It's HERE!!!!!

Look what the saddle fairies brought me!!!! Squeeeee!!!!!

Yes, it's the light color. And I don't hate it! In fact, I like it more and more! I went back and forth and considered many factors and bits of advice. I think I made the right decision. It took just over 6 weeks to arrive so not bad!

Junior doesn't really care, but it seems to fit him really well. You can see how much shorter it is front to back than the original model. In so many ways I think it fits me better than any saddle I've ever had. I think we as women (and by we I mean ME) gravitate to bigger saddles because we feel smaller. Like when you're sitting in a committee meeting and you look over at the really large lady who's rear barely fits in the chair and then you become conscious of how much room YOU have between the chair arms and you feel slimmer. Same concept. However, the saddle should fit you. So I had been looking for 16" saddles when a 15" fits just fine and feels more useable.

The seat pocket is deeper than I thought it would be but I found it very comfortable. My lower back was very appreciative of the support as it has been forced into that English saddle for months. I did find posting a little uncomfortable which will help make me use my English saddle more, which is a good thing.

I was terrified when I first saw the "Youth" fenders they put on. I gave them my inseam measurement and I had to trust they knew what they were doing since they obviously know more about fitting their saddles than I do, but they looked more like "Toddler" fenders when I pulled the saddle out of the box. A little adjustment to the length and to the way they were hanging and we had a winner! They're not properly adjusted in the first photo but they're lower than when they came out of the box! Once I got them adjusted they looked a lot more normal and they felt nice and free moving and I felt good contact with Junior's sides. I think having the longer fenders put the wide part of the fender right where I would want to make contact with the horse, not to mention a whole bunch of extra leather wrapped up in the stirrup rigging.

I also noticed that for possibly the first time, I can hold my rein hand where it's supposed to go! With my last 2 saddles it was so difficult to get my hand in front of the horn without either leaning forward or having my arm straight out of the socket. But now it feels right.

Now it's time for a show headstall! I can't decide if I should get a simple headstall amore like the saddle, or a fancier one since the saddle is so understated.

What do you think?

I've only seen C and D in person.

A. is a two-ear with barrels which I don't trust. They always feel flimsy to me.

B. and F. are semi-custom from an Ebay seller. I think she just replaces the hardware on them. F is a two-ear. This one just seems like a lot of silver.

C is in stock at Rod's and looks very nice with the saddle. I do like it, but I wish it were a two-ear, and there's something about the shape of the cheek I'm not sure about. The ear slider is cool and it seems like good quality.

D would have to have the hardware changed out so I don't really want that one after seeing it in person.

E is by far my favorite. It's simple but unique and quite pretty.... but of course isn't in stock yet at Rod's. It's on their website so I saw it an began drooling and squealing, but called and found out it won't be in for 3-5 weeks or who knows how long. I'd have to do at least my first show with a different headstall. And what if I wait and then I don't like it when it comes in?!? I really like it and it reminds me of THIS ONE that I cannot afford from Hobby Horse's new tack line.

Here's a better shot of E and C. Don't assume they're to scale.

The saddle is at my house waiting some conditioning and fender bending. I'm doing some research on that but I'm also going to call the store and check to make sure I have the right plan. I've never had a brand new western saddle before. :)

Please don't judge my scruffy horse. He's FINALLY started the last phase of his shedding and I didn't have much time to get him out into the remaining daylight. And yes, as per usual; I'm riding Wenglish. :)

Saddle Search - Part V - The Order

I ordered a saddle today. In true Overanxious form, I will spend from now until it arrives freaking out that I have made a horrible, horrible mistake. A horrible, horrible custom-ordered mistake. The guy at Rod's was extremely helpful and even shaved a bit off the price for me. He was very helpful, even calling back to confirm the details a second time to make sure.

I ordered the 2736 in a 15" seat. When I rode in the Border Reiner I seemed to have to put the stirrups almost all the way up and couldn't really get the hobbles on. I gave them my inseam measurement and they are giving me the "Youth" fenders instead of the regular ones. Golly I hope they are right about that! I just hope the fender bump isn't at my knee!!!

Color? OH, well I think it's best if I keep that part a secret since it's been the topic of debate. :) You can't wait 8 weeks, can't you?

I will tell you that I consulted a local judge who generously provided me with honest professional advice on the matter. I think I have made the right decision, but I'm still a bit freaked out.

