Saddlebred Versatility

[ImaDriver]

:rolleyes: :p :rolleyes: I wanted to start this thread off by stating that it is because of the American Saddlebreds versatility that I became such a fan of the breed. Having become friends with Nealia McCracken, I had watched Nealia training her ASB horses, and had seen their beauty, and had a chance to ride a few and felt for myself their lightness and eagerness to please. I still did not believe they could "rough it up" and be a combined driving horse. Even so, I bought my first one on Nealia's recommendation that this mare would make a nice driving horse. We started The Lady Stella out on her new future as a carriage driving horse, and were amazed to find she wanted to learn more, and we moved her up to combined driving. Of all the breeds and horses I have worked with, I trust the ASB's the most, and there is a lot of trust involved when your horse is way out in front of you, and whatever happens, happens to them first! The Lady Stella won some awards with the ASHA for her combineddriving efforts, and because of her, I got my second ASB, Lenore's Smarty Jones, or Smarty Pants as we call him. Stella stayed on the wayside for last year as we worked on getting Smarty broken to ride and drive. I look forward to all the fun I will have with these 2 and am sure I will be getting another ASb in the future. Finding the American Saddlebred has changed my life, and all for the better. How has the versatility of this breed changed your life, or helped you use this breed for a sport you did not realize they could be so good At ??

[Titza]

Hey, cool, missed this thread in the new forum! Will write more later, Titza

[Jackandmo]

My concern with the ASB is less about their versatility, and more with their attitude.

I don't participate in "alternate disciplines" as I am a Saddleseat lover first and foremost, but I have never been around a breed that is so forgiving, accepting of new challenges, affectionate and willing to learn and please.

I've never met a Saddlebred I didn't like, even if they were ugly or sour.

I *think* that my ASB would go any direction. Maybe not perfectly, but he'd give it his all.

At the end of the day, all he cares about is knowing he's a good boy.

[attafox]

How has the versatility of this breed changed your life, or helped you use this breed for a sport you did not realize they could be so good At ??[/SIZE][/FONT]

Not a good candidate to ask, here. I've had ASBs my entire life, so wouldn't know anything else, and I've never realized that they couldn't be good at anything they wanted to do ...I've done gaming, trail competition, saddle seat, Western, trail riding, driving, parades, gone through sliding glass doors, small doors into convention halls ... slept curled up between legs, crawled underneath them, and never thought they weren't a perfect companion.

Step UP to a Saddlebred and go in Style (no matter what you choose to do!)

I just wish we had the areas to train for driving competitions out here. I would love to hook the horses and drive ...

[GiddyUpScoot]

I'd ridden many different breeds... I was a "ride anything you'll give me" kind of kid - beggers can't be choosers :p So I rode everything from Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Morgans and ponies... even a hackney, but I had never sat on a Saddlebred until I rode Scotty. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first that he would be the hunter horse I really wanted, but all it took was that first ride to realize that even if he wasn't the best, he'd give me 110% and not a drop less. I've been around more ASBs than just Scotty and know that he's no exception to the breed. But thanks to my boy, I'm pretty much sold on the breed. A few years ago I was stabled near someone with an older ASB - they were thinking of getting another horse, but not an ASB (?!?!?!?!), but they were so impressed with Scotty that they ended up buying an ASB eventer :D I also started Scotty western this year. I know that it's been a lot of work for him, but he tries so hard... no matter the ribbon, I always come out of the ring with a big smile on my face. I know that no matter what, my next horse will be a Saddlebred, no questions asked!

[opalandme]

Hey all!
I agree i absolutly love saddlebreds and me and my mare have gone through a lot together! i bought her sadleseat (8 y.o.) i rode her for that a little while but it just didn't suit her right so then i amdd now retraining her for flat huntseat and omg!! she is doing so well! she is finally coming down on the bit relaxing and getting more flection!! the only part is transitioning from the canter down to the trot she instantly throws her head up in the air and hollows her back but she is getting better! <3

[NikiP]

I've worked with appaloosas, quarter horses, TBs, arabians, morgans, spotted saddle horses, various crosses, lots of ponies, etc.

