July 24, 2008 – SADDLE TECH
"How-to Horse Guy" feedback:
What is a knee poley?
A knee poley, knee pad, or just a "poley", is a pad on an Australian saddle that keeps the rider in his seat when the horse stumbles while running, shies quickly, or does a 180 degree " turn on a dime"..
It sticks up from the saddle above the thigh so it can stop the rider from going up and over if the horse should stop fast.
The photo below shows a poley on the off (right) side of the saddle.
A Knee Poley on an Australian Saddle
It came to major attention of the horse world in the 80s in the film "The Man From Snowy River" when the star of the movie galloped and slid down a steep hill on horseback.
I have them on my own saddle and really feel they make trail riding safer if a horse should make a quick unpredictable move when spooked.
Of course, that never really happens; right?
July 23, 2008 – HORSES & THUNDERSTORMS
Reposted as separate article. See: Horses & Thunderstorms article.
July 17, 2008 –MAJOR INJURY RISKS SOLELY FROM HORSE OWNERSHIP
(Note: Only pertains to those in romantic relationships.)
We're all aware (at least, somewhat aware) of the risks associated with being around and riding horses.
After all, they're big, they're powerful, and with a bad attitude, can push their weight around.
But how many of us think about the very dangerous risks just from horse ownership, even when NOT AROUND horses?
The risk of actually OWNING a horse?
NO!
Not legal risks; not financial risks; OWNERSHIP risks!
Well, if you're not thinking about this issue, you should be — this article should help.
As soon as you buy a horse, you make a financial commitment — this is the crux of the problem.
Does your romantic partner realize this risk?
If they, too, are horse people, the risk is minimal or nonexistent.
But what if they're not? Ahhhhh…there's the rub!
Take the case when the horse person says, "My ten year old saddle no longer provides me with enough support."
(No, we're not going to speculate as to possible body-shape changes that may have occurred over the years, or any other reasons for recent, insufficient, derriere saddle support; we're going to take the horse person's word for it.)
The "non-horse interested" partner will often, and with trepidation, visualize a new saddle.
Then, he'll (for some odd reason, it's almost always a male) see dollar signs.
But unfortunately, this partner sees the dollar signs leaving in a frightening direction, that of the local tack shop, or worse, a "designer" tack shop.
To this partner, the feeling is not good and his body starts to hurt…badly…
A typical response might be "NNNNNNOOOOO!!!!!!!"
WARNING!!!
There is grave danger for the horse person here.
"Incidences" have been known to occur.
Such incidences could include loud yelling affecting the ears and auditory system in the brain.
WOW!
Brain trauma from horse ownership when not even near a horse — who knew?
Insidious risks are everywhere!
Or even more worse (great grammar, eh?), take the case of the horse-loving partner seeing a great bargain of a horse being offered at auction, or more sinisterly, from a purported friend.
The cute filly or gelding in need of attention is heartbreaking for the horse lover and she (statistically, often a female) snaps it up and brings it home.
But enroute, extreme guilt and fear begins to intrude on this partner's consciousness.
The non-horse partner, often a husband, is not likely to understand.
In fact, he may not have the capacity to understand (such is just one weakness of a male, non-horse partner).
The care and feeding costs of this new, additional horse, may somehow undermine the ability to acquire some other critically needed survival item of the household, such as a motorcycle, ATV, home stereo system, or flat-screen, high-definition TV system.
The inability or delay in being able to acquire such a critical survival item could prove emotionally devastating or "unraveling" to the male partner fomenting a complete inability to cope — it upsets the "natural" order of things.
The early symptoms could be some subtle murmuring in seemingly disapproving tones.
But the disease can progress quickly.
Within 10 or 15 minutes, stammering can result.
After a hour or two, the symptoms can worsen into much louder, but unintelligible, babbling sounds.
In particularly severe cases, items can sometimes be seen flying through the air, thunder and roaring is heard, followed by the slamming of doors and squealing tires with other latent, aberrant behavior that can last for months and sometimes terrorize other family members, or worse: pets.
Yes, horse ownership is not for the timid or those with weak hearts.
