New Saddle Report

I'm not quite sure what to make of the new saddle; neither was Jetta, I'm sure! This is a used Ortho-flex I purchased on the weekend---much cheaper than you'd normally find one. I made a couple of modifications this afternoon and took Jetta out to Dog Valley to see how she took to it.

I removed the stirrup leathers that came with it; I think they are quite nice dressage leathers with half inch holes and super supple leather, but they aren't original to this saddle. I added my wider endurance leathers with sheepskin covers and endurance stirrups. Then I added a sheepskin seat cover. That definitely helped me feel like the saddle isn't quite so big. (I think I could be happier with a slightly smaller seat.) I also used my usual Wintec dressage girth which was a better fit on Jetta.

Now you must remember, I am used to a treeless saddle---either the Black Forest Shasta I ride Keno in, or the Bandos Trail saddle I usually ride Jetta in. The Bandos is cushy, cushy, cushy, so my tushy was in for quite a shock in this Ortho-flex even with its padded stitch-down seat! I felt like I was riding on one of those plastic horses you can put a quarter in at Walmart. That's how stiff and hard this saddle felt. And it is extremely squeaky! Quiet if I two-point, but noisy if I'm sitting in it! After a couple of miles I started to get accustomed to the feel and I was not uncomfortable at all. It just felt very hard under me. I'm used to feeling my horse's every move with the treeless.

Jetta also had a little learning curve with this saddle. She was unhappy for the first couple of miles and at one point when I asked her to canter, she actually offered to BUCK! She finally went cantering along with pinned ears and a hollow back. Hmmmm. Not what I expected! We continued at the trot for a couple more miles and did a few transitions. She began to blow and relax a little and then she began to lower her head and use her topline a bit. And a bit more. That was a wow moment. Jetta was really forward and fast like always, but she was actually reaching forward for the contact (in the bitless bridle, no less) and she rounded her back voluntarily. She has just had three sessions of bodywork, so maybe her back is just feeling better. OR maybe she was getting used to the feel of this almighty squeaky saddle and perhaps she found it not uncomfortable after all.

We continued down the trail for another few miles. Jetta traveled easily downhill at the walk, too. We did some more trot work, even working on some leg-yielding at the trot. That was a new thing for her and she accepted it easily. I asked her to canter again and she was smooth and easy.

So. The conclusion: only time will tell. Jetta and I will use this saddle again on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday and see what happens. I hope it works for us. I need to know she can do 25 miles comfortably so I can take her to Moab at the end of the month! Check out the video I took somewhere in the last mile or so of our ride.