Trumbull Mountain Tack Shop

Are You Willing To Experience The “Yikes” Zone?

Jay McGarry — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:27:48 +0000

By its very nature, the comfort zone is an easy place to be, but, does that comfort allow you to grow? Sometimes we need to be put or put ourselves in the “Yikes” zone. I’m not talking jumping off a cliff but more like scaring yourself just a bit. Some of us get so complacent that it is hard to switch gears whether it is socially, athletically or intellectually.

My son Brady’s progress with Hammie made me think about this subject. His blog on this same subject will be from his perspective. Hammie was and is a very challenging ride. Brady, used to Punky’s antics, was game to get out of his comfort zone and into “Yikes” zone which was and is a common occurrence. Yet, watching them jump so well the other day reminded me of how you need to push yourself to learn and try new ways and things. It can be as simple as trying something different like a new exercise that your trainer suggests, or a new position, a bigger jump and so on.

My ski teaching experience showed me how rewarding it was to push someone enough to get them out of their habitual muscle memory and push just enough to experience and then learn something new. An expert trail versus an intermediate trail is an example. Moving from the Novice level in eventing to Training is another. It may take a big of cajoling but the growth is undeniable. Do you find yourself doing the same ineffectual programmed response time and time again or are you willing to push yourself to experience new growth?

Recently, I have begun to notice how many people have those same traits in trying saddles. They want to fit their horse but they also want the same type saddle they have always had. The problem can be that the same saddle may be the reason why they are shopping for a new one in the first place. A sleek French style close contact/jump saddle such one with foam panels that is non gusseted in a medium width that you have “padded up” forever, may not be the style suitable for a different horse. Some horses do far better in a saddle that has more adjustability or they may need a differently shaped panel altogether or, heaven forbid, a gusseted one!

Another example might be the petite person on the ungodly wide horse. The very wide horse often requires a tree with an appropriately wide width. (We see some horses whose tracings resemble the Arch D ‘Triomphe!) That can mean that the twist of the saddle is wider than might be comfortable for the rider. Some saddles certainly have a wider feel than others in comparable widths but that person might also consider a monoflap saddle. Some customers are reluctant, particularly if the saddle has a less conventional look. My suggestion is to try and see. You might be pleasantly surprised.

The willingness to experience new things is what promotes growth in ourselves and the world around us! It can be beneficial to open one’s mind to new things and experiences. Don’t be afraid of a little “Yikes” sometimes!

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Brady’s Blog April ’12

Brady — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:53:25 +0000

“Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down.” , said Ray Bradbury. Little did he know how right he was especially with Hamster and me. I jumped off a cliff choosing to go through with the idea of riding Hamster and I am building the wings. These past few days it has seemed that instead of me building the wings alone we are working on each wing together. If you want to get better, Hamster and I have a solution, it’s called ride and worry about falling off later. I love the gallop; that way my worries can’t keep up. What I have found is you need to get out of your comfort zone to get better at whatever you do.

Take for example the last lesson we had. My trainer said it was the best lesson we ever had. Hamster was listening for a change and I was nervous to change my riding style at first but it was worth it in the end. I used to ride Punky very defensively because there was always the imminent threat of being bucked off or him stopping. If I ride Hamster that way, HE gets defensive and angry. I have changed my riding position to jumps from a two point to a sit back and balance and then fold over the jumps. I’m also riding Hammie with contact as opposed to how I used to ride Punky which was with significantly reduced contact. It really couldn’t be called contact. When I ride with more contact, I have to be more conscious of folding or I will catch Hamster in the mouth. Hammie is jumping a lot better and bigger as a result of my folding, releasing, my better contact and balance; the whole package.

Jumps that used to be daunting or ones that we weren’t sure we were ready for now seem easier because Hamster is much more willing. I have gone out of my comfort zone because I wanted to push myself. Now what seemed challenging seems easier than ever before and the result being a horse that will jump more willingly and that makes me feel great.

