>>> How did you get the saddle to fit yout horse while she was building muscle?
I spent a lot of time being depressed. Seriously, the Wintec wide (red) gullet didn't seem so bad at first, but when I called the saddle fitter out, she told me she needed at least an x-wide - Sina was getting "balky" by that time, and pacier. She also told me that I was probably going to need a treeless saddle - I look back and am so impressed that she saw that and said it, because five years ago, there weren't nearly so many treeless options. So, we went from the red gullet to the white one - with a noticeable and immediate improvement. A couple of months later, though, we were back to the same situation. I had my farrier stretch the white gullet - not recommended by Wintec, and it will void the warranty of the saddle, but when you're desperate...I also started thinking about treeless saddles. I was able to try a Torsion and it was ok but I couldn't get excited about it. So, I bought a well-used (read: virtually worn out!) Bob Marshall off ebay. It was a godsend - but the seat had developed a lump in it on the person side, but I could tell I liked the treeless feel. So, I bit the bullet and ordered a new BMSS endurance model...and being an instant-gratification kind of person, I told her I'd take the 14.5" seat that she happened to have in stock. It was great! But, I was squeezed into the seat, and the next five pounds sort of pushed the limit. I ordered my Sensation sometime after I got the BMSS, but while I was waiting for it (it took nine months back then!) I got impatient and asked for three Duett saddles for trial. The Encore dressage model was a great fit in the 36 cm size, so I kept it. I had options! A few months later the Sensation arrived...and good thing, because I suspected by then that even the 36 cm Duett was getting snug for Sina! BTW, when Sina came out of maternity leave, six months of nursing a foal had her as thin as I'd ever seen her - probably an ideal weight for her. I sat the Duett on her back, and honestly, it was a little snug even then. I think these horses continue to widen and mature through the shoulders and withers until they are at least 8-9 years old. Thank God for treeless saddles! I have since upgraded my BMSS to a 15 in seat. One warning about the BMSS. I don't think the seat sizes above 15.5-16" work for many Icelandics - in fact, even this 15" seat is a tight fit on many, because they are so long. I don't ride in the BMSS too often, but I like having it here. I still have that Duett too, but I don't use it often - it's probably been a year since it's been on a horse. And, during this time, I bought and sold a LOT of used saddles on ebay. I must have bought and sold 25-30 saddles during the past 5 years, no lie. Luckily, I figured out some prime times to sell saddles on ebay, and I figured out the "market value" of used saddles, so I didn't lose too much money, but it was a pain to go through. But, just think what I wouldn't have learned had I been handed a Sensation the day I bought Sina! :) Karen Thomas, NC -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.3/642 - Release Date: 1/20/2007 10:31 PM
