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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
   
Location: North Dakota | So I tried my Marlene Mcrae on Cash. It seems ok-ish but I think it's too tight in the front. When I put my hand under the saddle, it slides easily under the back and middle, but the front is quite tight. Depending on how hard we ride, his sweat patterns either are really even or dry spots on the back (pictured). He's not really a complainer when it comes to saddle fit, so I can't tell if it's bothering him. He acually was ridden in a very poorly fitting saddle long before I got him and it took lots of chiro work and a new treeless saddle to get him better. I don't want to mess him up again!
When I tried him out I rode in his owner's Circle Y JBN. Hot daniel was that a wonderful saddle! I never want to ride in a tree'd saddle again! My sister ended up buying that one from his old owner, and I REALLY would like a Tammy Fischer for me and Cash. But I do have reservations because I've heard very mixed reviews on how suitable treeless saddles are for heavier (200+lb) riders. I have lost a significant amount of weight, and am working to get into the 170+/- range soon and I'm a balanced and quiet rider. So opinions on that would be great. I have pictures of my current saddle but I have to get them off my phone so I'll add them asap.
Edited by cavyrunsbarrels 2014-08-12 10:02 PM
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | Cash is only three years old, right? My opinion would be to wait until he has matured completely, or get something that would grow with him. I'm really undecided about treeless saddles myself as I've not had one or tried one. But before I say more I'll wait for pics. :) I probably shouldn't be talking as I'm having a few saddle issues myself, LOL. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Which Marlene saddle, circle y, or cactus.
The Lisa Lockhart was designed after the Marlene circle y, and they do have a wide tree you might want to try that one. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | Cash is actually 6. The 3 year old mentioned before got sold just before I was going to try him out. Oh and it was the Cactus Marlene.
Edited by cavyrunsbarrels 2014-08-12 12:14 AM
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Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | Okay, never mind...just disregard my previous advice...perhaps a wider gullet would be better. :) |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | Bumping this back up since it's updated with pictures! |
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Veteran
Posts: 294
| I think you could put a shim in the front of it to raise it up off his shoulders. He has a little dip behind the withers and thats where the saddle is falling into. I have the same problem. I dont think you need a wider gullet. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| It looks like he has a little atrophy where the dry spot is, if you feel it is tight don't shim, as it is like putting on a pair of wool socks in an already to small of shoe.
If you like the Marlene saddle, I would suggest trying a Lisa Lockhart saddle the wide is an 8 inch gullet, and the bars are 120 degrees. You might have to shim it till he fills in. This is what a friend of mine is doing.
If you lived in Alberta I would let you try mine. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | He's kind of out of shape, so we're working on getting a top line again. There is a LOT of pressure on the front of the saddle but my hand slides under the rest of it with no resistance. I'm fairly indifferent to the Marlene. It's a good saddle but if I were buying one for ME, I'd be getting a treeless in a heartbeat. Since I tried one of those I don't want to ride in trees saddles. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | So what's your guys' opinion on using a treeless saddle? |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I was told you shim behind the tight spot. I'm going to try it with a saddle I have until the one I ordered is ready. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 153
Location: Natchitoches, La. | I love love love my JBN.. Have been using it about a year and I cannot imagine riding anything else now. Makes such a huge difference on my mare too.. She has shoulder issues and every treed saddle I tried pinched her.. The JBN are a little sturdier to me than the other treeless saddles. My daughter rides in a jackie and loves it, but she is tiny.. For me, I prefer the JBN ?? |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | Here's pics of my sister's Circle Y Just B Natural for comparison. How does it look to you? It feels tight in the front to me. He does have some big ole shoulders. If not a treeless, then what other saddles would you recommend? I hear lots of good things about the meleta brown.
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| I don't have much expertise in saddle fit, but from my untrained point of view, the second saddle looks a lot less tight in the front end than the first just based off of the pictures. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | wyoming barrel racer - 2014-08-12 7:13 PM
I was told you shim behind the tight spot. I'm going to try it with a saddle I have until the one I ordered is ready.
What do you use for shims? |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | achildres - 2014-08-12 9:16 PM
I don't have much expertise in saddle fit, but from my untrained point of view, the second saddle looks a lot less tight in the front end than the first just based off of the pictures.
When I try to put my hand under the front, both saddles actually feel equally tight, the McRae sits down on his withers more though. This one is a treeless though, so since there's nothing to dig into him, I'm not sure if the tightness is still as much of an issue. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| cavyrunsbarrels - 2014-08-12 10:05 PM
achildres - 2014-08-12 9:16 PM
I don't have much expertise in saddle fit, but from my untrained point of view, the second saddle looks a lot less tight in the front end than the first just based off of the pictures.
When I try to put my hand under the front, both saddles actually feel equally tight, the McRae sits down on his withers more though. This one is a treeless though, so since there's nothing to dig into him, I'm not sure if the tightness is still as much of an issue.
On a treeless, the pommel, which creates the gullet is still wood, so it can be tight.
I know that circle y has made regular and wide in the treeless. I would suggest calling them and seeing which you have.
My opinion on treeless, I have been too scared to try them, but if it works for the horse and rider, I see no problem in using them. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | cheryl makofka - 2014-08-12 11:16 PM
cavyrunsbarrels - 2014-08-12 10:05 PM
achildres - 2014-08-12 9:16 PM
I don't have much expertise in saddle fit, but from my untrained point of view, the second saddle looks a lot less tight in the front end than the first just based off of the pictures.
When I try to put my hand under the front, both saddles actually feel equally tight, the McRae sits down on his withers more though. This one is a treeless though, so since there's nothing to dig into him, I'm not sure if the tightness is still as much of an issue.
On a treeless, the pommel, which creates the gullet is still wood, so it can be tight.
I know that circle y has made regular and wide in the treeless. I would suggest calling them and seeing which you have.
My opinion on treeless, I have been too scared to try them, but if it works for the horse and rider, I see no problem in using them.
Mine is the wide. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| The mcrae looks like its really digging into the back of his shoulders, which is going to be even worse when someone is in the saddle. It also looks like its tipped down on him a bit. The treeless looks like it sits level on him a bit better. The only thing that concerns me on that one is that it looks like its sitting right on his spine, but really hard to tell from the photos. Maybe try a different pad with it that has separate panels on the sides so you get the split down the spine. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | Buckles - 2014-08-13 6:48 AM
The mcrae looks like its really digging into the back of his shoulders, which is going to be even worse when someone is in the saddle. It also looks like its tipped down on him a bit. The treeless looks like it sits level on him a bit better. The only thing that concerns me on that one is that it looks like its sitting right on his spine, but really hard to tell from the photos. Maybe try a different pad with it that has separate panels on the sides so you get the split down the spine.
Yeah, if I get my own treeless I'll get a better pad. I just wanted to keep it consistent for comparing the 2. |
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