Have always been a fan of horses with a little more "hype" so thats how I got involved with arabians & morgans. Still felt like they were missing something. Last year I got to work with a NSH gelding. Wonderful, wonderful boy. Then over the summer I had another NSH to work with. Both were wonderful horses.

I've been won over completely by saddlebreds thanks to a lovely 6yr old mare, Lady O Cool (by Caramac's Legacy.) Everyone at my school has been terrified of the "crazy" SB. I finally got up the nerve to start working her over the summer & ended up learning more about SBs. She is the sweetest mare. And her gaits, oh man, so light & lofty. I'll never be able to go back to a stock horse. She was trained as a 3 gaited park horse, by the end of summer I had started her on walk/trot dressage patterns. Unfortunetly since then her mysterious lameness has reappeared and has been diagnosed as something with her deep digital flexor tendon, will never be ridden again.

Now I have a lovely 3yr old Periaptor son. I really hope to do some lower level dressage with him. *Hopfully* in the future he'll be trained for jumping as well. He loves to free jump in the fields if turned out near jumps & throws tantrums under saddle if I take him anywhere near a jump & not allow him to go over them. If he can mentally handle it, I would love to turn him into an eventer.

He's been taken on a couple of trail rides as well :) He seemed to enjoy it so there will be more in the future.

[ImaDriver]

I am happy to see that the love and affection I share with my Stella and Smarty, you guys have too. This breed is the most loving and affectionate breed I have ever known, and I have known quite a few individuals from many breeds. They are so demonstrative with their love. My husband Adam and I joke about who wants to go in Stella's stall and get "worked over". I go in neat as a pin and come out with my hair a mess, slobber all over my jacket, and my pockets turned inside out! I love every second of it. Smarty is sweet and quietly affectionate. When you go in Smarty's stall he likes to hold the pitchfork in his mouth, pick up the muck bucket, and share his grain with you, ugh! I die everytime I see a buggy go by in Amish land with a still proud Saddlebred pounding down the roads. I wish I could save them all, all animals everywhere, but knowing how affectionate Saddlebreds are, I have a special place in my heart for all of them. Having your love returned makes all the work we do for our Saddlebreds worth it, many times over. Mushy but true! :D :p :p

[NikiP]

Lol!

I love stall time with Sydney. He also likes to play with my pitchfork. Although he's not very helpful! Then he'll just stand there with his muzzle against my head for long periods of time. Not nipping or biting, just resting it in my hair. It's these simple moments that make me feel like his difficulty under saddle will be worth it in the long run.

[Titza]

:) Sammie is the very same. I wonder if we could teach him swinging the fork he holds in his mouth all the time to clean his stall up by himself.
He also LOVES to lift the plastic chair we use for climbing the horse on the riding-ground and carries it around. I wrote it before, but it makes me always wondering if there was a working elephant among his ancestors...

This week I found him with a pylon in his mouth, holding the top and shoveling the sand on his paddock with the open end. He uses tools to work!!! Aren't they intelligent???

Also he always rests his nose in the ancle between my head and neck. Maybe I've got a good shampoo.....

[Titza]

Step UP to a Saddlebred and go in Style (no matter what you choose to do!) ...

So to say (Sam got this on his stall-door to make clear what he is between all the warmbloods and quarters:-):

And here are some videos from saddlebred-superman!
1. Superman overmasters plasticstool:
http://www.myvideo.de/watch/2956245

2. Saddlebred competes for street cleaner:
http://www.myvideo.de/watch/2956355

http://www.myvideo.de/watch/2956469

and
http://www.myvideo.de/watch/2956547

3. In a few weeks he will catch the pylon with his mouth for sure!!
http://www.myvideo.de/watch/2956386

[Titza]

Saddlebreds can go out for the first time with their new owner in the fields and pose while walking up and down 500 times the same path for a story about the walk without getting frightened of passing by bulldozers, dogs, bicycles - just being patient and friendly!! Never had a horse like this before!!