The question is... CAN I keep it a secret?

I doubt Junior can.....

"Hey Chevy, guess what?!?!"

Saddle Search - Part IIII - The Trial

I went to Rod's yesterday to pick up their Rocking R Border Reining Saddle to take home and try. When I got there I noticed that they had a 2736 at the store!!!! Sadly it's a 17" and not the shortened skirt I need, but I was able to get a good look at the tooling and color and I took them both home. I wanted to take advantage of our brief stint of sunlight in this bleak and dreary Ohio Valley springtime. Tip for color matching show clothing/tack: sunlight is the best test. Mostly since most shows are outdoors, but also because fluorescent light makes things look funny so sunlight gives you full spectrum or "true" color. You can see in the photos later how different the outdoor vs. indoor flash vs. indoor no flash photos show the color.

The saddle seemed to fit as well (or better) than anything I've ever had on him and he was calm and stretching/licking/chewing during the brief walk/trot ride. I was thrilled to find that I could hold my rein hand where it's supposed to be. In my other saddles I always felt that the horn was in my way. I guess it truly was! The saddle did not bounce when I posted the trot. Overall I approve the fit for me and for him. And he didn't seem lame at all, as we all expected. Tomorrow he gets back into work so I'll be keeping an eye on it.

So I'm pretty solid on tree(FQHB)/size(15" - Yes,You-Know-Who-You-Are, You were right)/shape(27" skirt), but for color I'm still on the fence. I don't like the color of the darker one in real life, but I know it can darken up with some oiling and after feeling how stiff the leather is on a brand new saddle I will HAVE to condition/soften whatever I get. On the other hand, the light will darken with time/light/conditioning. I kind of feel like the light isn't light enough and the dark isn't dark enough. I guess it's a hue issue.

It seems that the folks who don't show like the dark, and the folks who do show say to get the light. The nice Ginger Cowboy that helped me today thought I'd look less out of place with the light at a trail ride/cowboy challenge than I would trying to do western pleasure in the dark one.

In my mind I don't want the "light" oil because it ends up looking like THIS. But is that just me wanting the color of my hunt saddle? Am I the only one who doesn't like this look? My attraction to dark could also be from my history with Arabs. We liked dark. But is using a darker colored saddle going to be as bad a faux pas as when I had a black hunt saddle? THAT was a poor choice in soooo many ways. Have I not yet learned from that mistake? That being a little "different" just makes you look stupid?

Anyone know if THIS works? Or what advice do you have for keeping light leathers soft but not darkened?

Border Reining Saddle in ??? Chestnut???

See the color of his headstall? I thought this saddle would be that color. I believe it's Circle Y's "Walnut". The reins are Rod's show reins that have been oiled with neatsfoot.

2736 in Light:

Close-up of hand tooling:

My plan is to order on Monday..... gulp!

Saddle Search - Part III

Junior is enjoying his rest. He was up to more shenanigans in turnout this morning and came in with a new cut on his neck... just another one of the countess he's had. I've stopped worrying about those. They heal. No one will ever be able to make boots out of him, that's for sure. He did seem overly cuddly today though, and stood with his head over his gate and let me clip his goat beard off and clean up the outside of his ears and acted like he enjoyed it.

On to the saddle saga...

I am on a path to a saddle. I may yet switch paths, but here's where I think I'm headed....

Rod's carries some Rocking R saddles. They have Steele brand fiberglass reinforced wood trees, and are made in the USA by hand, one at a time, are hand tooled and have stainless steel hardware. When I first was saddle shopping way back in September of '08 I nearly bought one of their training saddles. My trainer had one and loved it. I liked the look and feel of it. The tack salesman highly recommended them. The only reason I decided NOT to buy it was because I was able to purchase a used and MUCH cheaper saddle along with the horse. I was actually under the impression that Rocking R meant Rocking Rod's, I now know better. I personally know two people who have their saddles and love them, our friends over at Cedar View Paints spoke very highly of their Rocking R Reining saddle, and the very cute cowboy I met this morning at Rod's has one that he loves, too.

I am attracted to the different designs they have. I think they make a good looking saddle and those that I have felt and sat in are of very high quality. It's going to be heavier than my current training saddle, but quality sometimes makes it heavier.