It takes intestinal fortitude and great emotional strength.
Oddly enough, the non-married, non-dating, single horse-lover never experiences such episodes...go figure...
This has been a public service warning about the dangers of horse ownership unrelated to being on or around horses — YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
July 16, 2008 – FLY DEFENSES
"How-to Horse Guy" feedback:
Should I use a fly spray with "natural" ingredients over a chemical spray?
That's a tough question and is better directed to your veterinarian.
But I, too, have thought about this question and have adopted one approach.
Like you, I'm concerned about the repercussions of applying powerful chemicals to my horse to keep flies away.
So at the beginning of fly season, I use fly sprays that contain "natural" extracts, such as from eucalyptus, geraniums, chrysanthemums, etc.
I use them throughout the summer and into autumn unless they don't work, like on those warmer and humid days when the flies get vicious and the spray just doesn't seem to work anymore.
At that point, I turn to a more powerful chemical spray and try to use it even more carefully.
I've discussed this with my vet and several very experienced riders and they all reason that having my horse stomp one or more feet against the ground every 15 seconds or going crazy because of flies causes it's own problems.
They feel that fly sprays should be safe if used properly following the manufacturers directions.
As soon the fly problem lessens, I go back to the natural sprays.
When about to ride, I never spray his back.
I don't want any chemical, natural or otherwise, between his saddle pad and skin.
So I tack him up first and then spray his legs, croup, belly, chest, and neck.
When applying any kind of spray, I never spray near my horse's face.
Instead, I'll spray my fingers and rub it under his chin, on his ears, in them around the edges, etc.
And yes, I do wonder if I'm taking a chance by touching the spray directly.
I've tried using nitrile gloves, but it's not easy on warm humid days and my horse is not comfortable when I wear them around him.
And I put a fly mask on him while riding of such days.
I still feel you should ask your own vet for his/her advice on this topic.
But I hope the foregoing provides a starting point for consideration.
July 14, 2008 – MOUNTING PRESSURES
Reposted as separate article. See: Mounting Pressures article.
July 12, 2008 – THE BENEFITS OF VARIETY (NO! Not ABOUT DATING)
Reposted as separate article. See: The Benefits Of Variety (NO! Not About Dating) article.
July 7, 2008 – HOW TO CARRY DRINKING WATER – REVISITED
"How-to Horse Guy" feedback:
I don't know what kind of canteen to buy.
There seem to be many styles.
Yes, there do seem to be many.
I've seen one and two quart, round metal canteens, many styles of water bottles with sheaths, and soft, bladder-style water bags that collapse as you use up the water in many horse accessory catalogs.
I carry a military style canteen.
It's thick plastic and holds a quart.
Mine is made by the Richland Yellowstone Manufacturing company and sold through tack dealers across the U.S.
It comes with a sheath that has a scissor snap at the top and a one inch, D-ring on the bottom.
I'll be adding a second as soon as I receive my new saddle.
The key is to get the kind of canteen that is most appealing to you and that carries the amount of water you need.
July 3, 2008 – HOW TO CARRY DRINKING WATER
Reposted as separate article. See: Carrying & Managing Drinking Water on Rides article.
July 2, 2008 – MANAGING DRINKING WATER ON A RIDE
Reposted as separate article. See: Carrying & Managing Drinking Water on Rides article.
July 1, 2008 – THE BALANCE OF LIFE
Life is about balance — it always has been.
There are good things, and there are bad things; and as the saying goes, "into everyone's life a little rain must fall" (sometimes more).
Well, it's no different for me, and I, too, get good news and bad news, sometimes, at almost the very same time.
For example, I just learned that my saddle has shipped and I'll get it in a few days — that's the good news.
And, my credit card statement came in today; it has a charge for the saddle and for gas purchased this month — that's the bad news.
I'm hoping the quality of the saddle and its comfort for my horse and me will make me feel the cost is worth it.
As for the cost of the gas, I don't think there's anything that will make me feel better about that.
I mean, my vehicle is not running any better.
It's not quieter, smoother, faster, or more powerful.