See https://fotoalbum.web.de/gast/wagner-hochzeit/Showstar

[Equiluver]

I agree! I have gone on a number of trail rides with my ASB Lyric and it has been a pleasure each time. Crosses water with no problem, cars passing not an issue, went into pasture with cows and a bull not a flinch, stood next to a VERY scary black box for electric fence, just a slight balk and then calmly walked by. They don't seem to be suprised by much I guess because they are alert to begin with looking around and checking out the scenery. So glad you enjoyed your ride! Can't wait until the weather breaks around here so I can go for one. Oh, and I love the pictures. It has been so much fun watching your progress and experiences with Santana. Keep 'em coming!

[ohwhatajewel]

in my personal opinion
i dont like ASB to be versatility.
their attitude is what makes the breed,strictly made for the discipline
i don't like the idea of saddlebreds doing different things.
just my oppinion

[WC for Me]

in my personal opinion
i dont like ASB to be versatility.
their attitude is what makes the breed,strictly made for the discipline
i don't like the idea of saddlebreds doing different things.
just my oppinion

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but you're what, 14 or 15? Do you understand that we're one of the breeds that's NOT growing and the biggest reason for our lack of growth is the fact that the association doesn't promote the versatile side of ASBs nearly as much as breeds that ARE growing (QHs, Morgans)?! In order for our breed to become widely popular and our numbers to grow we NEED to start pushing the envelope with the versatility promotion and adding classes at the "triple crown" shows (Lexington, Louisville, The Royal) to promote our show horses not just as saddleseat mounts (yes L'ville & the Royal have western classes now but no hunt seat and we're not even close to having the number of divisions as Morgans, Arabs, NSH, etc have at their world/national championships). The sport horse and western divisions of other breeds are just as large (if not larger) than their saddleseat divisions....our association (and its members) needs to take the hint and jump on the "versatile" band wagon.

[NikiP]

For those of us that have fallen for the SB personality & don't do SS, I don't think it would be right for these wonderful horses to be with held from us.

And their attitude does not make them only a SS horse.
Just because a horse is bred for something doesn't necessarily mean they are *mentally* capable of doing it. There are talented jumper bred WBs that simply can't jump, QHs that can't cut cattle to save their lives, and arabians that would rather not go on a 100 mile trek.

[Mare-Girl]

40 or 50 years ago Saddlebred show horses (3 and 5 gaited) were often trained by their trainers outside of a "ring". Arthur Simmons used to ride his horses up and down a dirt road which dead ended right at the entrance to his barn in Mexico, Missouri. Sug Utz used to rack his horses into town to the drug store, and that road is now a 4 lane highway. I've always worked my show horses out on the tractor roads along the sides of farm fields. And the times I've taken a 5 gaited show horse out with other breeds, mine act just as those in the previous posts have outlined. Even though the horse is going into the show ring next weekend, he can still be versatile and show other breed owners what a good trail riding horse he is. I've done that all my life. I wish more would. We need legions of show horses and non-show horses, but Saddlebreds out there showing what they are like and shattering these wrongly held ideas about them. They are so much more "people oriented" than owners of other breeds realize. And so capable.

[D_BaldStockings]

ohwhatajewel,
As long as breeders are trying for the Superlative Saddleseat show horses, there will be a horse for you. I am glad you support Saddlebreds as the best SS horses in the world!

Every opinion is valid. We can all agree to disagree, sometimes; and we all have a right to modify our opinions as life teaches us.
Learn as if your life depended on it.
Mary

[asb_own_me]

in my personal opinion
i dont like ASB to be versatility.
their attitude is what makes the breed,strictly made for the discipline
i don't like the idea of saddlebreds doing different things.
just my oppinion

So a Saddlebred who is successful in several different venues doesn't have the right attitude?

