>>> As more people are using the Sensations for longer periods of time or jumping, Dana has had reports of issues developing under the butterfly using free swing for longer ride times/frequent riding on the same horse. ...
I did the hunter lesson thing for 3-4 years, maybe longer - we had a jump course set up at home that we used regularly. My point is that a good rider shouldn't use their stirrups more when they jump than when they do anything else - or at least that's how I've been taught. I don't really care if people use the free-swing option or the hard-use option with their Sensations - that's their choice. But, when a 100-ish-pound rider starts complaining about that flimsy butterfly plate after only a couple of months, I have to ask questions. The questions I ask are: what saddles were used on the horse in his prior life, and how much pressure is the rider putting into their stirrups? >>>>As Karen Thomas mentioned, a lot is dependant on the rider biomechanics. I'm sure it is possible for those of you riding shorter/infrequent times on different horses, with good rider balance to be ok, but those are a lot of variables. Why tempt fate when Dana has done extensive testing on the way it was designed to be used. Kaaren, I don't know who you are talking about riding infrequently, but Cary weighs 240 pounds. Yep, two hundred and forty - over twice what some riders weigh. He's been riding in a Sensation for almost two years and he typically rides 2-3 hours, sometimes less, sometimes more. That's a lot of weight, and he's been doing it in that saddle for over a year and a half. We are PICKY about watching out for Skjoni's back. I am not recommending that people Cary's size ride with free-swinging stirrups...heck, I'm not even recommending that people his size ride in a treeless saddle, but he does, and they have had no problems. (MUCH credit to Cary for finally taking an interest in how he rides.) My point is simply that the stirrup rigging isn't so much of a factor if the rider doesn't jam all their weight in their stirrups. That's not a good habit to have in any saddle, treed or not. My big fear is that people will "throw the baby out with the bath water" and overlook a perfectly good saddle option because of some claims that I'm not sure are valid. I'm sure the Sensations won't be THE answer for ALL riders on ALL horses...but if it works for big old Cary, then I think that's a pretty serious endorsement - for the saddle, AND for taking a few riding lessons. Karen Karen Thomas Wingate, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.16.13/1169 - Release Date: 12/3/2007 10:56 PM IceHorses Community for Photos and Videos: http://kickapps.com/icehorses "The greatest enemy of the truth very often is not the lie- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." ~ Arthur Schopenhauer [] Lee Ziegler http://leeziegler.com [] Liz Graves http://lizgraves.com [] Lee's Book Easy Gaited Horses http://tinyurl.com/7vyjo [] IceHorses Map http://www.frappr.com/IceHorses Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