It's not prettier, shinier, or making other drivers pull over to let me by.
So, I 'm having trouble figuring out what additional value I'm getting by purchasing this more expensive gasoline.
Perhaps I'm single-handedly saving the U.S. economy.
Or my contribution is preserving worldwide trade until the economy can turn around and resurrect itself.
Maybe, there's something happening on a cosmic scale and my sole purchases, like the "butterfly effect" in meteorology, form a seed of great importance that will bring about some critical event to save the universe.
WOW! I could be a nexus in the space-time continuum!!!
That means I could play a major role in saving the universe…at least in this dimension.
I had no idea of my place in the overall scheme of things.
Or maybe…just maybe…I'm rather unimportant in the big scheme of things and this is a message I should park the "gas eater" and ride my horse more…yeah…that must be it…SHEESH...
June 30, 2008 – KEEP YOUR HORSES SAFE AROUND THE FARM
Reposted as separate article. See: Keep Your Horses Safe Around the Farm article.
June 28, 2008 – A SMALL ACCIDENT – REVISITED
"How-to Horse Guy" feedback:
In ref to the "Small Accident" article - consider mentioning the mental state of the horse now.
Anytime that saddle hits his back, or while taking it off etc. he may get a "flashback" of the time it tried to "eat him".
His owner needs to re-introduce the saddle in a way that is sensitive to this accident to help him overcome any future apprehension towards it.
Depending on the horse, this can be a total non-issue, or one that can persist with the possibility of having to re-train the horse to accept the saddle.
As long as the owner is aware of this and is willing to approach the horse with patience, all should be well.
You are correct, of course.
And his owner has discussed this already, in fact, with me as well as with the barn owner.
We don't expect a problem because of her horse's normally very calm disposition and because the panic started once the saddle was under his belly — we're all hoping and expecting that he'll view them each differently.
That said, his owner does intend to take that first saddling slowly and carefully to assure her horse is comfortable at each step.
If he shows signs of concern, she'll stop the tacking process and spend more time getting him re-accustomed to having something on his back, starting with his saddle pad.
I particularly wanted to share this incident with our readership because loosening the girth/cinch once we dismount and don't intend to remount, but aren't yet at or inside the barn, is something many of us do for the comfort of our horses.
It's not much different than a guy loosening his tie at the end of the day or taking off our shoes to relax after a hard day's work.
But it certainly does show how it's not enough just to be aware of our surroundings when with horses.
They're big and powerful, and can easily spook.
So being "in the moment" also means we must attempt to anticipate what might go wrong.
Because if it does, unlike with a small pet, we may not be able to keep control over the situation, so proactive avoidance of problems becomes very important.
June 27, 2008 – RAISING AND LOWERING TRAILER GEAR
"How-to Horse Guy" feedback:
Last year I was camping next to someone who used a cordless drill to raise and lower his running gear on the horse trailer when hooking up and unhooking from his truck.
Before I could get my horse taken care of and go talk to him, he left.
Does anyone sell a cordless drill for this purpose?
The reason the trailer manufacturer provides a manual handle to raise and lower the gear is because they feel it should be done that way.
But if you want to go this route, you need to be careful about several things.
You don't want to round the head of the bolt that raises and lowers the gear, break something, nor hurt your wrists.
I suggest you use a slow drill speed when moving the gear up or down and that you set the drill's clutch at a setting that will slip once the gear is mostly up or down, then finish the process with the manual handle.
This will reduce the chance that you'll force or break something.
You certainly don't want that to happen, especially when you're away from home.
To acquire the pieces you'll need, get the handle for your horse trailer that raises and lowers the gear and take it to your hardware store.
Someone there will be able to tell you the size of the hex head socket you'll need to purchase.
Also take your cordless drill so the hardware store can provide whatever size shaft you'll need to mate the socket and drill chuck.
The socket will likely be 3/8 drive — I don't know whether you'll find a shaft with the proper square drive head at one end and nothing at the other so it will fit into a drill chuck — I've not seen that before.
The man you saw may have cut the female end off a 3/8 drive extension.