If you want to improve, try something new or more challenging instead of doing the same thing that you are comfortable with. Try something you’re not exactly sure of. A common saying is, “Shoot for the starts, even if you miss, you’ll land on the moon”. If you can’t bring yourself to do it, keep trying until you can because you will never know your limits until you push them.

(Please excuse the blurry photos taken with my phone. I did try to get better ones but failed at timing!)

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Planning Ahead

Kitt Hazelton — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:11:07 +0000

Now that the days are getting longer, the weather’s warming up and the footing’s drying out here in the Great White North (which really wasn’t too white this year), everyone’s thoughts are turning to getting more time in the saddle. For some folks, it’s about gearing up for the competition season; for some, it’s about long, wandering trail rides, and for some, it’s a little of both. Whatever your focus, you may also be noticing that your saddle doesn’t seem to be fitting quite as well now as it did in the fall, and wondering if you ought to call your saddle fitter to have it checked and adjusted if necessary. And if you ARE thinking about that, my advice to you is: do it – don’t wait.

One of the calls a saddle fitter really doesn’t like to get is this: “Hi, you checked the fit of my saddle last year, and it was great then, but a couple weeks ago, I noticed a little balance issue. I’ve been using a shim pad and that makes it ok, but I have a show/clinic/ride coming up this coming weekend, so I thought I ought to have you check my saddle.”

Now, just WHY do fitters have “issues” with this seemingly straightforward, innocuous call? A couple reasons. First, many fitters (especially those who travel barn-to-barn) book appointments weeks – and sometimes months – in advance, and may not be able to accommodate you on such short notice. If that’s the case, you’ll either have to wait and continue riding with the shim pad, or see if you can find another fitter who can do the adjustment.

Second, sometimes an adjustment may not be as effective as the first ride made it seem. There are cases when the fitter may adjust something a little too much or not quite enough – I’ve done it, and so has every fitter I know. This may not make itself manifest until the saddle’s been ridden in for a few hours. If you have the adjustment done shortly before a competition or clinic, your horse may wind up cranky and uncomfortable and unable to perform well. That’s a losing proposition all the way around: your horse is hurting, and since s/he is too distracted by saddle issues to make the endeavor worthwhile, you’ve basically wasted not only money, but time and effort as well. Your horse may wind up back-sore from the experience and need some time off to heal … and that puts a dent in your riding and training schedule.

Your best course of action is to plan ahead. Rather than waiting until you’re in a crunch to have your saddle adjusted, be proactive. A lot of my customers have me come on a regular basis – along the same lines as scheduling your horse’s spring shots or farrier work. Having a fitter regularly monitor your horse’s fitting needs is a great way to correct minor concerns before they might be noticeable to you, and can keep a small glitch from becoming a major problem.

Of course, sometimes fitting issues pop up unexpectedly – a young horse may suddenly pop a wither, or your old campaigner may develop an asymmetry due to age and soundness issues. If this is the case, please don’t put off calling your fitter. Saddle fit issues not only make your horse (and you) miserable – they can result in vet and chiropractor bills as well as lost riding and training time. The sooner you can have the issue corrected, the better.

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I Scared!!

Nancy Okun — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:17:22 +0000

We all experience fear. Some of it is reality based … other fears are psychological … but both get your adrenalin pumping and your flight response ignited. When you’re on the back of a thousand pound animal and either one of you is scared out of your wits you can almost feel the energy charging through his body…. zinging into yours and back into his.

Not a pretty picture.

For many years I lived with neighbors who loved to terrorize me. It’s a long and terrible story……but suffice to say that when I rode my mare they came after me on 4 wheelers and cars and actually shot guns off in rapid fire when we passed by. I lived alone and I was so frightened that I eventually stopped riding in my own neighborhood. (Thank God my house sold and I moved!!) However, they left me with a very strong and uncontrollable fear of the sound of ATV’s and gun shots.