:rolleyes:

[ASB Stars]

in my personal opinion
i dont like ASB to be versatility.
their attitude is what makes the breed,strictly made for the discipline
i don't like the idea of saddlebreds doing different things.
just my oppinion

Here is what is truly frightening. You don't think this child came up with this on her own, do you? She had to have heard somewhere that EVERY American Saddlebred SHOULD be a show horse! What else is there? It is the green shavings or bust, I tell you!:rolleyes:

So, let me share with you, my dear, a type of versatility that kind of thinking condemns thousands of American Saddlebreds to. Pulling a buggy. :( Until they can't.:(

But then, the group that has the "show horse or NOTHIN' " attitude doesn't care about those horses. They just "aren't any count".

That is short sighted- devastatingly so- and it is what brought us to where we are. Thank goodness not everyone thinks that way.;)

[WC for Me]

Here is what is truly frightening. You don't think this child came up with this on her own, do you? She had to have heard somewhere that EVERY American Saddlebred SHOULD be a show horse! What else is there? It is the green shavings or bust, I tell you!:rolleyes:



ASBstars, oddly enough the woman who owns the barn that this girl rides at DOES own an ASB hunter.....a big beautiful grey gelding that I'd love to get my hands on as I've always been a fanatic for greys & blacks :rolleyes:

[ASB Stars]

Mores the pity- but still, she didn't conjure this up on her own...perhaps she doesn't think ASB hunters ARE show horses....

[D_BaldStockings]

Perhaps we are barking up the wrong tree? We really don't know the basis for the "don't want verstility' comment. It may have been a reference to the way the Quarterhorse has evolved into several diverse types until there is hardly a recognizable single breed type to describe to outsiders. Cutters look and act completely different from Western Pleasure horses, etc.
IF her comment was actually based on that: Lets not get away from distinct type and the great trainable people oriented temperament the SB now posesses, and she just stated it badly ...then I am on her side, and she is on ours, protecting the breed from going generic.
Maybe we could ask WHY?
Mary

[SADLUP]

Anything you can do, I can do better. Everything you can do, I can do too! No you can't...Yes I can...No you can't...Yes I can...No you can't...Yes I can...YES I can...YES I CAN!!!

We can show people better than we can tell people. We have been showing people. The young ones have not experienced it enough yet. So we must continue to show people. We must continue to show ourselves. Lets not worry about one young girls comments. Lets worry about showing people. One horse, one person at a time.

I have suggested to SHR report to consider adding a versitily category to the statistics to recognized the horses that are multi-talented. Meaning those that drive and are shown under saddle or those that do both Hunt and western, or a nice halter horse and one under saddle. This is another way to "show" the versitility of the breed. Many of our Saddlebreds do, not only Saddleseat but other diciplines as well and are good at it. They may not be the best, but they are good at everything they do. Sort of a jack of all trades and master at non, kind of thing.

I think this will help promote the breed as well. I only have one horse, she is not the best western horse and she is not the best hunter horse, But she is a great versitile horse. She is a great promoter of the breed and she is not the only one. We just need to show people, by continuing to do what we are doing.

[SADLUP]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS6wzatKKKw

New video of the versitility of the Saddlebred.

Hope it works!

[ImaDriver]

Sadlup, I can tell how proud you are of Genius, nice video. May I use it for our FEI party at this years Annual Meeting Feb/08 ? If you can send me the dvd it might have more clarity.
Email me.

[SADLUP]

ARE YOU SERIOUS!! It would be an honor. I am speechless. YES YES YES.

[ImaDriver]

Sadlup- As Genius Secretary's secretary, you can send it to me, I sent you my address.