If you still intend to go this way, please consider the cautions I've suggested so you don't break something or get hurt.
June 26, 2008 – MORE ADVANCED HORSE PHOTOGRAPHY
Combined with June 25th posting as a sepearte article. See: Horse Photography article.
June 25, 2008 – HORSE PHOTOGRAPHY
Reposted as separate article. See: Horse Photography article.
June 24, 2008 – A SMALL ACCIDENT
This past weekend, I went trail riding with four friends and we had a small "event".
We had gone on a fun, three-hour lunch/trail ride and were returning to the barn.
Within a half-mile or so of the barn, we dismounted as we often do to allow the horses some time to cool down and relax without us on their backs for the remainder of the trip.
It's even good for us to walk a distance after spending a significant amount of time in the saddle.
Generally, we'll loosen the girths a little to make the horses more comfortable during our walk.
Another rider and I were in the rear and had dismounted first.
The others rode a little longer and got further ahead before dismounting.
As my friend and I were coming out of the forest near the barn, one of the other rider's horses was running free; well, not completely free, he had his saddle under his belly and was trying hard to dislodge it.
We watched in frustration as we saw him upset and tearing the saddle apart.
What we were still to learn was that he had also ripped his reins off the bit.
Once free of his saddle, he did what all horses do after a scary event, well, what they do before an event, and any other time they can, he went about grazing as if nothing had ever happened.
His rider came running to check him and we found he had hurt his front left leg above the fetlock, likely from it catching the bridle during the panic — thankfully, the bridle broke.
Though he needed some sutures from the vet, no serious damage was done and an examination of his mouth showed no injuries there.
In a follow-up conversation with his owner, it appears she had loosened his cinch too much and he panicked a minute or two later as it started a slide down his side and then under his belly.
He pulled his reins out of her hands as he ran off to escape the monster under his stomach.
From this experience, we all learned a lesson: don't loosen the cinch before returning to the barn.
While we care about our horses and want them to be as comfortable as possible, safety is a much higher concern.
I've thought about this event over the last few days thanking my lucky stars I've not loosened my saddle too much in the past and realized it's not easy to determine where, exactly, "too loose" begins and ends, and that this could have happened to me and almost anyone else.
Looking at this pragmatically, our horses had worn their saddles comfortably for three hours, another 5 or 10 minutes would have made no difference at all.
And while the injury was minor, it could have been far worse with potential serious damage to his mouth.
This is just another day of learning a new lesson regarding better care for our four-legged friends.
No matter how much we know, there's always more to learn and I've heard of cases of horses hurting themselves while tied to a post, or using cross ties, or a host of many other circumstances.
Each horse is an individual and something that doesn't bother one horse may panic another, or panic the same horse on another day.
Being alert and focused on what we're doing when with horses is most important.
I've written in the past about being "in the moment" — this is a reminder for me, as well as others, that "the moment" is all the time.
June 21, 2008 – BACKING A TRAILER
"How-to Horse Guy" feedback:
How the heck do you back a long trailer up?
I am having a devil of a time doing it.
Any tips?
First, let's talk about mirrors (also see prior post).
Mirrors on any vehicle are wonderful once you learn to use them.
But most people don't actually learn how to back up using mirrors, they just use them to see what's beside them.
My dad taught me how to drive, and about a year later, started teaching me how to back with mirrors and most important, how to "trust them".
You need to do the same if you haven't already.
Trusting your mirrors means you're comfortable backing up your car or truck without having to turn your head around to actually look back.
It also means your mind is comfortable associating directions that are reversed in your mirror — this takes practice.
At age 18, I was also a volunteer fireman and learned how to back a long pumper into the garage at close quarters without having to stop, and more importantly, without hitting anything.
Again, this was done through practice and trusting the mirrors.
Once I was comfortable backing any single vehicle, it was time to add a trailer.
The distance between your truck's rear wheels and the front-most wheels of your trailer makes a huge difference as to the difficulty of backing up — the longer the distance, the easier it is — the shorter, that harder it is to back up your trailer.
So what did my dad do?
He made me learn to back up a small trailer attached to a lawn tractor — it was murder!
