The amusing title line for this post is a quote from American writer Rita Mae Brown.
I sold a saddle today, a beautiful custom buckaroo-style saddle built by the legendary Monte Beckman of Pendleton, Oregon. In the past couple of years, I've owned two Beckmans -- this drop-dead gorgeous one and a smaller, more functional saddle that's been excellent for starting colts. Both are built on a Modified Association tree, meaning they're suitable for young horses or narrower horses.
Truth be told, the saddle I sold today never fit my horses well. Sure, it was pretty, but there's more to a saddle than the way it looks. In terms of importance, saddle fit is at the top of my list when it comes to training, showing, or pleasure riding my horses. I want my horses to be comfortable, so they're able to focus on the things I'm asking them to do. If a saddle is ill-fitting, my horse is going to be cranky. And if I fail to correct the problem, it can lead to permanent nerve damage on my horse's back.
It's a little like trying to run a marathon in shoes that are too small. You wouldn't do it and you shouldn't expect your horse to do it either.
The money from today's sale will be "flipped" into a new saddle, a Hill View Farms Evolutionary saddle with flexible delrin panels that adjust and conform to the horse's back. Proprietress Cathy Sheets-Tauer explains saddle fit and construction better than anyone I know. I highly recommend visiting and viewing the saddle fitting and saddling videos available through the Hill View Farms site: http://www.hillviewfarms.com/.
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