The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SEVEN

See our "who's who" page! ^

[HairOfTheDog]

The FreeRepublic Saddle Club - Who's Who *pics*

This is a horse chat thread where we share ideas, ask for input from other horsemen, and talk about our riding and horse-keeping. We have a lot of different kinds of riders and horses, and a lot to share. In the previous threads we have had a great time talking through lessons, training, horse lamenesses, illnesses and pregnancies... and always sharing pictures and stories.

I always have a link to this thread on my profile page, so if you have something to say and can't find the thread in latest posts… look for it there and wake the thread up!

I also have a ping list for horse threads that are of interest, and Becky pings everyone most mornings. Let Becky (Paynoattentionmanbehindthecurtain) and/or me know if you would like to be on the ping list. As FreeRepublic is a political site, our politics and other issues will probably blend in…. There are many issues for horsemen that touch politics… land use, animal rights/abuse cases that make the news…. Legislation that might affect horse owners.

So... like the previous threads, this is intended as fun place to come and share stories, pictures, questions and chit-chat, unguided and unmoderated and that we come together here as friends. There are lots of ways of doing things and we all have our quirks, tricks and specialties that are neat to learn about.

Previous threads:

The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - thread ONE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread TWO!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread THREE!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FOUR
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FIVE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SIX

New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I don't tie the knot, never have. I just buckle then thread the latigo thru the keeper thingy:)

It's just differnt and I don't do change well, but I want to do this so it's OK.

becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well I was surprised that Harley has to have a bigger size gullety thingy. I'll take pictures tomorrow of how this thing measures, it's kind of cool. They let you just take it and its $26 to buy. I was rather surprised by that.

Becky

[tuffydoodle]

I guess your petsmart has a State Line Tack department? We have one of those nearby, sure comes in handy.

I'm not familiar with the gullety thingy, I'd like to see it. Does it connect to the saddle and make the saddle fit better?

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

There is a velcro cover on the underside of the curved up part of the front of the saddle. you take it off, unscrew two screws and there is a bar in there that comes out. You put the size bar in there you need, I guess it makes the saddle wider or narrower depending on what you need. There are 6 differnt sizes.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

We don't tie the know on ecurbh's either. :~D

I've taken some pictures of threading the stirrups in - pics uploading in a minute here.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

And yes, our Pet Smart has a SLT department.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Ok, thanks.

Does the style of stirrup make any difference. I just bought the cheapest for now and put black rubber things in them. I think their just a regular Iron.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Do you know the length of your stirrup straps. These look like they may be too short. I may land up having to make two trips back tomorrow.

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

I bet they aren't too short.... they should come with stirrups that would fit the full range of people heights that would sit that seat. When you've got them installed correctly (Pics uploading now) I'll show you how to ball-park the length.

The irons that came with them should be fine.

[Beaker]

Yeah a 42 is way too small. That's pony size. A 48 might be good. A 50 if he's a well muscled horse. I use a 46 or a 48 on the QH mare that I ride, and a 50 on the burly Appy mare.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Nothing came with it, i had to buy the irons and the straps all seperate. When i get them on I'll take a picture of the stirrups.

Becky

[Beaker]

I'm sure that the irons that you bought are just fine. There doesn't have to be anything special about them.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Oh, and the English saddle made me feel like my butt is even bigger then i thought it was. I measured my western and it is a 15, this English is a 17 1/2:( LOL. the lady said it looked right, and the other size they had, 16 1/2 looked and felt to small. I really like the way this one feels, at least on the saddle stand.

Becky

[Beaker]

Here I found you a picture. This is how the stirrup leathers should look when their threaded through the bar.

See that hooky thing on the bar? You flip that down to slide the strirrup on, and flip it up to keep the leather from slipping out of the stirrup bar.

[HairOfTheDog]

OK - First note... do this on the ~outside~ of the saddle flap, not the inside where you had it.

Thread the stirrup through the leather, with the floppy part of the buckle facing you when you hold it like this:

Now take the end of the leather and thread it up through the mount. (stirrup already threaded still but not shown in pic below)

Now buckle it. To ball-park guess the length, hold the stirrup iron in your armpit and you should be able to reach the mount with your fingertips.

When you've got it buckled, then slide the buckle till it's right up against the mount.

Then take the slack and run it through the keeper with the logo on it.

Note about these rubber Wintec stirrup leathers. They're really thick and stiff compared to leather ones, and when they are new, they may not lay as flat as mine do in the above picture. They will bend down and lay flat with use. You may feel the buckles under your thigh at first, I did, and didn't like it at all when mine was new, but they did eventually lay over nice and I'm not irritated by them now. Wintec does make a 'buckle-less stirrup leather' that solves this problem, if you ever need or want to replace them, but I didn't bother to, and they'll never wear out.

For storage, I pull the stirrups up the strap and tuck the leathers through it. This also keeps it out of the way saddling and cinching.

Stored with the cinch run through the stirrups, the way that would please any snooty riding instructor. :~D

[HairOfTheDog]

Your butt hasn't grown, they measure from a different point is all ;~D

[Beaker]

And FYI you know how the girth and the stirrup leather buckles are kind of split in two? Only put the leathers or the billets through the top hole.

If you look at the way that you have the stirrup leather, it's threaded through both of the holes like a belt buckle. Not what you want, but it's a pretty neat and creative try though! You get lots of points for that! :-D

[tuffydoodle]

I just love digital cameras and the internet. You sent pictures that you just took, to explain how an english saddle works, across the country, in a matter of minutes. Incredible.

[HairOfTheDog]

It's amazing, isn't it. :~D

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Ok, I think I've got it. I'm going to post pictures again to make sure, and I want you to see how far past the flaps they stirrups hangs on the longest setting. Maybe you could figure if they are going to be long enough. On the longest setting I don't have slack to run behind the wintec logo.

Becky