The distance was so small, that any turn that went too far happened in seconds and caused the trailer to jackknife.
And he didn't want me to keep stopping, pulling forward, and starting again; he wanted me to do a controlled backup that included turns and staying on the road.
To make matters worse, he hopped on and showed me that it can be done.
Needless to say, it was far easier to watch him do it than to do it myself — I must have jackknifed at least a hundred times.
BUT, I kept getting better.
Once I was at least decent, he told me that backing up longer trailers would be much easier.
That surprised me because I though an 18 wheeler would be harder yet, but it's not.
When I later helped a friend by backing up his boat trailer, I found that my dad was right and it was much easier than that stupid lawn tractor and tiny trailer.
That's because a longer trailer gives you more time to react before the articulation between your vehicle and trailer has gone too far toward a jackknife.
If you really want to get better, there is no substitute for practice.
I think my dad did it the right way by making me learn with a lawn tractor and small trailer.
It used little gas while I practiced; if I did jackknife (and I did…a lot), no real damage was done, and I could see the entire trailer and learn the cues.
Of course, there were no mirrors on the tractor, but converting to mirrors which I already knew how to use because of my prior experience with them on small and big trucks was rather easy.
So, get comfortable with using and trusting your mirrors first, then get lots of practice backing a trailer.
Back slowly and make your turns gradual and gentle — you cannot easily make a sharp turn while backing a trailer when first learning.
Your truck and trailer should bend in a smooth, gradual turn and remind you of the way you want to make your horse bend around a turn in a ring.
Pay particular attention to how overturning your truck will make the trailer turn the opposite way and jackknife.
If that happens, the ONLY fix is to stop, pull forward to undo the overturn, and begin again.
Once you get the "hang of it", backing with a trailer will be no more than another familiar and comfortable driving technique you have at your disposal.
I hope this helps — good luck!
NOTE: The advice now given to truck and bus drivers, is to back up ONLY when you have to do so — you cannot see everything behind you when backing.
Especially when backing with a trailer, no matter how good you get, ALWAYS try to have someone guide you and watch to assure that no person or animal steps behind your trailer when backing it.
June 20, 2008 – HOW FAR OUT TO SET TRUCK MIRRORS
"How-to Horse Guy" feedback:
How can you tell if your mirrors on the truck are set far enough out when hauling?
You might think that the further you have your mirrors out, the better it is.
But that only works to a point.
After that, problems can start to occur.
The reason to have side mirrors is more than just seeing if something is there.
You also want to use them to align the side of your vehicle with other objects when backing.
Those objects could be other vehicles you're backing between or a garage you're backing into.
Generally, you want to be able to look into either side mirror and see the entire side of your vehicle from the rear portion of your driver's or passenger's door to the back of the vehicle.
When hauling, you want your mirrors to include the sides of your trailer.
If the trailer is wider than your truck, the mirrors may have to stick further out to see the sides of the trailer.
But don't give in to the temptation to move the mirrors much further out than they need to be or you'll be "clipping" objects when backing or even when driving into narrow spaces.
June 19, 2008 – RINGS & CHEEK PIECES
Reposted as separate article. See: Understanding Bits article.
June 18, 2008 – BIT MOUTHPIECES
Reposted as separate article. See: Understanding Bits article.
June 17, 2008 – BIT PARTS (not to be confused with small movie roles)
Reposted as separate article. See: Understanding Bits article.
June 16, 2008 – A LITTLE BITTY INTRO TO BITS
It seems that many riders really don't understand much about bits — and it's easy to see why.
Look in a catalog and you may see 80 - 100 or more bits from which to choose with little or no explanation as to the differences — no wonder many people are confused.
But in reality, there are not that many components that are combined together in different configurations to provide those 80 or 100 variations we all see.
So, this column will present a small series explaining the more common bit components and what they do.
When done, you should be able to understand what many bits are designed to do (I say "many bits" because I definitely don't know know every bit there is).
However, I will "come clean" right now and mention that I'm not a proponent of harsh bits.
I will explain what makes a bit harsh, but you'll definitely notice a bias for the gentler variations.