Anyone who wants to come to the Welcome party at the Annual ASHA Meeting, the party is on Thursday evening 5pm to 9pm. Every year we serve free food and drinks to the weary travellers who show up for Fridays seminars. We show videos on the Saddlebred's versatility, and everyone is welcome. I always make a point that I support the traditional use of the ASB, it is unique in all the world, and is truly an American creation. It is living history! Using the ASB in non traditional ways, shows the strength of the breeding that exisits now. A good example of a traditional show horses physique, makes for good conformation for many other disciplines. Ohwhatajewels's comments sound like FEAR talking, the fear heard at home, or in the show ring, or wherever, that using the ASB in different ways will dilute the breed. Nonsense! It will bring welcome relief to those breeders with no other avenue to sell their stock to, and it will bring in new people to the breed, who may turn to SS as another way to ride and enjoy a horse. As my friend Nealia has said, not everyone wants their child to learn to jump, not everyone wants to practise at being a lawn dart!
To each their own, I only hope that Ohwhatajewel continues to go on and show and own many ASBs and keeps the breed vibrant, by investing in lessons, trainers, breeders etc!

[SADLUP]

[QUOTE=ImaDriver;3957]Sadlup- As Genius Secretary's secretary, you can send it to me, I sent you my address.[QUOTE]

ImaDriver:

LOL! You picked up on the irony of my profession and my horses name, purely coincidence, I assure you! ;)

Unless I am dead or dieing, I will be at the party! I consider it a great honor. :)

Thank you very much.

[cparker912]

She is just a young academy rider, I don't think she has formed any real opinions or an understanding of our breed and the need for growth quite yet. She, perhaps, like many of my kids are dedicated and proud of riding saddle seat...and it came across as shortsighted.

[Titza]

I would like to come to the meeting!!!:D ....just kidding...

Sadleup: WOW!!! Congratulations on that horse! When we're grown up we want to be a Genius, too:)

[SADLUP]

I would like to come to the meeting!!!:D ....just kidding...

Sadleup: WOW!!! Congratulations on that horse! When we're grown up we want to be a Genius, too:)

Titza,

Thank you so much! It is very exciting. You know my mares registered name is "My Genius' Private Secretary, but I call her "Santana". Isn't that the name of your horse as well? I call her Santana, because I bought her at Christmas time. So I wanted the word SANTA in there some how. Hense the name SANTA-NA. Plus "My Genius' Private Secretary" would not fit on a licence plate! LOL!

[NikiP]

Wow! Thats the same horse!?

I wanted to hang Harry's picture up in Sydney's stall so he knows what I want him to aspire to. Guess I need to show him that video to!

[Titza]

Titza,

Thank you so much! It is very exciting. You know my mares registered name is "My Genius' Private Secretary, but I call her "Santana". Isn't that the name of your horse as well? I call her Santana, because I bought her at Christmas time. So I wanted the word SANTA in there some how. Hense the name SANTA-NA. Plus "My Genius' Private Secretary" would not fit on a licence plate! LOL!

COOL! Yes, his name is Sensational Santana. Isn't that a twist of fate;) By the way: everyone who reads his name sais: Oh, isn't that a cute girl *grrr*

[SADLUP]

COOL! Yes, his name is Sensational Santana. Isn't that a twist of fate;) By the way: everyone who reads his name sais: Oh, isn't that a cute girl *grrr*

OK now your really freaking me out! Everyone calls my mare a cute boy! LOL! :eek: and speaking of "twist of fate". A friend of mine got a rescue horse from Saddlebred rescue. The mare was in foal and no one knew it. The mares name is Charity and my friend went to feed one day and found her foal in the shavings, beautuful ASB filly. He was struggling to come up with a name. So I suggested: "Charity's Simple Twist of Fate." :)

How many ASB's are in Germany? And I love your vid's too.

[Titza]

OK now your really freaking me out! Everyone calls my mare a cute boy! LOL! :eek: and speaking of "twist of fate". A friend of mine got a rescue horse from Saddlebred rescue. The mare was in foal and no one knew it. The mares name is Charity and my friend went to feed one day and found her foal in the shavings, beautuful ASB filly. He was struggling to come up with a name. So I suggested: "Charity's Simple Twist of Fate." :)

How many ASB's are in Germany? And I love your vid's too.

