Black Forest Aspen – first look

Apr 252010
 


I’ve had three rides in this new saddle so far, two on Lily and one on Vinnie. I think that, with some tweaking, it can work. It needs some breaking in and more trials before I can give a full review.

I like the Grandeur pad that I bought with it. I am looking forward to trying a Skito with laminated shims though, as I would like a bit more twist. And it seems to restrict Lily’s shoulders a little more than the Barefoot I tried. I did ride that other saddle with the Skito, so it’s not a fair comparison, until I try it with that pad. The choice of pad is extremely important with most treeless saddles. I’m seeing that more and more.



Sensation Demo

Apr 012010
 

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.