June 14, 2008 – WHAT'S SAFER?
ON FOOT OR MOUNTED?
"How-to Horse Guy" feedback:
"Is it safer to be on or off your horse if he gets surprised?"
I always feel safer when in the saddle.
If my horse were to spook while I'm leading him on the ground, my only options would be to try to hold and control him or to let him go.
If let go, I'd worry he could run into traffic or some other kind of trouble.
Controlling a scared horse is a delicate situation in the best of circumstances — it can get completely out of control in a hurry, and it may not even be our fault depending on the circumstances.
At least if in the saddle, I'd stay with him, even if he ran.
Plus, I could control his speed and direction so he doesn't make a bad decision in a panic.
Obviously, if the source of the spook were a bear, mountain lion, or some such, I'd think everyone would prefer being in the saddle.
That doesn't mean we'd necessarily make it to safety if being chased, but it sure beats having my horse run off and me being left on foot to face the problem alone.
Of course, if our horse was running off a cliff and we couldn't stop him, it would be time to leave.
A much better question is, "what kind of training do my horse and I need to build mutual trust and be in full control of my horse in almost any situation?"
Horses have been used in war and rescue situations throughout history.
Clearly, some people have mastered control and trust with their horses and there's no reason we can't learn to do the same.
Good horsemanship is all about building skills, knowledge, and trust with our four-legged friends in ways that work with their natural instincts.
It takes time and work, but it's certainly worth it!
June 13, 2008 – SAFETY AROUND HORSES
Reposted as separate article. See: Safety Around Horses article.
June 12, 2008 – CHOOSING A MOWER FOR A LARGE FIELD
"How-to Horse Guy" feedback:
"I've got 6 acres of event field to mow and don't know how to select the right mower for my filed."
This is an interesting question because there are so many variables to consider about the landscape and then match it to a large selection of mowers from the manufacturers.
First, if you can let your horse(s) graze the field, that may be your solution.
But if not, then consider the following questions:
- The size of the field
You've already answered this one.
At 4MPH with some overlap, a 48" mower can cut an acre of grass in about 40 minutes.
So 6 acres will take about 4 hours with a mower this size.
A larger mower will shorten the time, or maybe you can mow faster if the field is flat and smooth.
- The hillyness of the field
Hills can slow you down.
They require more power to climb a steep hill and a wider machine with a low center of gravity to maintain stability and not flip it.
Fortunately, you have an event field and they're usually flat or just a mild slope.
But if one or more sides of the field end in a steep hil, don't overlook stability as a safety factor.
- The amount of obstacles and trees to mow around
Event fields are usually clear, but if you have lots of trees or other obstacles to mow around on another part of your property and this mower will also be used for that area, a zero-turn mower will definitely speed up the process.
- Amount of rocks in the field
Mowing a field which includes rocks you must go over can be hard on your mower blades.
A flail mower incorporates hardened steel pivoting blades that can strike a rock with minimal damage and keep on mowing.
There is no one mower that's best for all fields.
Rather, you need to take an inventory of your own field and discuss it with a tractor/mower dealer to find the best product for you.
Unfortunately, because of the size of your field, this is not a good application for an inexpensive home store tractor mower.
You'll actually spend less over the long term and be much happier with the mower, (maybe even enjoy the job each week) if you look at a new or used commercial machine truly designed for the kind of mowing you need to do.
June 11, 2008 – CAN YOU CARE FOR YOUR OWN HORSE?
"How-to Horse Guy" feedback:
"I bought a horse about 4 years ago, he is my first and has been boarded at a stable.
I now have the opportunity to pasture board him next door to my home.
I am concerned and am not sure how or what to do to bring him home.
"
Reposted as separate article. See: Can You Care For Your Own Horse? article.
June 10, 2008 – TIRE SAFETY WHEN TOWING HORSES
Reposted as separate article. See: Tire Safety When Towing Horses article.