Oops:eek: maybe it turns out some day that they are siblings:-)))
Well, there must be around 100 to 200, no real big breeder. Most of them (including Sam in his mom's tummy;) ) were imported in the 90's by one man and ended up in desperate conditions. Many survived and founded kind of breed in Germany. I even found Sam's Mom and sister, a daughter (yes, he was a stallion!) and a brother over here. For we do not have own classes or competitions they could run, they are showed -if so- , with other gaited horses like Icelandic and Paso Peruanos and so on. Funny to make a division out of that different horse-types.
Besides there's a motley crew of all races, I guess 60 percent German warmbloods, 20 percent Quarter Horses and stuff like that, and then every breed you can imagine - from French Merens Mountain Horse to Mongolian Desert Pony. The more special the better.

@all: There's one thing I want to add to this versatility-discussion:
I admit - there ARE times when I watch Sam (especially running free) and wonder if he shouldn't be a saddleseat-showhorse. Would he be luckier with that? Isn't that his destination? Will I steel his glamour and attitude by making a "normal" horse out of him?

Well - wherever we will arrive - I BELIEVE, that there's just one way to get the glamour. I learned a lot about saddleseat-training (and I learned my lesson well!). Then I decided, that for Sam (and me, too!) it is absolut necessary to fight us through the basics, no matter how unspectaculer we look like while doing this. IMO that's the way to let a horse sparkle in the end - like Harry or Genius or all the other diamonds around here.
What good is putting a horse into arena till it's burned out? What will remain? Give the horse a home, never mind if western, spanish or classical. And if it feels sure, then discover the talents of your rough diamond and take it to the arena! Or into the fields! Or on a rack!

For example see Christiane Kress, a very well rider who owns two Saddlebreds. One is Sparkling (!) Ginger, high level dressage horse and although/also Gaited Horse of the Year. Her message: Give your horse the gymnastic basics then it will offer you the gait and attitude for free. Here she is with her young mare, granddaughter of Santana:
http://www.neddens-tierfotografie.de/kd-galerie/categories.php?cat_id=1103

See, it's the same with the icelandic horses over here. They are meant to rack, so they HAVE to rack. Every day, every second, round and round the oval. The result you could see at this year's German Gaited Masters. I am ashamed of it... They lost all their glamour because they havn't given a base to. Some riders became aware of that mess and started to ride their ponies dressage and did gymnastics before claim the rack. Their ponies show a complete different attitude - and it's not a burn-out one!

Well, let's stop being pathetic after saying this: Thanks, Santana, for open my mind to that.

Titza

[SADLUP]

IMO that's the way to let a horse sparkle in the end - like Harry or Genius or all the other diamonds around here.
What good is putting a horse into arena till it's burned out? What will remain? Give the horse a home, never mind if western, spanish or classical. And if it feels sure, then discover the talents of your rough diamond and take it to the arena! Or into the fields! Or on a rack!

Titza

BANG! You hit the nail on the head! Across the ocean. See... we are doing the right things! IMHO

[SADLUP]

Wow! Thats the same horse!?

I wanted to hang Harry's picture up in Sydney's stall so he knows what I want him to aspire to. Guess I need to show him that video to!

NikiP:

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, it is the same horse. Harry is an awesome horse that I have admired from afar for sometime now. There will be a video of him too. So you see this is a wonderful thing in more ways than one.

[SADLUP]

Sadlup, I can tell how proud you are of Genius, nice video. May I use it for our FEI party at this years Annual Meeting Feb/08 ? If you can send me the dvd it might have more clarity.
Email me.

I just wanted to thank everyone for all of your e-mails, phone calls and kind words that have been expressed to me since ImaDriver asked to use my video at the FEI welcome party at the ASHA annual covention in February. I consider it a great honor and I am very excited to have the chance to represent the versatility of the Saddlebred in such a grand way.

For those that know me best, you know I mean this from the bottom of my heart. I love you all!