I'm essentially ordering a custom saddle through Rod's. Because I need a shorter skirt length, my options are somewhat limited as far as saddles go. I'm not sure yet how short I need to go, but I know that 29" is too long. They can make this saddle shape, which is a 27" skirt and that seems about as short as I can find without being a barrel or gaited saddle:

But in this design/tooling and a suede seat:

And it'll still be a price that's within my budget. I'm waiting to see if they can get the former in stock within a week for me to take home and try since they just added it to their web inventory in the last few days, but don't have any currently in the wearhouse. If they can't get one within the week, I'll take one of their other saddles for a test ride and make a guess on the skirt size. All of their reining saddles and training saddles are with the same tree/seat configuration so if one of those fits us, the one we order should as well.

A few things to consider: Seat Size & Color. I asked the nice fella to take a picture of me in the 15" seat and in the 16" seat. I know that seat size is more about feel than looks, but I'd like some opinions. Can you even tell a difference and which looks better. I thought the 15 felt fine, but so did the 16. I'm leaning towards the 15 because my 16 Circle Y felt huge. I had a bout 4 fingers comfortably between my thigh and cantle on the 16 but could still get 4 fingers in the 15, just touching my thigh.

I suppose I could have smiled or something....

Can you even tell a difference? I'm not sure if I can even remember which was which. I think the 2nd one is the 15.

Next is color. I want to use the saddle for small open shows (maybe a small breed show someday), occasional trail riding, schooling, and Cowboy Challenges. The light is the clear favorite of show saddles in Stock Horse breeds. Will I look like a newb if I have a darker saddle? Should I get the Light (the 2736)? Will I be afraid to "hurt" or stain the light? Or should I get darker?

Thanks to the wonders of photoshop, here's a guess (lighting could be different in each picture so it's a guess) at how they'll look on Junior and with my black outfit...

Again, I like the first one better, but will I look out of place in the show ring with all the light saddles?

They take 6 weeks to make so the sooner I order the better. My first shows are on May 7th and 8th and I'd like to have a few rides in it before then. This means that I need to order it March 12th at the very latest. The sooner the better, but not sooner than I can make an informed decision.

And if I take one home and ride in it and don't like it, well, then we'll head down a different path.

Hobby Horse just launched their own line of show saddles and I'm really excited to see they have two versions without silver corner plates. They call them "understated." Luckily, my big bay roan Overo Paint usually sticks out in a ring really well by himself and I don't need shocking colors or twinkly lights to help the judge remember us.... though sometimes it might be better if they did miss a few things...

Anyway, any thoughts about color, size, the saddle I like, etc.? Pour it on.

Saddle Search - Part II - Updated

Guess what's getting shipped off to Texas tomorrow....

:)

Though the Ebay fees, Papal fees, and increased shipping costs means I'm not getting as much of the purchase price as I'd like, I'm still getting MORE than I was trying to get for it locally. Everyone still wins. Time to go shopping for REALZ.

EDITED TO ADD:

I've shipped two saddles now and there are things that I didn't really consider before doing so. Here is how YOU can avoid what I've just done.... I still did very well on the sale, but comparing the Auction sale price to what I actually MADE is usually a shocking reality.

Ebay FEES: Ebay's fees are constantly going up. Check Ebay's "Final Value Fees" so you are prepared for what they'll charge you. It's a percentage, but there's a cap so currently anything that sells for over $500 will be $50.
Paypal FEES: Paypal is owned by Ebay now so it's highway robbery because they are really charging you twice. There really is no other option for a safe way to send/receive funds, so you suck it up. It's also on a percentage. AND instead of Ebay taking the listing fee and final value fee out of the purchase price itself, Paypal charges you a percentage based on the final value, THEN you have to pay Ebay fees. They certainly have developed a money maker.

Shipping FEES: A little research can tell you how much it will cost to ship. I thought $75 was reasonable and I assumed I'd have to pay a little more if it had to ship far.

• Measure the saddle - I ship horn down, just like you set the saddle if there is not a rack available. The smaller the box the cheaper it ships and the less the saddle jostles around the better.
• If you do not already possess a sturdy box of that size, call the shipper or another box supplier to see what they have. I decided on a 30x20x24 $14 box.
• Weigh the saddle - they say add 2-5 lbs for box/packing.
• Call the shippers and get a quote. You'll need the zip it's going to (pick whatever is furthest away from you), the weight, and the box dimensions.
• Protect the saddle: I removed the stirrups (not the fenders), wrapped the stirrups, mock billets, horn, and the tack in bubble wrap and tape. Encase the saddle in plastic just incase the box gets wet. Put a layer of bubble wrap in the bottom. Pack bubble wrap/air pillows/whatever you've got around the saddle so it stays in place as much as possible. It's the rocking and rubbing that causes damage.
• The final box weighed in at 48lbs. I estimated the saddle itself was about 40lbs using the scientific method of weighing myself then weighing myself holding the saddle and finding the difference. (I swore that thing was 50lbs, but apparently I'm jus a wuss and the 8 lbs difference between that and my training saddle matters a lot.)