June 9, 2008 – TRUCKS FOR TOWING HORSE TRAILERS
When considering the purchase of a truck for towing a horse trailer, or to use your existing vehicle, consider the following:
- The truck towing capacity rating must be capable of towing the weight of the trailer, the horses, the tack, the hay bales, water, and the weight of EVERYTHING ELSE you expect to carry at the same time with your horses.
- The trailer hitch must be able to take this same COMPLETE load or more — NEVER use a bumper hitch, not even for a one horse trailer.
- The shorter the baseline of the truck's wheels, the less weight you should haul, even if it is well under the towing capacity of your truck.
When towing a load, long trucks are much more stable than shorter vehicles, such as SUVs.
If you intend to haul with an SUV or similar shorter wheel-base vehicle, downgrade the tow weight limit significantly to provide a greater safety margin so the shifting weight of horses in your trailer doesn't twist your truck and make you lose control.
There are many more requirements to keep you and your horse(s) safe while towing and a separate, more comprehensive article will be coming later this year.
Remember, your horse's life depends on proper towing vehicle, trailer, and towing driving expertise.
What you may not realize, is that your own life, that of any other passengers, and that of those in vehicles that will be in front of you, beside, and behind you on the highway are also at risk.
Towing horses properly and safely is much more than just driving a vehicle with more weight.
June 7, 2008 – EASY ACCESS SADDLE STORAGE WHILE RIDING
Reposted as separate article. See: Easy Access Saddle Storage While Riding article.
June 6, 2008 – CONSIDERING A GPS – REVISITED
"How-to Horse Guy" feedback:
"I'm looking to buy a GPS and really liked your suggestions about what to look for in a receiver.
But there are so many units to choose from, even from just from one manufacturer.
I'm somewhat confused and on a tight budget.
What do I select?"
There's likely no way I can select a unit for you; I don't know what else you'd enjoy using a GPS for and what else you consider important.
But I will try to identify those features that I think are most valuable for riding if you have to make hard choices and compromises.
Ability to Display Topo Maps
On some of the most basic units, you'll get a compass and simple directions and lines pointing to waypoints — I find those units frustrating.
At the very least, you'll want a unit that can display a topographical (topo) map of the area in which you're riding.
We're likely all familiar with maps and being able to also see our elevation is useful in finding out where we are and what route we should take.
If a GPS includes just a base map, it's definitely not enough and provides minimal or no detail on the scales you'll use for hiking and riding.
Unfortunately, the topo map often must be purchased separately.
High Sensitivity
Unless you generally ride the open plains, I also feel you NEED to get a unit that is rated "High Sensitivity", no matter what the cost.
Here in New England, most undeveloped space is forest.
In fact, if you look at an agricultural map of the U.S., you'll see that from Ohio east to the coast is actually one big forest with cities and roads carved out.
Add in the fact that the topography is hilly and in some places, mountainous, and you realize that you'll usually be under tree cover and in low places between hills.
No matter what you can afford to spend, if your unit is not sensitive enough to receive satellite-positioning signals under those trees and in those valleys, it will have no value to you at all.
In that case, I would save my money until I accumulate enough or the prices come down further so I could buy a unit that will work for me on the trails where I ride.
Other Features
Other often included features, such as a color display, barometer, altimeter, electronic compass, etc., are nice, but not really needed.
And while I recommended the walkie-talkie feature, you can inexpensively buy a set of two Family Radio Service (FRS) walkie-talkies as your cell phone backup for as little as $15 - $30 — it doesn't have to be built into the GPS unit.
I just like that convenience and the reduced need to carry still more stuff that also occasionally needs recharging or fresh batteries.
Trip Computer – Just Plain Fun
The trip computer is nice because is gives you the distance, time, and speeds traveled during your ride.
My fellow riders often ask how far we've gone and our fastest speed hit, especially after a gallop.
Fortunately, almost all the GPS units I've seen have this, even the cheaper ones, so that shouldn't be an issue.
June 5, 2008 – LEARNING FROM YOUR HORSE
Reposted as separate article. See: Learning From Your Horse article.
June 4, 2008 – SIGHTING OPPORTUNITIES ON TRAIL RIDES
Reposted as separate article. See: Sighting Opportunities On Trail Rides article.