I’m a trail rider and it’s inevitable that I WILL encounter cars, ATV’s and gun shots…….but I realize that my reaction to those things make my horse even more frightened than he would normally be. I stop breathing. I get stiff. I grip my reins. Reilly, understandably, wants to run for the hills! I’m lucky he’s such a good guy and will come back to earth pretty quickly. Let’s face it…….training rides can be an adventure! Just this past weekend we encountered dirt bikes, men with chain saws, trail runners, mountain bikes, and an excavator all on one trial ride and lived to tell the tale!!!

However……when we’re in the woods and fields around my new home on quiet evening rides I see tons of deer. The other night I counted a herd of 15 beautiful deer running across the path in front of us. I said out loud……”Oh God, aren’t they beautiful…..look at them Reilly……Wow”. I felt my body relaxed and melting. Reilly looked with great interest but didn’t move a muscle. Once he was satisfied they all passed by we continued our ride. I am NOT afraid of the deer and as a result neither is Reilly. I’m not saying he won’t startle when one pops out from nowhere…..that’s spooking for a reason………that’s not out of control fear.

So………I asked myself……is it possible to pretend that ATV’s are deer and react to them in a more positive way?

Or is that asking too much of myself without hours, or maybe years, of therapy? Just last night we had a good “test run” of my theory. Trotting down the trail I saw an ATV parked without a driver. Maybe out of gas….who knew……but I relaxed and calmly talked to him about the ATV and we walked past without incident. Okay…….that’s all well and good without noise and movement! But now I’m bound and determined to test my theory on a moving 4 wheeler.

I’d appreciate any advice from our readers and hopefully I’ll be able to tell you how my fear experiment works next month!!

Happy and Safe Trails!!

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Fitting Saddles Over The Internet

Jay McGarry — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:59:30 +0000

Often, we are asked how we are able to fit saddles from a distance over the phone or through the Internet. How can that possibly be effective you ask? Yes, we do get several people that trailer their horses to the indoor below the shop and sit in and then try the saddles on their horses while riding in front of our assessing eyes. Of course, that is the ideal scenario, but there are many cumulative years of experience in the shop and through years of refining the process, we have become quite successful at pairing saddles with riders. Let me explain the process and how we figure things out and what we take into consideration.

All of us have written about the process to some extent and posted about the different variables in fitting saddles but let me break it down by steps. We ask for a wither/back tracing. We only ask for three markings. Practice has helped us to read the shapes of the tracings so that an idea starts to formulate in our minds. Photos further substantiate the emerging idea and also to confirm or deny whether the tracings were done accurately. Most of the tracings are close enough and if you leave the tape or chalk lines on the horse and take a photo, we get an even better idea of accuracy. I must say we have gotten some interesting tracings such as the tracing that came with two perfectly straight lines. The caption read, “This is where I sit”. That one wasn’t so helpful!

We understand the effort involved and that it may not be what you had in mind. However, in the long run, the effort you put in really narrows down the suggestions and weeds out the unsuitable choices. Some of you have come to us because of our knowledge and reputation for being able to fit challenging horses. Horses that are not cookie cutter types may require some trial and error as this is not a perfect science. Yet, when you call us up and we send a saddle based on just a conversation, that saddle may come back and is often followed up with tracings, photos and a saddle based on that information. The “assessment photos” of a trial saddle and the rider/trainer observations will give us the necessary info to make another suggestion if necessary.

To get back to the process; the tracings come in. We take the tracing templates from the various saddle manufacturers and place them on the tracing of the wither, (the number one in our directions). These are usually cardboard or leather forms sized into a shape such as a triangle and marked with medium, medium wide and so on. We look to see what corresponds best between template and tracing. We look not only at the wither, but at the shoulder area, the number two or lowest part of the back and the topline. Frequently, we hear, “My horse is a narrow”. While the actual top of the wither may be narrow, often, the shoulder is not. We try to look at the sum of the parts and not just the pieces and parts.

