Saturday, May 7, 2011

Does this saddle make my butt look big?

I was talking to my friend, who is not horsey, about my saddle.

You know someone is a real friend when you can bore them with the details of your saddle and they will actually feign interest! Her hilarious blog is over here, by the way...

I was saying that my new saddle, which is a 15 instead of a 15.5 like my old one, fits now, but I'm currently in my skinny/fit stage. I gain one pound and its all over. The first place every excess ounce heads is my... hindquarters.

She was fascinated that saddles were sized to butts this way, and I proceeded to ramble on about how you can try to size your saddle based on height and weight, that there are charts you can use. I prefer the jeans size method since I figure that's a more accurate measure of my ...hind quarters. 'Cept for wranglers. I can't fit in any size wrangler, since have no waist.

But the problem with my hindquarters is that they are somewhat unstable, if you know what I mean. So I need the yoga pant equivalent in saddles -- elastic cantle and Cheyenne roll, some thing that can stretch to accommodate the occasional chips and salsa binge.

Maybe a woman really needs to have a fat saddle for that one week a month. Or that two month period where all food triples in calorie size. (mmm. egg nog...)



The new saddle (which currently fits my on the lite side butt and is perfect on Smokey's back) is a challenge in another way. I'm sitting in a completely different way. Many endurance saddles have this kind of seat, sort of flat on the horse. I always had barrel saddles which put you nice and deep. I'm getting the hang of it at the walk and trot.

The canter, notsomuch.

My big horn barrel saddle that I will never get rid of.
Fits Lily fine and most QHs... I don't use this saddle pad
with it. Must have been the only one handy...


My Tennessean that fit Cibolo perfectly
and may have fit Smokey. Sold during Rashid Clinic.
Cuz I'm smart that way.

So how about it, endurance riders? What's up with the flat seat anyway? Why is it better on long rides? There must be a reason - endurance riders are the least worried about show and all about go...

8 comments:

Fantastyk Voyager said...

I don't have an answer for you but I do love your new saddle. Gorgeous! So, you have good reason not to gain any weight now.

PS_ Happy Mother's Day!!

Maia said...

I love your posts. This one is a hoot. Your new saddle seems more like an English saddle than a western one. Is this an Australian stock saddle?

Grey Horse Matters said...

I know nothing about western style saddles so I'm no help. But I'd like to wish you a Happy Mother's Day!

Dan and Betty said...

Both Betty and I have endurance saddles (Steele Custom Saddles) and the seats are not particularly flat. So I can't answer your question.

Dan

lytha said...

we don't want to be locked into a position - we like flexibility.

but rambunctious horses make us long for a fixed position saddle!

Wolfie said...

LOL! Listen, if you are only in a 15" saddle, then your butt-inski is small!!! :-) A yoga pant equivalent for a saddle...I would be first in line for it! Your new saddle looks awesome.

Maery Rose said...

Good humor! I have a barrel saddle I use for trail riding and would like to switch to the endurance style mainly because the current saddle constricts my horse's shoulders. But when I sat in one of the Tucker Endurance and Equitation, love the gel seat but I like the way the barrel saddle is deep. Tough to find a saddle that suits both of us.

Fragrant Liar said...

This is an endlessly fascinating subject for me. That old-timey song keeps popping into my head too. You know what I'm talking about? "Backside in the saddle again" . . . or something.