Saddles

[Fixador]

A very long time ago - 5- 8 yrs ? - there was talk of Heather linking with Thorowgood to produce a synthetic saddle to her specification - what happened ?
Call me mean if you will - but with a leather gp at about £500 at the time - whereas Heathers own leather/suede saddles at £850 - were out of reach.
So what happened to the the economy synthetic - I so wish now seeing the price for the Flexion that I .........

[Wally]

Heather did indeed get together with Thorowgood and they did make a Heather Moffett dressage saddle just like her Barry Swaine leather one. They also made a GP too.

Sadly both are no longer made. You might be able to pick them up second hand.

She then got together with the Saddle Company who made a leather and synthetic combined saddle with is very good value for money.

Again I think they have stopped making them, there are a few about second hand.

[larri]

I still Have a Heather / Thorowgood GP for sale in the classifieds. Pm me if interested in getting hold of one.

[Fixador]

Hey larri - I'm listening - can you post message some details of what you got gp/dress width & size & how much ?

An aside - are you a Luso owner ?

[Fixador]

Wally - Were this saddles up to specification ? Ceaseation of production unerves me a little - I suppose I'm asking - was there any written complaints from horses or other users ? :-)

[intouch]

We tried out one of the early Thorowgood HMs but found it slipped forward on both the horses we tried it on - both straightforward mediums who had no problems with other saddles. I think it was a maker problem rather than design, and I believe it got sortrd out, so maybe the later ones were better. Very happy with Easisit now, although as we are putting mare in foal this year (fingers crossed) it could soon be redundant.

[larri]

Mine is a black, 17 inch GP and it was fully reflocked, widened slightly (med/wide now) and had the dressage style girth straps changed to normal ones to aid stability (and because they are kinder to the horse) by the Saddle co last year when I got it, been used three times since. I bought it for £250 and spent £100 on getting it done)

Very good condition,very comfortable saddle with the set back stirrup bars, seatbone saver seat and female friendly design, only selling as my mare (yes she is a Luso :D ) is very wide (currently in an extra extra wide HM easisit:eek: ) As she matured it just didn't fit her. I loved the saddle - far better than a Wintec and another synthetic I also have.

If you are interested (or if anyone is interested:p ) make an offer based on info given - it's just sitting at home!

[Fixador]

Larri - Hmmm ! - Luso width - hmmm ! suspect this maybe not wide enough - give me till weekend to do a measure up job

[Fixador]

Hello larri - I am unable to talk to my other contact at the moment - and won't be able to get in touch till monday. However, I reckon your saddle will be of big interest to me anyway. Can we arrange a viewing - I'm in evesham - so I'm not a million miles away.
If you have need of an extra wide, I have a regular synthetixc gp from thorowgood for £50, which I would be prepared to loose only under these circumstances.

[Heather]

Hi Paul,

Long time no hear!! Are you still also driving Lusos?

Heather

[Fixador]

Stone the crows ! Heather ! that's some feat of memory !
I was hoping I could sneak into this forum without being reckonised !

First off : Ok - I owe you a pub grub ! - see - I too have a good memory ( actually - it maybe guilt, or possibly I can count on one hand - without using my thumb - the occassions a lady has brought me dinner ! )

Anyway : The Luso team has been discontinued, He-Uno has gone to the Isle of Man, He-Nico is in East Anglia, Fixador ( the old man ) is still here, as is the Hungerian - Yeehaa - anyway these two are too old now. The spare leaders have retired ( they were on loan ) back home to Kent. And the spare wheeler - an orginal welsh - is enjoying himself as a pampered family pet - despite my offers to have him back !

[Fixador]

Whoops pressed wrong key !
The tandem champions both retired : Leader Buckler - I was strokng his nose 15 mins ago, and his wheeler - Lumbo - I think he is localy on loan for the winter - so he'll be back early summer.

As for my mare - Holly, I regret she died. Which broke my heart, and I walked away for 3 years - likewise I have not ridden again - until about a month ago.
However, now I am morgage free, and if it wasn't for horses - I could retire tomorrow...infact I'm only working these days for extra pocket money ! .....and something to do.A new and novel situation....grim hey ! Land prices are too expensive - so I won't buy in the Uk. I'm contemplating shoving off to the south of Spain / Portugal for the winters - and working for part-time for bed & board.
This unfortunately means - I am riding all shapes & sizes of horses - and shall be continiung to do so for the foreseeable future - which is partially why I am searching for 4 cheap cheap saddles( one of each size ) - so I can use your technology - with the ideas of Margji Armstrong ( ok - some people hate her, some love her - me , I just owe her a salute , oh yes, and dinner ! ... yes THE OTHER ONE !).
Oh rats - its started raining - and yep, another horse to do.

If you have any constructive suggestions of what I could do with all this new found time... polite suggestions will be considered ! ha ha!..I've had loads of offers to go jump off a cliff - and the ilk !

Off to southern spain on 27th..... what a novelty, to be going to the Iberian pensular........and not buying horses !

anyway time to get wet....what the hell am I doing still in the uk
all the best
paul

[galadriel]

Heather has a treeless saddle now; you might well be able to buy the one treeless and fit 4 different equine body types with it.

It looks like you haven't yet been directed to her new site, so I'll give it to you :)
http://www.enlightenedequitation.com/

[larri]

Hi Paul - nice to see another Luso nut on board at NR :D ;)

Let me know if you are interested in the saddle - It definitely won't fit a Luso, my friend also tried it on her mare...or maybe we just have porky Lusitano mares :p

[Fixador]

before Heather has me excommunicated - I need to make quiet clear that it had been my desire to do her course ( 6- 8 years ago )- but at the time she did not a horse too take my weight - and I wasn't prepared to transport my horse to her ( Umm ! I think I said this at the time ).. so in desperation, I went elsewhere - which was much closer to me.
However, I note in an EE article a remark about a 15 stone partner riding a horse of Heather's . So - the gauntlet is through down ! 'cause I ain't that heavy !

[Fixador]

intouch - hi
Umm ! sometimes I'm not sure whether I'm being blokish -or thick, or dull or a loose cannon - or all of them.
Prior to arriving at this forum - I had been on the EE website - and been basically tight fisted with money ( I'm world famous for it around Evesham ! ) decided that the Flexion was too much dosh.
However - I wish I had read the advert a little more carefully - WHY can't people point out the obvious ! - why do they insist on being tactful - Ugh !
ok - thanks - intouch

Do I understand the Freedom and the Flexion fit anything ( as long as you put on the right way around ) ?