All told, the difference between the final value fee and my actual "earnings" was 205.72. This is still nearly $300 more in "earnings" than I was trying to sell it for locally, so everybody wins, I just wish I had charged $100 for shipping, but sometimes numbers like that scare bidders away, so you never know.

I am still pleased and now I can move on to a new saddle!

Saddle Search - Part I

There is a 1/8" to 1/4" of ice coating all of outdoorland right now so there will be no driving to the barn. Instead, I'm working on my saddle search. There are previous musings about this HERE and HERE and in other random posts.

Mission: to replace 2 Western Saddles of very different styles with ONE saddle that can be used for small local open shows, cowboy challenges, and trail riding. Must fit HIM, of course first and foremost, which also means the skirt probably has to measure less than 29" front to back, as the awesome Chiro pointed out my training saddle is too long for his conformation. I want a low horn, moderately deep seat. Not too fancy, but not too plain. Not too expensive, but not a cheapo one. Suede seat and/or fenders preferred. I think the medium to darkish oil will look best on Junior, even though that's not "in" right now. I do have a budget and can't buy anything new until the old ones are sold. I've found that Reining saddles are the closest I'm finding to what I want both visually and in functionality. They are more workmanlike in appearance which I like, but they are close to the equitation seat of the current show saddles.

Right now I have this:

And this:

Which is listed, as of this morning on Ebay because I found a similar but not as fancy saddle without the matching tack that sold for $1,300 and had 22 bids on it, so onto Ebay mine went. If Craigslist isn't helping maybe Ebay will. I sold a saddle on there once and miscalculated the shipping costs so I made very little $ off of the transaction after paying for the box and packing materials. I was avoiding the Ebay for that reason, but if I can get it sold then it's done with, and I am more informed this time.

I initially thought having two saddles would be a huge benefit but after a few years of it I have changed my mind. I don't like showing in a saddle that feels differently than when I'm riding at home - but you don't want to ding up a show saddle so you have to be careful. The show saddle is stiff and wide compared to the work saddle. And I never really fell in love with it. I don't really love the super-fancy contemporary show saddles you see now, either. They look like machines or medieval furniture or something. Example 1, Example 2. I used to drool over them, but now they look COLD and hard to me, I guess.

Here are some of the prospects I've mulled over:

This one is at a local tack store called Keith's, and as much as it has almost the perfect look I want, the skirt's too long and too expensive. It's a Billy Cook 16" reiner. Even with the trade-in they'd give me on my show saddle I'd still be over budget. It's a nice saddle. Good color, good amount of silver and tooling, very pretty and not too masculine for me, but not too feminine either.

This one is at the same store in their small Used section.

I think it's sort of hideous. It's a used Rockin' R Reining saddle and it's a 15". I sat in it and it felt kind of small but my 16" show saddle feels too big. Maybe I really do need a 15.5, but they are all different between brands. This one has a 26" skirt. It has about the right amount of silver but it's too light, basket weave and I am not a fan. I hope this does not end up to be my best option.

This one is at Rod's, but I haven't yet gotten over there to ask if they do trade-ins and to measure the skirt. It's also a Rockin' R brand. I've heard very good things about the brand for the price range. I actually like the look of it. There is a very similar one HERE that has the addition of some floral tooling accents. I even like that one better. The one at Rod's might be a teense too masculine, but at least it's not barbed-wire tooling like THIS ONE.



They also carry this one. It's a lot like the ugly Rockin R with more silver. The only thing about it I like is that it's a Silver Royal, the same manufacturer as my training saddle which I find comfortable, but this one is 27" in the skirt. It IS a show saddle, but it's still pretty basic and I like that it has rough out seat, jockey and fenders. This one is quite affordable if I order it from somewhere rather than buying it at Rods. I WOULD like higher quality than this.
I was looking at other ones of this manufacturer since I don't dislike my Royal King. Other than the above, the only thing they have that is close to what I want is also FUGLY and probably too big:

How can a company that makes such a contemporary looking training saddle NOT make the same style for pleasure/reining and instead make something that looks like THAT!?!?

