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Chickshunt2
Member
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 134
Location: North Dakota
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 Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 4:26 am Post subject: |
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I understand that I don't want the saddle to fit him like a glove, as you have said then it will only fit him for a short time. The mold just gives someone an idea of his genral back shape. From that they can make a saddle the will fit that back type. Most people tend to buy a type of horse, even within a breed there are many types, a saddle that will fit a bulldog qh most likely wouldnt do to well on one of them slick TB looking qh from out east. So if you like wide backed horses, you buy a saddle to fit wide backed horses, then you will most likely get a saddle that fit most of your horses. Could just be me but most of my horses look a lot a like, or have the same build/body type.
I had to add..........Spread out....have you ever tried to ride a full grown percheron? your riding your dinning table so whats a few more inches? lol
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Jinglebob
Rancher
Joined: 14 Feb 2005
Posts: 5974
Location: Western South Dakota
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| Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 8:46 am Post subject: |
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| Chickshunt2 wrote: |
I understand that I don't want the saddle to fit him like a glove, as you have said then it will only fit him for a short time. The mold just gives someone an idea of his genral back shape. From that they can make a saddle the will fit that back type. Most people tend to buy a type of horse, even within a breed there are many types, a saddle that will fit a bulldog qh most likely wouldnt do to well on one of them slick TB looking qh from out east. So if you like wide backed horses, you buy a saddle to fit wide backed horses, then you will most likely get a saddle that fit most of your horses. Could just be me but most of my horses look a lot a like, or have the same build/body type.
I had to add..........Spread out....have you ever tried to ride a full grown percheron? your riding your dinning table so whats a few more inches? lol |
I've notice the same thing about people getting horse with similer back types. I agree.
As to the mold, Superior Tree Company, I think, used to have you take a peice of soft wire and bend it to match your horses back in several spots. Then you were supposed to draw these onto a paper and send them in and then they would know which bar measurements would work best for you.
The guys at Timberline, know a lot about different types and I never had a problem with any of their trees, not fitting good, if I told them what type horse was going to be used.
The foam trees have the same bar pattern as the original Wade. They have one of the 2 original trees that were made, supposedly. They have made some slight modifications to better fit the more modern horses. We seem to have horses of every proportion and size and they fit them all, very well. I just took a bare tree and set it on my favorite younger horses back, and it fit as good as anything I could come up with.
Did I mention, I am really impressed with the fit of these trees? 
And I make a very narrow feeling saddle as I grew up riding a couple of fat, round horses. I like to feel like I'm setting astraddle a fence, instead of a barrel, so I tend to make my saddles fit that way. Unless the customer wants something different.
Nawww, on second thought, I know they are going to want it to feel narrow. So far, everyone does!
Bring your "Perch" out, and we'll figure out how to make him feel less wide. Might have to just get you up higher off his back, or farther up his neck. 
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Faster horses
Rancher
Joined: 11 Feb 2005
Posts: 19605
Location: SE MT
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| Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:15 am Post subject: |
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That 'narrow' deal is real important, as you said, JB.
Ever noticed many factory sadddles that are narrow?
Nooooooooooooooooooo.
Must take more work to get them narrow as opposed
to wide and flat.
That is one thing a saddle maker can do for you (among others)
is get the seat right.
And really, most of the time it costs as much for a real
good factory saddle as base price on a custom saddle.
There are those others out there that people get by with.
But if you're serious, a custom made saddle is the only way
to go. JMHO
My saddle was an Earl Twist and I loved the seat in it.
I bought it used a long time ago and was always so happy
with it. It is outdated now, the cantle is pretty low, but it
worked for me for a long time.
Mr. FH rides a Gale Jerome saddle. He had it made new in the 80's.
It's still his favorite saddle, but man, is it heavy. Ridiculous
to have a saddle that heavy. We've had it worked on
to get rid of some of the extra leather which helped, but it
is still heavy. Not a ladies or an old man's saddle, that's for
sure. Gale made a lot of saddles for cowboys and he made them
hell for stout.
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Chickshunt2
Member
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 134
Location: North Dakota
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| Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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| I use a EQUImeasure Kit to mold my horses backs, I have the western add on to make it longer as well. Here is a link to the thing if you don't know what they are. http://www.equimeasure.com/html/kit.html Many of the saddle makers today are sending them out to people when they place an order. They are so easy to use and the horses stand well for it as I think they like the warmth...must be like a big heating pad. I like that I can mold it more then once. I was thinking about picking up another one just so I could mold a horses back before training and then mold it again after to see how much it has changed and where. I think it would be neat to see where each horse puts on or looses weight. I also like that I can mold a horse and then set my saddle on the mold and see where it fits and how it fits it.( great way to do this is to sprinkle the mold with baby powder then spray the fleece/wool on the underside of your saddle with a light misting of water from a spray bottle. Set the saddle str8 down on the mold where the saddle should sit. give it a sec and lift str8 up and off look to see where the powder is missing and where its still there)
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Jinglebob
Rancher
Joined: 14 Feb 2005
Posts: 5974
Location: Western South Dakota
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Chickshunt2
Member
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 134
Location: North Dakota
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| Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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| They are pretty light, you do get stuck paying a oversize fee to ship them but the last time I shipped mine I know it was under 20 bucks I'm thinking it was closer to 15.00. I guess my thinking there is if I'm going to spend that much money on a saddle like an extra 20.00 to send the mold is going to make or break the bank...I think not. The fact that I'm only 2000 miles away from the guy making my saddle was a big factor in using the kit, as you said it wasn't like he could see my horses back or could set a saddle on it.
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