Function & Fit
May 9, 2009
Did you realize the fact that the majority of saddle makers aren’t riders themself ? Well, we took a little different path before we started making saddles. We wanted to experience horsemanship on different levels and understand a variety of horse related professions. Together we have ridden endurance rides on four different continents. While in the USA we studied, work for and rode with Pat Parelli , Leon Harrel, Les Vogt and Peggy Cummings all considered to be masters in their field of horsemanship. Completed a college farrier program, equine dentistry and body work for horses. It is with this dynamic understanding of the horse that we are designing and building our saddles. A lot of saddles made here in South Africa have fundamental design problems. One being that most exert a lot of PSI on the horses back. If someone were to step on your foot with a high heel shoe vs one that is all flat there will be a tremendous difference in feeling. Our tree bars spread weight over a larger surface area than other trees, therefore reducing pressure on the horses back. Many saddles tend to ride up and forward on horses and that will directly interfere with the horse’s very dynamic shoulder blade action. Don’t be fooled and think your saddle need to sit way foreward on a horse- that is a bad design and will affect your horse in a negative way over time. Our saddles will stay put and out the way from the scapula. Also we see saddles that lift up in the back and the front of the saddle exert too much pressure when one tighten the girth, again that is not ideal and we like the saddle to have even contact from front to back . Rest assured we have solved these problems with saddles that have great form and function.
