for me to get in a ride. Lily looked pretty good when I got to the barn, so I took her out to groom and try the Sensation on.
I’m not used to using Skito pads. The foam was really stiff from being in the tackroom, so I put the saddle on first, then went to do boots, comb her mane and brush her head. By the time I was done, it had warmed up somewhat, so that I could adjust the girth.
For consist testing of saddles, I’m developing a list of things to check. It’s mostly so that I don’t forget something and then wonder about it after I’ve shipped the saddle on.
General
Quality
Weight
Places to attach gear
Adjustability
Design features
Rider
Mounting from the ground
Stirrup placement and swing
Seat twist
Seat comfort
Horse
Wither clearance
Sweat pattern
Back condition after riding (sensitive, hair ruffled, rubbed, flat?)
Underside of pad
Demeanor/attitude
Is there anything else that you would add? Please let me know in the comments.
Here’s how the Sensation rated after a short ride. We mostly walked on local roads, no real hills and only a bit of trot and canter that Lily offered. I was just glad that she was feeling good!
General
Quality – Excellent
Weight – I didn’t weigh it, but it’s light enough!
Places to attach gear – I didn’t notice a lot, but there are rings on the back and front, no saddle strings.
Adjustability – Good. It came with a bolster in the seat cantle, as the demo is a large seat size, equivalent to 17″ western. I removed it right after I got on and was comfortable without. There is no adjustability for the horse, but it’s all soft, so not really needed.
Design features – I like the adjustable nature of the seat!
Rider
Mounting from the ground – It slipped big time, both mounting and dismounting. I didn’t have the girth very tight though. While riding it felt secure, not slipping at all. I mounted from a tailgate.
Stirrup placement and swing – I might move the stirrup hanger back a bit for my next ride. And I’m not sure that I like having the stirrup leather attached to the bottom of the saddle flap. The stirrups also pulled my toes in some. That might make my knees hurt with a longer ride.
Seat twist – I will try a small bolster of my own making next ride. I would like more twist.
Seat comfort – Very nice!
Horse
Wither clearance – Fine.
Sweat pattern – Not enough riding to tell.
Back condition after riding – The hair was smooth and I didn’t find any sensitivity.
Underside of pad – Not enough riding to tell.
Demeanor/attitude – Great!
I am going to try the saddle on a longer ride with Vinnie this weekend, so the jury is out at this point.
Here are a few more photos. The rest are on Flickr here.
I love the pear trees in the background. Not planned, at least by me! Rachel took the photo.
I would like to be able to bring my feet back under me more, if I wanted to.
I am on the hunt for a new saddle. I’ve been riding in a FreeForm Classic SB (I bought it when they first came out and this was the only version) and a Wintec AP 2000. The Wintec fits both my horses moderately well, but it’s a tad small for me. I also don’t think that it’s quite comfortable enough for the long rides needed for endurance conditioning.
The FreeForm Classic is way too large for Vinnie. I would have to get a girth that was so short as to be ineffective. I already have two custom Montana Cincha dressage girths, 18″ and 20″. I really don’t think that I want to go any smaller than that. Lily became uncomfortable in it over the last month or so and I think that it’s been putting pressure on her withers. I swapped out to a Barefoot London on our last ride and she did much better. She’s currently laid up with some soundness issues, but more on that in another post… Needless to say, I can’t try any saddles out on her now, which limits my demo horse to Vinnie.
So the search is on…
I am pretty sure I will end up with a treeless saddle, as they are more able to accommodate changing condition and different horses. I realize that no one saddle will fit all horses. And I’m not closed to the idea of a treed saddle, if it fits and isn’t too heavy. Treeless saddles have come far in the last few years with many new models and options out there. I am looking forward to exploring some of them.
E-Z Fit
I tried one last month. I went with a medium and should have ordered a small. It was HUGE on my horses. It didn’t give me the close contact feel that I want, as there was too much leather between my thigh and the horse. A few of us tried it out one weekend. This particular one was not a fit for any of us. It turned out that Eli Beiler had tried out a new material to stiffen the seat. It created a ridge down the middle, not so comfortable for the rider. He was just great about it and refunded my demo fee and shipping. I am sure that the next one will be an improvement on this. This is an interesting saddle design and one to watch. It’s just not a fit for me.
Sensation Western
I received my demo yesterday! It was pouring down rain, so I only got to put it on my horses in their stalls. Lily let me know that it was NOT okay for me to even try to sit in it. This had nothing to do with the saddle, unfortunately. I did get on Vinnie and rode him up and down the barn aisle a couple of times.
I need to get out on the trail to really see how it will work out. My first impression is that I might want more twist. I think that there is a bolster to put under the seat for that. I’m also not entirely sure about how one side of the stirrup leathers hang from the bottom of the saddle flap. I understand that it is to help distribute weight, but I like to be able to move my legs as needed. Trail testing on hills is needed. Other than these two points, it was very comfortable, well made and put me in just the right spot. Vinnie moved out as well as could be expected in these limited circumstances. I really like all the choices in colors and leathers. No photos yet, but check back in a few days.
Barefoot Atlanta
This is next on my list to demo. I am being cautious about buying saddles just to try them out. I’ve done enough of that so far, so I appreciate vendors with generous demo programs. I really like the minimal look of the Atlanta, light weight and it looks like it would work for horses with forward girth grooves like mine.
Startrekk
I would also like to try a Startrekk saddle. The problem I have here is simply choosing a model. They all look nice! What I would really like is a Western in brown with border tooling and an Espaniola, maybe the simple brown model for a classic look.
Trekker
I have tried my friend, Romina’s Endurance Pro Original and really liked it. It has more structure than some treeless saddles, a built in spine channel and is quite adjustable. The only thing that I didn’t care for was the height of the pommel. A few times, I ran into it ducking to go under tree limbs. We ride in some pretty thick woods, so that’s a common occurrence even with my small horses. I rode Paisano ten miles in this saddle. We were both comfortable. I also like that it doesn’t need a special pad like some less structured treeless saddles. So this one is on the list.
I’ll have more to say after the weekend when I try the Sensation out on the trails. It’s supposed to clear up on Sunday. Keep sunny thoughts in mind for us!
You horse (or dog or child or husband, friend, co-worker, etc.) can tell on some level whether you are authentic or not. Animals, especially horses, I find, pick up on this much more easily than us humans. They have less layers of societal stuff to get in the way. And they pay far more attention to our real intentions that we sometimes do ourselves. That’s what I find so wonderful about working with them.
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