Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mari on September 26, 2010 at 7:36pm

I use a wide tree Lovatt & Ricketts Ellipse, it fits my mare great. My mare's breeder told me I would need to buy a custom saddle and I don't think that's quite true, but it was a long search before I found something suitable.

Permalink Reply by Brenda Gordon on September 28, 2010 at 3:53am

hey thanks for commenting on the fit for the wide backed horse. i haven't seen a lovatt & Ricketts yet but i did find the Borne saddle. Saw one at the Equine Affair along with the Schlesse saddles. for the money i really liked the Borne. The saddle fitter came to my home after the event ended and we tried several for fit. i got to ride the wide tree and think that may be the one for me. it seems the neck is very deep into the back of the horse and if you look at the tracing it appears the horse is A shaped. The horse is not A but a wide U with the sharp rise for the neck, giivng the illusion on a tracing of the A.
i thought the saddle fitter for Borne was the sharpest one i have met yet.

l hope Lovatt Ricketts is on display at the WEG in kentucky, we may find them friday.
Going to see the Freestyle and hope the Spanish horse Fuego XII will be in it.
Talk to you again, thanks for the info and i will check out the brand.

Permalink Reply by Mari on September 28, 2010 at 4:53pm

You're welcome. I never heard of Borne saddles, had a little trouble googling for them -- got a lot of "Born in the Saddle." They sound great, I wouldn't want to pay full price though! I found my L&R used, I didn't want to buy a brand new custom saddle for a growing filly/mare, and don't know if I'll ever spring for a brand new saddle. Very few people I know buy new. It still fits her very well four years later. It has a "hoop" tree, as you described a U instead of an A. I know several people who have Schleeses and the only one who really likes hers is someone whose close friend is a Schleese dealer and she gets a break on the saddle fittings, which seem to be required fairly often and are very expensive.

Have fun at the WEG!! I signed up to be a volunteer last year but as it came closer decided I can't go, too bad for me.

Permalink Reply by Brenda Gordon on September 28, 2010 at 6:29pm

hi again,
i purchased a subscription for a month of FEI TV and have been glued to the tube for the OPENING and ALLTHE DRESSAGE. My husband and i and our friend have been watching almost non-stop, and just maybe now I have had enough.
But the good news is tomorrow we see GP Special, yipeeeee more.
I confess to being more interested in a foreign horse than our home team but we are afterall a world community.

Friday we are going to see the Freestyle, up close and in person.
I had the idea to go to the park (3 hrs drive)last Fri., luckily we called to find out the hours they were open and learned they weren't even open yet. BOY WAS I LUCKY we didn't drive for nothing. Anyway I have my tickets for the event and plenty of gas money.

Borne Saddlery is out of Texas, karen Borne is the owner, she has them made custom order in Wasall, England. i tried to find a used one on ebay with no luck yet. i want it so will be planning my method of payment. Borne phone is 866.254.5853 maybe there is some website problem.

i am hoping to get up close to Fuego on Friday. going to send an email to Senor Cardenas.
he suggested i breed my mares to him and if i can afford it i really hope to do just that.

i will add some pictures,
my best to you
Brenda

Permalink Reply by Mari on September 28, 2010 at 7:23pm

Never heard of FEI TV either, trying to see if I can get it! It's only $80 a year. Good luck w/Senor Cardenas and Fuego, he is stunning. I'd like to someday breed my mare too, she has good Terry breeding. Her g/grandsire is Legionario, and she actually resembles him a lot. She's only half Andalusian, the other 1/2 is Percheron. But she's very balanced and well put together; she looks like an Andalusian on steroids.

Make sure you check out the L&R saddles before you spend all that money on Borne. They're also made in Walsall, and a brand new Ellipse goes for about $2700 or less.

Take lots of pix at the WEG!

Mari

Permalink Reply by mona buchanan on October 5, 2010 at 10:15pm

I am so happy to have stumbled upon his site as i am experiencing the same challenges in finding the right saddle for my andalusian mare. I am located in Halifax Nova Scotia and have limited access to test saddles. So far, I have spent a small fortune and am still searching for that elusive ideal fit. Purchased a WOW saddle from a master saddler at great cost, which sadly never worked. Also tried prestige, passier, wintec,santa cruz, All bridge. I recently rode a well used l&r elipse and loved it but sadly was too wide for Solara. I am on the hunt for a med wide. Till then, I am currently making do with a bates isabel...Not sure the cair is a good thing or not! Our local dressage expert says not. i have heard arguments on both sides.
On another note, my husband and I traveled to Kentucky last week to the WEG. i did not see any lovett and ricketts saddles there, Fooey! Was .hoping there might be some saddle deals there but found everything Very expensive. We watched Fuego's peformances in the team grand prix and the special but missed the freestyle. Wow, was he impressive!!! Brought tears to my eyes. Would love to hear more about how to reach Sr Cardenas re the possibility of breeding next yr. PS, i wonder what saddle fits fuego well?

