This message is from: "Dagrun Aarsten" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi all,
thought I'd let you know how things went with the wide Ascot dressage saddle I got on ebay. Not too well, unfortunately. The saddle is indeed wide, and the width was perfect for Quinn, who has a very round back. However, he also has a short back, and the seat of this saddle was just too long for him. It doesn't go behind the ribcage but it is bridging his back a little. Nothing extreme, but there was clearly less contact in the middle. Sigh...guess the tree width isn't everything, I was so happy to find a "U-shaped" rather than "V-shaped" saddle. It is too big for me, too (18") but I could have lived with that. (After riding bareback for a long time it felt really strange trying to sit in the saddle. Like I was miles above the horse.) Well, we'll try it on Tinn and then maybe on Brigid's fjords, that are bigger, and hopefully we'll find a use for it. Or if not, maybe someone from the list has a big, wide fjord it might fit? With reflocking of the panels it might actually fit almost well, the flocking is very "flat" as it is now. Could be "filled more" in the middle. But I guess that would be spending a lot of money on a cheap saddle that will never fit perfectly so I won't go there. I also got a measurement kit from Thorowgood, it has a flexible gauge and comes with illustrated instructions on how to measure tree width and wither height. So far Quinn seems perfect for an "extra wide, low wither", so maybe I'll give it a try... But this time I'll be careful to get the smallest seat size, it comes in 17 and 17.5 inches and I meant to get the 17.5 but now I think I will choose the 17" instead. Less length of saddle to match to the horse's back, hopefully it still has room for my butt;-). Happy fjording everyone! Dagrun San Jose, Ca