I know the best option is always to get a good quality used saddle instead of buying new, but with something as pricey as a saddle I'd hate to get screwed on Ebay - yet here I am trying to be an honest seller of my own saddle on there!

I don't know where all the used saddles go in this town. There were only a small handful at Keith's, and I only have seen one or two at Rods.

Anyway, that's where I am now. The search continues...

Anybody want to buy a saddle? Or two? :)

Saddle Musings

As you know, I am thinking about saddles lately. I am considering replacing my western saddle(s). I have never fallen in love with my show saddle, and I have an inkling that my training saddle does not fit the best. It's not a violent ill fitting or I would be having increased issues with him and not have had the good positive growth we've had over the past (nearly) 2 years. Once I move to the new barn in a month I am going to have their chiro take a look at Junior and our saddles. I'm not riding much in the mean time due to my foot and if we've lasted this long in a less-than-ideal saddle fit I doubt we're in any immediate danger. I LIKE my training saddle. It's comfortable, not too heavy, and I don't have to worry about keeping it in any sort of pristine condition. I can set it down, toss it around, bump into doors, let the cats sit on it, let the rain hit it on the way to the arena, you name it. I LOVE that about the saddle and it makes me hesitant to get that pretty fancy one from my last post. On the other hand, I know perfectly well that Junior is not a western pleasure horse. If anything he's a hunter under saddle and maybe even a dressage horse. I mean, come on, we've spent the last two years riding in western tack, trying to get him to slow and collect and he's still not placing well in the western and yet we toss English tack on at a show and come home with ribbons. Clearly he is better suited to English. I also know that I really ought to be riding in an English saddle more often. It's harder. It works more muscles. It takes better balance. I know this, and now that I have my balance and seat at a much better place than when I got back into riding 3 years ago and I should stop using that western saddle as a crutch. I needed that deep seat, that high swell, and that rough-out leather. I don't NEED that anymore. It makes it too easy. And yes, I can do it the easy way if I want to, but it won't make me a better horsemaster. Western saddles were developed to make it easier to spend long hours in a saddle, easier to stay in the tack during quick maneuvers. But I think of that as something to earn. Hard work in the saddle earns you an easier ride. It's why pony rides and trail strings (at least in the USA) use western saddle, and why so many of those weird (sorry) weekend people who never ride except on multi-day trail rides on weekends while drinking beer use them: they're harder to fall out of. It's why they call what I have a "training saddle" it's supposed to be for training. It's rough out so it's stickier. But I never have had a use for all those giant dees.

I guess I'll see what the chiro/saddle fitter has to say and go from there. It might all be in my head, or it might be a chiro issue but NOT a fit issue.

The only thing I'm NOT ready for with riding English more is that it makes my feet hurt. The bottoms of my feet go numb where they sit in the stirrups. Any ideas on how to fix that? Offset or flexible irons perhaps?

I took my fall and winter blankets to the laundromat today and now they're drying on my patio. For the first time I used this spinner machine they have to "cut drying time in half" and WOW they were SO much drier afterwards. TOTALLY worth the extra $1. I also used Schneider's Blanket Wash for the first time and I am VERY pleased with how clean the blankets look/feel and how they did NOT smell like wet blankets afterwards, even when I left them wet in the car and went in to the grocery store in 80 degree weather!

Once they're thoroughly dry they'll be put into those giant zip lock bags (I use them like space bags) and stored for next winter.

New Saddle!

I bought a western show saddle! It's a 1992 Circle Y and it came with a matching breast collar and headstall. I got a very good deal on it and it's in REALLY good shape. It fits him pretty well. Of course, when it's show time I'll get better pictures of him all cleaned up with it on, but there it is! I rode in it tonight and KAT said it looks good. It came with a matching headstall and breast collar, too.

He was kind of a brat during the ride, but it was 60 degrees out and I think he's REALLY tired of not being able to get outside much. It is SO muddy though. It was warm enough to leave his blanket off tonight and I know he's going to roll roll roll and be covered in bedding tomorrow. I'm hoping to get out there by 2:30 or so, so I should be able to have the arena mostly to myself for a good long concentrated ride.