Once we have determined the tree width or narrowed it down, we decide whether the wither is broad and dome shaped, (which might suggest a hoop or freedom tree), or whether it is A shaped and angular. If that is the case, the horse may need support on the rib cage such as with a “K” panel, trapezius panel or a dropped panel. Those panels allow for the mouth of the saddle to accommodate the wither, while allowing the saddle to give the shoulders the required space and still clear the wither with adequate room. Case in point; my youngest Thoroughbred needed the aforementioned support. However, when I picked what I thought would be appropriate, he was most unhappy bending, especially at the canter. I think the saddle impinged on his wither from the side when he was bending on a circle and needed more space and support. He was much happier in one size larger. Some horses are very stoic and will not provide you with a lot of feedback while some, yup, mine, will say , “You can’t be serious, I couldn’t possibly do that”. Actually, my son’s horse Hammie is even worse. He will just stand still or buck. If you do have a stoic horse, then we really need to rely on photos. In a perfect world, according to the “Master Saddle Fitters”, a horse’s gait shouldn’t change from more than ten percent while under saddle.

Next, we look at the shoulder some more to make sure we have picked the correct width and then we look at the topline and shape of the lowest point of the back. That helps us determine the shape of the panel that would best suit the horse longitudinally as well as horizontally. Some horses are very table backed and are like riding on a couch. Those of you that know Punky can understand that shape. The others may have a horse that is very roof backed. When you look at the panels from the back, you can see the orientation and relate them to the tracings and/or photos. The longitudinal shape will let us know if we need a very flat panel or one with a curve. Sometimes, a horse may be croup high or very uphill. That may mean that the horse may need a thinner rear gusset, (the back end of the panel), or a thicker one to balance the saddle. Ultimately, we are trying to achieve a level spot where the rider will sit.

The other thing we look at in the tracings is the T 18 markings, (the last rib). Those markings, along with the photo help us determine if the horse must have a shorter length panel so as not to extend beyond the area on the horse’s back where there is no skeletal support. Some horses are very short backed and some have plenty of room.

The questionnaire on our site provides us more information. We take into consideration what your price range is, what your height and weight are, your discipline, what you have liked and don’t like, etc. It helps us to know if you like large blocks, exterior blocks, deep or shallow seats and what twist appeals to you. Some tricky issues can be the larger rider with a short-backed horse or a horse that has certain specific needs that require a specific panel or flocking within a small budget. The very wide horse may require a saddle with a bit wider twist. We try to create a happy marriage between the horse and rider relative to the saddle. The saddle has to fit the horse, but if the rider is not comfortable the outcome is compromised. With all that in mind, we create a list of possible saddles that are available for trial at that point in time and discuss the options.

Once a saddle or saddles have been agreed on, we ship them out. We encourage the rider to take “assessment photos” of the saddle girthed up with a basic saddle pad so that we can check the balance and shape of the panels relative to the horse and rider. We look to see if the rear panels rest nicely and follow the horse’s shape. We like to see that there is adequate clearance in the front by the wither but not impinging on the shoulder. Ideally, the saddle should make contact with much of the back so as not to concentrate the pressure onto smaller areas. Even if you don’t think the saddle works, the photos frequently help us move forward by giving us more information and a visual record.

We encourage the rider to make us of the trial period, taking lessons if possible and getting a very good feel for the saddle. We are one of the few companies that offer a trial policy where you don’t have to wrap your leathers and that allows you to get a great feel for the saddle. We listen to anecdotal evidence of the ride and ideally, the rider has made note of what works and what doesn’t if that is the case. Then we discuss how the saddle worked and if we need to tweak a few things.

If you have a local reputable saddle fitter and choose to engage their opinion that can be reassuring to you. Occasionally, unqualified or less knowledgeable people offer their opinions on fit which can be unfortunate. That is why we strongly suggest sending us photos even if your best friend or riding buddy thinks the saddle doesn’t fit. They may be right but we like to make sure and work from there. Moreover, if the saddle fits great but it needs a little more forward flap, the photo is helpful because we often send the photo with an order to the saddle company. If you try a saddle and it works, we encourage you to keep that saddle since new ones may need some break in time.