Permalink Reply by Mari on October 5, 2010 at 11:24pm

I should have mentioned I got my L&R from Cordia Pearson of www.saddlefitter.com. She has been a lifesaver for us, what with follow up questions and needing new thigh blocks, etc.(one of the best things about this brand is you can get different sized blocks, or go without). And I'm talking about years after the purchase. Cordia is a great resource for L&R and other saddles as well. You can fax her a tracing and she will tell you what she has that will work, and she's spot on.

Good luck to all you round horse owners and hang in there with your saddle fitting, it is a challenge but it can be done.

Permalink Reply by mona buchanan on October 7, 2010 at 9:25am

Thank you Mari for this info. I have been in touch with Cordia Pearson and hope to hear back from her today. Brenda has also provided some very helpful info. What a great resource this site is!

Permalink Reply by Mari on October 7, 2010 at 6:24pm

I agree, Mona, I stumbled in here very recently and appreciate all the information but best of all, the civility of the people on the site.

Permalink Reply by janeinthemtns on January 17, 2011 at 2:38am

I am also in a remote area in north central New Mexico.  I have a roping saddle and an Australian saddle ( not too good of a quality), but both bridge.  I have been on the computer all day searching and researching.  I have decided on a Doma Vaquera saddle.  Still looking for the right brand.  I hate the idea of having to buy a new saddle, but he deserves it in all ways.  I am very limited income and can't keep buying saddles!  So many people with Andalusians have the problem with bridging. With a working cattle horse, it is very important to get the fit right.  Please let me know if you found something.

Permalink Reply by mona buchanan on January 20, 2011 at 8:44pm

Hello Jane.........I hear the frustration in your note and can certainly sympathize.  i recently purchased a lovatt and ricketts elipse dressage saddle from Cordia Pearson, the saddlefitter named above.  She was very thorough in her dealings with me.  i sent her tracings and pics and must say that this saddle fits my spanish mare Solara perfectly.  Unfortunately, the twiist is too wide for my comfort and so, I am searching once again for that elusive perfect saddle but regrettably must sell mine first.  The elipse is a dressage saddle, so not what you are looking for.  If you are sure of what you want, I am confident that Cordia can help you out.  Unfortunately though, sales are final unless she has a test saddle that she could send you to try. Just by chance, my husband purchased a barrel racing saddle off of ebay recently for our andy cross and wouldn't you know, it fit solara beautifully.  It is a full bar simco.  Hope this information helps.  Good luck!!

Permalink Reply by janeinthemtns on January 21, 2011 at 2:24pm

Thanks for the information.  After about 100 hours researching I have decided on a Monturas Lucas Doma Vaquera saddle.  It has the traditional reed construction which is flexible and specifically built for the Andalusian broad back, short couple.  He needs his front end freed up to progress.  In the meantime, I am using his mom's saddle pad I got for her when she had a toe crack and lost her top line.  It is thin on the ends and fat in the middle - raises the saddle up just enough so it doesn't rub on his croup.

 

I have been watching Doma Vaquera videos on Utube pretty much nonstop. THis is how my horse goes.  It is really exciting for me because as a child I watched the Spanish Riding School every chance I got.   Doma Vaquera is like dressage in a way, but with a working cow horse.  I have been especially interested in the obvious bond between these Spanish horses and their riders. 

 

One thing I found during research was people who control their Iberian dressage horses with a saddle constricting their shoulders.  They don't want the extra movement without the restriction because then they won't look good.  This is extremely offensive to me.  Maybe there should be some type of inspection of saddle fit.  I can't wait to get Mighty's big shoulders freed up so he can do really good rollbacks. 

 

He has always been able to out walk quarter horses gathering cattle on big ranches.  They jog all day while he does his power walk and covers much more ground.  Now I know why!  He never changes his cadence even when walking through coiled up rattlesnakes in Arizona.  So we never got struck.  Good boy.

 

Glad you found your saddle!

Jane in New Mexico