Today we did almost 3 hours, but we did more flat stuff, but did long trot. I had her ride behind me, and she took this picture to show me that after just a few steps the back of the saddle would always slide to the right, but she said my butt always stayed centered. I couldn't feel the slide to the right and when I looked down at the front it was straight.
I don't know if this is my fault or if the saddle doesn't fit.
I checked his back by running my fingers down, but it took very little pressure to get him to cave in:(. He was sore were the back of the saddle hits him, both sides. The sweat pattern looked even.
The saddle shop accross the street from the vets is the saddle shop that built my western saddle. The man that owns/runs it is suppose to be a "saddle man". I never had trouble with my western saddle on any horse till Harley. The reason I haven't gone to him up till now, was it was his brother, Charlies friend Joe that said the saddle tree was broke. Then they went and ask Stanley (the shop owner), but didn't show him the saddle and he said it was broke too, so I took it to another shop and they took it apart and of course it wasn't broke. I've been hesitant to go to him, because I didn't realize till recently that Joe just told Stanley about my saddle but never showed it to him. I thought he'd seen it and said it was broke so I was thinking he didn't know all that much. I didn't trust him. Does any of this make sense:)
Anyway the shop I took it too is now closed, so Stanley is the only one around. But if the vet says Harley's back is fine that it's the saddle, I want Stanley to SEE my saddle, the worn place on the fleece and see it on the horse and make a decision. I don't know if he'd know anything about English Saddles. If they tell me it's not fitting I'll go back to western, and just have one made for him if they don't have one already that would work.
FWIW, Celia said it looked like I kept my legs in good postion, and I wasn't sitting to far back.
Becky