We do saddle orders quite a bit but we are reluctant to order a saddle if you haven’t tried the closest or the same saddle. The different saddle companies have different time frames for manufacturing the saddles and often, the new saddles will need some time for the flocking to settle. We are happy to customize the saddle but the more one customizes the saddle, there may be a restock charge or a “no give back” policy depending on the degree of uniqueness.

We would love to get it right on the first try and often we do, but we appreciate the effort that many of you put in to finding the right saddle. There was a time not that long ago when everyone just bought a saddle in a medium or average fit and made it work with multiple pads or not, at the horse’s expense. Isn’t it wonderful how far we have come so that we can reward our horses with a good fitting saddle when they work so hard for us?

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Brady’s Blog March ’12

Jay McGarry — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:32:53 +0000

What’s in a name? I’ve been thinking that I want to make Hammie’s show name more interesting. He came to me as Hamilton, aka, Hammie and when I did my only show with him at GMHA camp last year I entered him as “The Hamster”. This year I plan to show more if all goes well and I want a show name.

When we got Punky at age two, he didn’t have another name so we gave him the show name of “Frost on The Punkin’” which was perfect since he is a chestnut Pinto. Well, Hammie is dappled gray at the moment and I want to call him “Silver Mist”. My mom says we need to see if the name is taken first, not that it is impossible to have the same name but she wants to check. I mean, it’s not like we are going to the Olympics or something like that. What do you think?

Things have been going well. Our ring is dried out and now that my broken thumb has healed I am able to get going more with him. We were trail riding a lot and now we can work on other stuff like circles, cantering and so on. I’m starting to remember some of the stuff I learned last year and what Sue has taught me, though it is hard to forget with my mom constantly reminding me. Soon I’ll be going over for lessons and I’ll start jumping again this week.

When I first got Hammie last spring we didn’t think we were going to keep him because he had so many issues. Don’t get me wrong; he still has opinions in a big way, but it is a piece of cake to get the bridle on and he is fun and funny at the same time. I think we made a good decision.

Let’s Hear From You

Kitt Hazelton — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:22:21 +0000

At Trumbull Mountain Tack Shop, we’ve always made customer service our first priority. We don’t just want to sell you a saddle – we want to help you find the right saddle, one that makes you and your horse comfortable and happy and allows you both to perform at your absolute best, and we want to make the process as pleasant (or at least as painless!) as possible. Since saddles aren’t a stretchy-pants, “one size fits all” kind of thing, finding that “right” saddle means we need to know as much as possible about both of you: your present discipline and level, and what your goals are; any riding or training issues you’re encountering, what you like and what you don’t. We can then pinpoint which saddle(s) best fill those requirements and are most likely to suit you and your horse.

So along that same vein, I’d like to be able to tailor the newsletter articles I write to the subjects that you find interesting. There are dozens and dozens of issues relating to saddle fit and how it ties in with riding and training and performance issues. I could geek on forever about tree shape, saddle design and construction; I could discuss fitting issues specific to different conformations and the saddle features that address each; I could wax philosophical about different schools of thought and fitting theories and flocking and panel types and never lose interest.

However, this really isn’t about me … and I’d hate to think that people found my articles the perfect cure for occasional insomnia.

So I’m interested in what interests you. Whatever you’re wondering about, whatever your questions are, I’d really like to know. Your questions can be specific: “How does the fit of my dressage saddle affect my horse’s ability to bend?” or “What are the key things to consider when choosing an endurance saddle?” They can be general: “What are the different types of English saddles?” or “Which saddle is best for the type of riding I do?” They can be breed or discipline specific: “Now that I’m getting ready to compete Prelim in eventing, should I have different saddles for cross-country and stadium jumping?” or “What fitting features are best for a typically short-backed Arab with a very well-sprung rib cage?” They can be about a specific fitting feature: “What is the purpose of a K panel?” or about the pros and cons of wool vs. foam panels, or the difference between a hoop tree and a regular tree. They can be about saddle fit for the horse or rider, about saddle design or construction, about the affect the saddle has on any facet of training or performance … pretty much about anything saddle-related. The only requirement is that they be of interest to you.