With Warmest Regards,

Lynn Shaw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS6wzatKKKw

[SADLUP]

This comment was posted to the youtube video posted above...I thought you all would like to help this person out with her question. If you click on the link you will see her comment and mine, I also e-mailed her privatey

"im looking at a saddlebred and a horse off of the track. the saddlebred is completely trained and has shown etc in dressage and apparently is not a bad jumper and the thoroughbred is well... off the track. I heard that saddlebreds DONT make good jumpers and i want to do hunt and eventing. Any input anyone?"



Thanks for helping out!

[She's Snow Angel]

The only horse to ever really hurt me was an off the track, TB mare named Volaize Moi (sp?), which means Fly Me in French. :scared: And she did.
I left a reply.

[SADLUP]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J6Xy_GsQFo

I have a new promotional video up! Hope you all like it!

[asbfamily5]

I will have to agree with the versatility of the Saddlebred...they truly can do it all from driving to jumping. They have a sweet nature. Our horse is spoiled, she loves to snuggle and be loved..in the show ring she "steps" to the plate and shows how beautiful she is both inside and out. We are hooked for life!

[BMWgirl]

Well - IF I can find a sidesaddle that I can afford that fits my boy - this will be yet another area for our great breed. So far, the least expensive I have found is over $1500.00 and trust me - that is Farrrrrrrrrrr from being new!

[attafox]

Very important that a sidesaddle fit both your horse and you, and unfortunately, that is going to cost some $$s. The cheap ones are pretty horrid. The Steeles tend to not fit the Saddlebreds, so you are left with the older ones. Champion & Wilton and Martin & Martin both fit Saddlebreds better than others, so I'd start searching there. My C&W has fit all my ASBs perfectly. My M&M was too wide, so I'm hoping that it is going to fit a Northern California ASB and that it's sold :)

OTOH, my new (to me) sidesaddle is also a M&M and it fits my horses beautifully. I can't wait to try it and then get my trainer and I filmed doing a pas de deux with the Saddlebreds. Why? The "new" sidesaddle is an offside sidesaddle. Very, very, very, very rare.

[LillianH]

Just out of curiosity, why would they have made an offside sidesaddle?

[attafox]

Children's saddles were more often found this way, in order to balance the development of young ladies. However, a lady with a hip or leg problem could have had one made to the offside as well.

[SmartAlex]

This was discussed on COTH as well, and I learned there that sometimes offside saddles were custom made for men who had lost a limb in the wars. Apparently with some leg prosthetics it was more comfortable and secure to ride aside.

[BMWgirl]

Very important that a sidesaddle fit both your horse and you, and unfortunately, that is going to cost some $$s. The cheap ones are pretty horrid. The Steeles tend to not fit the Saddlebreds, so you are left with the older ones. Champion & Wilton and Martin & Martin both fit Saddlebreds better than others, so I'd start searching there. My C&W has fit all my ASBs perfectly. My M&M was too wide, so I'm hoping that it is going to fit a Northern California ASB and that it's sold :) .

Did it sell? If not e-mail me some info on it. The reason I ask is that the horse I want to use it on is a bit soft in the back and has a pretty round barrel..and although I have not tried any on him yet, I have been told I will most likely need a wide saddle.

I already have been warned many times over that the cheap ones (often on e-bay) are not worth the postage it takes to mail them!

[attafox]

Don't know - just sent it up to Northern California for her to try out. Gullet is about 7" wide. To keep this from turning into a classified that I'd have to delete:blushing: please take all discussion about my saddle offline :tt2: :sailor:

BTW, if he's soft in the back, you'd be best off getting whatever saddle you get restuffed to fit him. Trying to pad a sidesaddle out underneath is a daunting proposition. I can put you in touch with two saddlers who can do that type of work. One did the restuffing on the aforementioned saddle and the other is my local guy who does much of the repair work on my saddles (he's doing the work on my offside).

BTW, the offside that I have is definitely a ladies as it is a Park offside and was cut to show off the horse.

[BMWgirl]

Ha ha - I would like to see you have to delete yourself... :helpsmilie:

I have been in contact with Sue Tobin. I think when I am ready, she will find me what I need....or fix what I found!