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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 313
Location: WI | What are your opinions on this saddle fit? Does it fit a broad backed, big shouldered horse? THANKS |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
 
| Circle Y has a couple of different barrel racing Flex Tree 2's ... the Lisa tree is made for the older style/ cow horse built horse with wide backs and large shoulders. The "wide" version of this tree is super wide - like 9-10 inch gullet and the angle of the bars is set to accomodate horses with large sholders and not a ton of wither.
The Kelly Kaminski Flex Tree 2's have the same tree as the Kenda Lenseigne (mounted shooter) with a slight change to the angle of the horn. The KK and KL tree accomodates horses with a bit more wither to them.
I asked about a billion questions last fall looking for a new to me saddle that fit my horses - I'm super thankful that we have a large saddle shop within an hour drive with a fellow who owns it and has been building and repping saddles for almost 40 years :-) |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| lindseylou2290 - 2015-05-13 9:19 AM
Circle Y has a couple of different barrel racing Flex Tree 2's ... the Lisa tree is made for the older style/ cow horse built horse with wide backs and large shoulders. The "wide" version of this tree is super wide - like 9-10 inch gullet and the angle of the bars is set to accomodate horses with large sholders and not a ton of wither.
The Kelly Kaminski Flex Tree 2's have the same tree as the Kenda Lenseigne (mounted shooter) with a slight change to the angle of the horn. The KK and KL tree accomodates horses with a bit more wither to them.
I asked about a billion questions last fall looking for a new to me saddle that fit my horses - I'm super thankful that we have a large saddle shop within an hour drive with a fellow who owns it and has been building and repping saddles for almost 40 years :-)
The Lisa Lockhart wide fit actually has an 8" gullet (this is what circle y told me when I bought mine)
To the op, it fits a wide backed horse well, but actually sored my mutton withered horse up to the point she was bucking. Even pressure under my hands, good pad. I had to custom order a crown c, and she went back to being her perfect self
Edited by cheryl makofka 2015-05-13 11:00 AM
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| I tried on a friends and it was awesome, then I tried on two newer ones and they pinched my horses shoulders. He is flat backed big shouldered. I found a model a year older than the first one I tried (2011) and it is awesome. They have changed them. Just like they changed the original Marlene's. The old original Marlene's fit awesome, but they had a low front and low back. I wished they had just left them and just raised the cantle up, but they raised both and it changed the fit completely, plus they hung the stirrups through the tree instead of on rings. I was told the LL were based on the original Marlene saddles. The first ones were like them, but a higher back. Whether they admit it or not, they changed the fit of the new ones. That is my observations. I would not hesitate to try another new one again, but I defiantly wouldn't buy it without trying it. That said both my horses I use it on are very big shouldered and flat backed, so I was specifically looking for that type of fit. |
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| cheryl makofka - 2015-05-13 9:57 AM lindseylou2290 - 2015-05-13 9:19 AM Circle Y has a couple of different barrel racing Flex Tree 2's ... the Lisa tree is made for the older style/ cow horse built horse with wide backs and large shoulders. The "wide" version of this tree is super wide - like 9-10 inch gullet and the angle of the bars is set to accomodate horses with large sholders and not a ton of wither.
The Kelly Kaminski Flex Tree 2's have the same tree as the Kenda Lenseigne (mounted shooter) with a slight change to the angle of the horn. The KK and KL tree accomodates horses with a bit more wither to them.
I asked about a billion questions last fall looking for a new to me saddle that fit my horses - I'm super thankful that we have a large saddle shop within an hour drive with a fellow who owns it and has been building and repping saddles for almost 40 years :-) The Lisa Lockhart wide fit actually has an 8" gullet (this is what circle y told me when I bought mine ) To the op, it fits a wide backed horse well, but actually sored my mutton withered horse up to the point she was bucking. Even pressure under my hands, good pad. I had to custom order a crown c, and she went back to being her perfect self
Hey you! I wonder if it's because they hung the stirrups through the tree. A good friend of mine that loves the old Marlene's won't buy one of these for that reason. She said that after Marlene went through the tree they began to sore horses up. She won't buy a LL for that reason, I am going to see if a saddle maker can hang mine on rings for me. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Kaye - 2015-05-13 11:12 AM
cheryl makofka - 2015-05-13 9:57 AM lindseylou2290 - 2015-05-13 9:19 AM Circle Y has a couple of different barrel racing Flex Tree 2's ... the Lisa tree is made for the older style/ cow horse built horse with wide backs and large shoulders. The "wide" version of this tree is super wide - like 9-10 inch gullet and the angle of the bars is set to accomodate horses with large sholders and not a ton of wither.