You can send your questions to me through the comments feature here on the web site, or to my e-mail: kitt@trumbullmtn.com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

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Ground Tying

Nancy Okun — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:21:30 +0000

Just recently a friend of mine asked me how I trained my mare Rianon to ground tie so well. She said she always looked on with envy whenever I had Rianon here at the farm and I would tack her up in the aisle without the use of cross ties. Rianon just stood there with her usual grace and patience while I groomed her and tacked up. This woman has a bit of a rambunctious horse who just can’t stand still. I thought long and hard and told her my ground tie training was born of necessity. My horses have always been home with me and I’ve never had a “real” barn with an alley way with cross ties. And, if the truth be told I get a very strange claustrophobic feeling when I see a horse cross tied. I have no idea why and I’m not dissing the practice. I just can’t get over that feeling for some reason.

For many years I just had a run-in shed with hay storage and my trailer served as my tack room. So, when I wanted to groom my horse and get ready to ride I loosely looped her lead ropes though a ring on the side of the shed. After a while I realized when the lead rope came loose Rianon just stayed put. I guess that was step one. She was in the turnout so even if she did walk away she was contained. After years of doing this it became second nature for both of us that when I dropped her lead on the ground that meant stand and stay. It wasn’t anything I was consciously training her to do….it just became our “way” out of necessity. I can’t tell you how many times this has been a life saver on trail rides and camping.

Now I have a lovely space for my horses, but the building also doubles as our garage……so again I don’t have walls on both sides of my alley way. What I did (again because of my aversion to cross ties) was hang a lead rope from the rafters above. With Reilly I dropped his lead rope on the ground and also tied him overhead. At first he turned around to see what was behind him and attempted to go back into his stall….but again….in a safe environment that was okay. I gently corrected him and made him stand facing forward. It didn’t take long for him to get the picture. Treats come from that direction. Hay and grain come from that direction. So does Mom. So does the saddle. So does that soft grooming brush I like so much. One day I decided to see if he would stay put without the overhead rope. I just dropped the lead and went to get my grooming box. I turned round to see Reilly with the overhead lead rope in his mouth as if to say “Did you forget something?”

I started just ground tying him when we’d get back from a long ride so he’d be a bit (a BIT) tired and also looking for a treat. He’s not perfect yet……but I’m really happy with the amount of time I can leave him ground tied without any feet moving. It also makes me happy that if he does move…..he moves slowly towards me…..not away.

Last weekend I was on a trail ride with a friend and I heard Reilly’s shoe clang. I knew he had one loose nail, but it was a beautiful day and I had my EZ boot with me. I jumped off to find the shoe was pretty loose. He stood still with his reins tossed over my shoulder while I examined the damage. I had to bend back the clip on his shoe with my “all in one” tool so I could comfortably lead him over to a driveway. My friend and I took turns working on getting the shoe off with Reilly standing perfectly still. After about 20 minutes we realized this was just not going to happen without better tools. She left me with both horses and knocked on the door of a lovely country home. The universe was watching over me because this wonderful guy came out and said “I used to drive Morgans years ago, I can help you”. He knew enough to look at Reilly’s eye before he picked up his foot and said “Nice eye, nice horse”….and then he gently pried and pulled and got the shoe off with hardly any damage to his foot. That had to take another 20 minutes with Reilly standing calmly on the side of the road with his mouth occasionally resting on my shoulder. I couldn’t have been prouder of my young horse!! I put the boot on and we trotted off!!! The next day I left a thank you card and a bottle of maple syrup in the kind man’s mail box.

There are so many times I’m on a training ride alone and need to get off to cut down a tree branch or move brush, tighten a girth, adjust a pad or answer nature’s call and to have a horse who understands how to ground tie is a gift I am always grateful for.

