Saddle Up - Part 7

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6

While I wasn't really in love with my Cobra saddle, I didn't want to buy a new saddle either. But it was obvious that Kaswyn was bothered by the Cobra, so my decision was made. It was time for a new saddle. Something we both liked.

The gal who has her horse next to Kaswyn had one of those Freedom Holistic saddles. She didn't have the UltraFlex, but what they call the SemiFlex. The SemiFlex has a tree, but it's a very flexible tree. While it flexes and moves a lot, it also gives more stability than the UltraFlex. I knew I didn't like the UltraFlex, but I wanted to give the SemiFlex a try because I knew it would be really good for Kaswyn's back. I asked if I could try it on Kaswyn and she said sure.

So I tacked him up and got on. Immediately I loved the way the saddle felt under my seat. It was very close contact (like my Collegiate!) and I loved where it placed my leg. So we walked. Then I asked him to get on the bit. He was tenative for a split second, but then was soft and happy in my hand. Just like when we were bareback. I wasn't allowed to trot or canter him because this was when he had just had his shock wave therapy, but it was clear to me that we both liked the saddle.

I talked to the gal about getting a saddle. She just happened to be very good friends with the lady who distributed the saddles. The saddle company had just entered into a contract with a local tack shop to sell them, so I needed to call them to have a fitting, because the saddles are all custom. Luckily, it was the tack shop that had the really good saddle fitting people, and they are dressage riders. I also am lucky in that I know them personally because we've been stabled at a few barns together. I found out that they were coming to my barn the next week to do two other fittings, so they could measure both me and my horse.

In all my years of riding, I've never had a custom saddle. While I was excited, I was a little scared too. What if I ordered this saddle and somehow it didn't fit? Or I didn't like it? Or it started hurting Kaswyn's back again?

I decided that I'd just have to order the saddle and see, because I knew that my horse liked it. And if I could buy a saddle that fit him and didn't hurt his back, I needed to do it. So we had our measurements taken, and I was told that the saddle would take a minimum of three months to be completed.

Yikes! Three months?! What was I going to ride Ksswyn in until the saddle came in? Because I certainly wasn't putting the Cobra back on him, that was for sure.

To be continued...

Part 8