regarding help with new western saddle

[karlooben]

hey guys , i am new here and also new to western riding ,lol ok tried it once an was hooked .

my 4 yr old is now ready to back { happening this weekend ;) } but i have just got a syntheic western saddle and it hasnt got any d rings on the rear of the saddle does that matter or not . i am so new to this its scary.lol,
please bare with me as i am learning still . i have the cinch { or what i would normally call a girth } that goes under the belly nr to front legs but not the other part .
please can someone let me know thanks

heres the saddle i have got

[Miriam]

As far as I am aware you dont actually need the last cinch. its only there for show purposes. I have both if I remember rightly on my western saddle. Just wish I could use the thing as my stirrups are too long and I can't shorten them. I need a special hole punch to do it with


Yours is also similar to mine in looks except you look like you have buckle stirrups. I'll have to take a photo of mine

[Harry Hobbes]

karlooben,

Read my post here regarding the back cinch: http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33588

Best regards,
Harry

[galadriel]

Harry Hobbes got it in one with the back cinch.

Since you say that you are "new to this," I'll offer a few words about saddles and western saddles in particular.

I would caution you that, as your horse's first experience with a saddle, the saddle used when backing should fit very well. A saddle which does not fit the horse causes pressure points and pain to the horse, and after a surprisingly short time can cause permanent muscle damage.

Fitting a Western saddle is quite tricky, because the skirts obscure most of the length of the saddle. A saddle may appear to fit but still be a very poor fit. I see about 1 in 4 saddles that actually do fit the horse they're on--usually quite by accident. The rest of the horses are plugging along, accepting the discomfort or not, as their temperaments warrant.

Since you don't want to start off your saddle training with resistances or resentments from the horse, I highly recommend making sure that the saddle fits well. I strongly recommend against any Western saddle with a synthetic tree, as these unfortunately have a very poor design. If you can find a reputable saddle fitter to hire, they should be able to assist with making sure your saddle fits. I suggest *not* asking at tack stores or trainers--I can't tell you how many times I have heard "but my trainer said it fit fine" or "the tack store suggested this one"...

I have a website with a number of articles about saddle fitting (addressing some concerns on both English and Western saddles--website is in my sig). I also have a book packed with graphics to help you understand just what I'm talking about; it's available on the website too along with some pages from the book so you can see some of what's in it. You can certainly ask here if you have questions. There are a number of others on NR who have knowledge of saddle fitting, and you could get some responses from several points of view.

[karlooben]

thankyou for your help. am so glad i have finally foud some where i can come for help.

i wont be riding him until i know the saddle does fit well, but i am going to school him for about a week if not longer to get used to all the tack,
i also have a freind coming out with me an shes done western before , but i do have a big probelm of not having anyone local to me who could fit the saddle properly . i hope it does fit well an everything works out fine as i rescued this horse as a 3 month old who was on the brink of death that was actuly 4 yrs ago this week and now hes ready to ride

[cvb]

As far as I am aware you dont actually need the last cinch. its only there for show purposes. I have both if I remember rightly on my western saddle. Just wish I could use the thing as my stirrups are too long and I can't shorten them. I need a special hole punch to do it with


Yours is also similar to mine in looks except you look like you have buckle stirrups. I'll have to take a photo of mine

Miriam - what sort of saddle do you have ? I have added holes to my leather western stirrups very a variety of methods - i can recommend a drill bit of the right size ! But use the metal wotsit to make an impression first so you get the spacing right.

But if you have synthetic/webbing you'll need to seal the edges (I think) so its a different matter.

[Jessey]

I agree a drill works well for leather and for webbing you can use a normal punch and then use a match to seal the edges.

J

[Esther.D]

But if you have synthetic/webbing you'll need to seal the edges (I think) so its a different matter.

All you need for that (usually, depending on what kind of synthetic) is something hot - even a big (eg 6") nail heated up at the end would probably do the trick to punch the hole and seal it in one :)

[Miriam]

Miriam - what sort of saddle do you have ? I have added holes to my leather western stirrups very a variety of methods - i can recommend a drill bit of the right size ! But use the metal wotsit to make an impression first so you get the spacing right.

But if you have synthetic/webbing you'll need to seal the edges (I think) so its a different matter.


I'm sure its leather but a very thick leather and cant get the punch through. I'll double check and get some better photos. Where the stirrups leathers are I have two prongs so it needs two holes to get them up :(


http://groups.msn.com/NRphotos/miriamsphotos.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=4316



Jessey - I've tried using a normal punch but it just wont go through :(

[cvb]

Miriam

The "two prongs" thing is pretty standard for western saddles. I did the drill trick on mine ;) Like I said, use the prongs to make a mark first - so you know where to drill. And try out the drill bit in an existing hole to find the right size. Mine are slightly oval in shape so you actually need to drill "badly" !

[galadriel]

i rescued this horse as a 3 month old who was on the brink of death that was actuly 4 yrs ago this week and now hes ready to ride

Congratulations! Of course I have very little information about your situation so far, but it does sound like you've made a number of good choices :) You waited to ride him until he was a little older; you're looking for more information about saddles to be sure that you get that right; you've got an experienced friend to offer you advice. I hope your backing goes well!

Good luck and please do feel free to ask for any further comments. New Rider is quite a friendly, helpful group.

[karlooben]

heres a few pics pf him before an after { all tacked up as well}

the bald patches are from where myself an a freind had to cut away he rotten fur that was causing his skin to go well mouldy. he was straved an neglected with 4 other foals like him locked in a small stable 24 /7

[karlooben]

i tried to add pics but they are to big for here. and i dont know how to make them smaller

[bexj]

but i do have a big probelm of not having anyone local to me who could fit the saddle properly

Where do you live? If its the Uk, then I may know someone who can help, but need to know roughly where you are!