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Brady’s Blog Feb ’12

Brady — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:44:08 +0000

Hamster and I have just started up again, riding after my broken thumb, which now just has a splint on it rather than a cast. He was tense today, but he relaxed whenever I talked with him. A sampling, “Okay Hamster…no, don’t nibble that…not that either. Yes walk. I mean it. Please walk”.

I feel like my hands are good but my seat, which is great for staying on no matter what, leaves something to be desired after some time off. My legs are okay, I think. I am riding in a pasture right now since the ring is a bit frozen and I think to myself a lot while I am on him, “Please let this ride be good”. JUST KIDDING! I think “Boy, he sure is acting great”. It’s hard to tell if he is in shape but I feel like there was a slight difference, though it may have been his lack of shoes. He had them pulled while I was on “break” so to speak.

I am only walking with him right now while I get him back in shape. This year is going to be the year when he will begin to further develop his bond with me, and consequently I will do the same. All in all, this year we will compete some more, but I’m not placing any bets on place. Keep your fingers crossed.

What’s New?

Jay McGarry — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:40:11 +0000

We returned recently from the American Equestrian Trade Association, (AETA) show. Filled to the brim with vendors of all things horse, it makes one feel like a kid in a candy store! I had to constantly remind myself that I was not shopping for myself. It is always fun to see the latest innovations. We also attended the educational seminars in hopes of broadening our horizons.

Did we find the latest and greatest? There wasn’t really anything that jumped out at us in a major way but it was nice to see the improvements and/or new additions to some of the lines that we carry. We also went with the plan of exploring some new lines that we were considering for the shop.

We knew we wanted to investigate the Kent and Masters because we have found great success with the Thorowgood saddles. Many of you have become familiar with them. We love the fact that the saddles are wool flocked, well designed and have the changeable gullet system and repositionable billets. Furthermore, we think that the variety of tree options, Hi-Wither, Cob and Standard, offer infinite fitting possibilities. Yet, some customers aren’t crazy about a synthetic and leather saddle so we have decided to expand into their Kent and Masters line and dip our toes into their Fairfax dressage line.

From the Kent and Masters line, we have ordered both Hi-Wither and Cob dressage saddles in the S series line. They are a bit nicer than the standard K & M line, all leather with the same changeable gullet system and re-positionable billet system. We chose the saddles with the movable Velcro thigh block as opposed to the exterior fixed thigh block because we felt that would suit more riders.

We have also decided to carry their S series jump saddle. They are the standard wither fit but they still have the same gullet changing ability. The billets are re-positionable and the panels are cut in such a way as to enable more shoulder freedom. They do not yet come in a size 18 inch seat so we ordered 17 and 17.5 inch saddles.

Lastly, we have also decided to try their Fairfax dressage saddle. We have only ordered a couple of them to see how they fit and ride. They have an exterior thigh block and the changeable gullet system and all of the conveniences of the other lines but are far more luxurious than the K & M saddles. The beauty of all of these saddles is that they have been tested extensively with the Pliance pressure sensing system and the results were very positive.

In the bridle line we have decided to carry the Rambo Micklem Competition bridle in both horse and cob, in brown and havana. The Micklem Competition bridle was designed to be more humane by fitting in such a way as to avoid sensitive facial nerves and delicate bone structures. It won the BETA 2008 award for innovation. I personally looked it up on the USEF site and it is now legal for competition as long as it is not used with the bit clips. However, I would strongly recommend that you check the rules for yourself in your discipline. What made me so excited about the Micklem bridle was our bitting and bridle issues with Hamilton that we documented in several newsletter articles. This bridle seemed to lessen some of his anxiety and bridling is a much easier endeavor now.

Lastly, we added the Nunn Finer Galway bridle to our bridle jump line. We were looking for a darker brown bridle to match some saddles and we really liked the quality and look of this bridle. As many of you already know, Nunn Finer is well known for their quality products with an emphasis on eventing and jumping.

Everything is on the site with the exception of the Kent and Masters and Fairfax saddles because they haven’t arrived yet and please feel free to email or call with requests or questions on the new inventory.

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