[haunani]

I've been saddle-less for nearly a year now and it's been driving me bonkers. I was hoping to get some good bareback time in over the winter, but that was before I moved to a barn without an indoor (but we're getting one!!! ). Riding a horse when it's below zero with windchills hovering around -30 is just not my idea of fun... nor his.

I was planning, for the longest time, of just going custom on my saddle. The first company I was planning on, though, seemed to be going downhill in quality as they were getting more popular, based on user reviews. So I found another company that I fell in love with, but there was NO trial period for a saddle. If you didn't like it when you got it, tough luck. It was up to you to try and sell this custom saddle made just for your horse to recoup your money.

So in talking a good friend (whose opinion I highly value), I decided to try a name brand saddle first, even if it did nearly double my budget. So I started looking at the different respected brands out there to see who had saddles that were visually appealing AND short enough for his back AND big enough for my rear end. I found 2 that I liked: a Circle Y and a Tucker. Since Meteor has a good curve to his back, I decided that Tucker would be our best bet as their trees have more rock to them. With that, my saddle budget went from $900 to $1300+. (My original saddle choice was only $593... so the final saddle choice is actually more than double my original saddle buget.)

I decided to do the demo program through SaddleUp Shop, where I get to try out the Tucker I'm interested in for 10 days without having to worry about getting hair on it, or actually letting my feet touch the stirrups, or the girth marking up the latigo when it's actually used and such. I get to RIDE in the saddle to see if I like it and if it's a good fit for Meteor, too.

Well, the demo is scheduled to arrive TODAY!! I'm beyond excited and am eagerly keeping my eye on the UPS tracking of it as when it's delivered, I'm outta here and on my way to the barn!! It's bright and sunny today, but we're supposed to get rain off and on for nearly the next 10 days. I've been calling around to area barns with covered arenas asking if they let non-boarders to use them, but so far the closest one is about an hour away. Blech. Meteor may be taking a road trip this weekend.

The kinda part is in that if I like it and order one, it'll likely be May before he actually gets HIS saddle.

[3WishesDun]

Best of luck with the demo saddle! Tuckers are an awesome ride. I hope it feets like a glove.

[haunani]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE how it feels against my tushy. Dale's really happy with it, too. Meteor seemed to be happy with it, happier than with anything else that's ever been on his back. We tuckered the poor boy out! I gave him a quick spin in the RP, sans-saddle, to see where his head was today and he had no "fire" in him so I then saddled him up, and back for a quick spin in the RP. The saddle strings seemed to bug him as they blew up over his butt and such, so I tied them up for today (it was WINDY). Other than that, he seemed fine. Dale offered to be the first one aboard and rode him around the parking area a bit and then in the arena. Meteor was just happily walking along, ears up, eyes bright the whole time. My turn came and same thing, happy-go-lucky Meteor. I even had the guts to trot a little bit (he went up into a canter for 2-3 strides, too). Those who know me know how big of a deal this is.

Now for some pictures:

#1- Meteor in his gear.



#2- Dale on him.



#3- Me on him. I know my butt looks positively gigantic in this picture. I think *some* of it has to do with camera angle as when I put my hand back there, it wasn't bulging over the seat as it appears to be doing in the picture.



#4- Dirt pattern on the saddle pad. The dirt at the back doesn't worry me too much as we are both big riders. There's going to be more weight at the back end of the saddle. The abundance of dirt at the front does concern me, however, as does the lack of dirt in the middle. I'm going to do a white towel for the next ride to help get a clearer "image" of the weight bearing.



#5- Hair whorl. The only spot on him that suggested rubbing. His shoulders are very uneven due to his club foot and I'm sure that has something to do with this.



Any comments/concerns/etc on the last 2 pics?