The Kelly Kaminski Flex Tree 2's have the same tree as the Kenda Lenseigne (mounted shooter) with a slight change to the angle of the horn. The KK and KL tree accomodates horses with a bit more wither to them.
I asked about a billion questions last fall looking for a new to me saddle that fit my horses - I'm super thankful that we have a large saddle shop within an hour drive with a fellow who owns it and has been building and repping saddles for almost 40 years :-) The Lisa Lockhart wide fit actually has an 8" gullet (this is what circle y told me when I bought mine ) To the op, it fits a wide backed horse well, but actually sored my mutton withered horse up to the point she was bucking. Even pressure under my hands, good pad. I had to custom order a crown c, and she went back to being her perfect self
Lol now my memory is working.
I did ask a few years ago regarding this horse, and yes that is what they said, as there is a lump where the fender goes through the tree, I can feel on the underside.
The saddle maker who made the original Lisa said they could fix if, as the new ones they have shaved the tree down so with the fenders going through no longer protrude.
I never sent mine back, I love the saddle, I just find mine fits better with a horse who has more of a wither then the one who got sored up. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Kaye - 2015-05-13 11:07 AM I tried on a friends and it was awesome, then I tried on two newer ones and they pinched my horses shoulders. He is flat backed big shouldered. I found a model a year older than the first one I tried (2011) and it is awesome. They have changed them. Just like they changed the original Marlene's. The old original Marlene's fit awesome, but they had a low front and low back. I wished they had just left them and just raised the cantle up, but they raised both and it changed the fit completely, plus they hung the stirrups through the tree instead of on rings. I was told the LL were based on the original Marlene saddles. The first ones were like them, but a higher back. Whether they admit it or not, they changed the fit of the new ones. That is my observations. I would not hesitate to try another new one again, but I defiantly wouldn't buy it without trying it. That said both my horses I use it on are very big shouldered and flat backed, so I was specifically looking for that type of fit.
Same here. Tried a friends and it was a great fit. Ordered a new one and it wasn't even close to fitting. We checked the serial numbers and checked them again, decided I needed the extra wide and then found out those weren't made anymore. I had a Marlene saddle from 1999 and noticed the same deal btw. Tried to buy a second one several years later and it wasn't the same saddle. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 989
| I have a kk flex 2 and it is too narrow in the shoulders for both of my horses, one has withers, the other doesn't have a lot of withers. It is the wide tree. Wouldnt buy it again. I have had mine for about 3 or 4 years. I dont like how they have the stirrups through the tree either, creates lumps on the up and underside of the saddle. |
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  A Lady with Fight
Posts: 2701
Location: NC | I tried the Fast & Furious wide flex 2. It was WAY too wide. Even with shims it was still too low on my guys withers.
Nice saddles. You just need a WIDE horse with ZERO withers for it to fit correctly. |
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A Lady with Fight
Posts: 2701
Location: NC | Puddy - 2015-05-13 8:03 PM
I have a kk flex 2 and it is too narrow in the shoulders for both of my horses, one has withers, the other doesn't have a lot of withers. It is the wide tree. Wouldnt buy it again. I have had mine for about 3 or 4 years. I dont like how they have the stirrups through the tree either, creates lumps on the up and underside of the saddle.
Now I know why I was sore and it felt lumpy when I took my 20 minute test ride!! All makes sense now. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
Location: Idaho | Opening up an old thread! I can't find any opinions on this saddle lol I'm looking at a 2016 Lisa Lockhart Flex 2. It looks and feels like it fits, but when I stick my hand underneath it for pressure it feels super weird on the back end. Almost like the bars end at the edge of the cantle. It's also super light compared to my current saddle so I'm not sure if that's it. Anyone know when they started putting the fenders through the tree? I can't quite tell. Any response would be appreciated ?? |
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