June 3, 2008 – PART 13 – SADDLE SEARCH
Saddle Status Update
I received a call today and learned I should receive my saddle in a little over two weeks from now.
While that's longer than originally expected, I'm still happy to have a date to look forward to.
Wither Tracing Update
Last week in Part 12, I explained wither tracings and offered that I would supply some photos for greater elucidation.
Here they are:
Image 1
First, look at the legend at the center bottom of the Image 1.
It shows the horse's back and from where each measurement/tracing is taken.
The "A" curve is taken at the withers.
I was surprised to see how narrow my horse's withers, and his back below the withers, really are.
He's an appendix quarter horse, so not as round and barrel-like as a typical quarter horse because of the thoroughbred contribution.
And he's solid, and well muscled — not underweight at all, but still thinner than I'd realized.
For reference, my horse is best fitted with a saddle having a semi-quarter horse bar tree.
So curve "A" is likely quite close for any horse fitting that size saddle tree.
The "B" tracing is taken 5 inches aft of that and you can see how his back is quickly getting rounder.
Image 2
Continuing on through tracing "C" and "C2" shown in the Image 2, you can see the shape of how the saddle will flatten out.
The company states that tracing "C2" is not really necessary.
But because the saddle gauge has an arm for it and it helps to size the saddle, I figured I would avail myself of this additional opportunity to get the saddle sized "right" the first time.
As accommodating as Colin is to his customers, I'd rather not lose the time necessary to return the saddle for an "adjustment" if it can be avoided by me providing all information "up front".
The "D" tracing uses a piece of wire to capture the shape of horse's spine from the withers back.
And then I included a B&W photo showing his back's profile in an attempt to give the saddle maker every bit of information he/she might need to get the tree shape right.
That's all there is to the process.
So, if you've ever considered having a saddle made specifically for your horse, this is all you have to do.
Then you'll be asked for your own measurements so the saddle seat fits you as well as the tree fits your horse.
I'll have photos of the saddle and a full riding report (or three :-) in the next few weeks.
June 2, 2008 – CONSIDERING A GPS FOR TRAIL RIDING?
GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) receivers are all the rage these days for hikers, cars, boats, planes, and yes, even trail riders (at least those that ride on more than just a few acres).
I ride in a state forest of almost 15,000 acres that abuts the 35,000+ acre state forest of an adjoining state.
That's over 50,000 acres or 80 square miles — one could truly get lost, or worse, hurt with no one around when exploring the far reaches (the North 4,000?)
For those of you considering the purchase of a GPS to accompany your trail rides, consider the following features to make the unit more useful for trail riding:
- Hi-Sensitivity Version – so that it is able to receive satellite location signals even in narrow valleys and under thick forest canopies.
If it doesn't work where you go, it's useless.
- Built-in Walkie-Talkie – as a backup for your cell phone in case your cell phone's batteries die, it gets broken, you're in a low or no-signal area, (or your horse mistakes it for a treat because you answered a call with food on your hand while eating lunch).
- Built-in Weather Radio – to keep you apprised of fast-changing weather conditions.
- Trip Computer – to tell you how long your trip took, your maximum speed (during the aforementioned exciting gallop), your average speed (walking could be faster), distance to destination, and much more.
- Electronic Breadcrumb Trailing – so you can see the path you've taken, and if necessary, go back the way you came. This is also handy for uploading to your computer to take a good look at the path you rode for the day. It's often different than you would think and really helps you to learn your way around a park or forest.
I do carry and use a map and compass when venturing beyond the area I know.
But I've found a GPS also adds information and fun to a ride.
And while several of my riding friends laughed at first, they're now often asking how long we've been out, how far we've traveled, and how fast we hit on that last gallop…and a few are getting their own…
May 31, 2008 – THE COMPLETE BODY SURVEY – REVISITED
"How-to Horse Guy" feedback:
"You mentioned putting a finger into your horse's ear when you do your body survey of him, doesn't he hate that? My horse does!"
Yes, I quickly run a finger tip into each ear feeling for sores, fly eggs, liquid (blood, serum, etc.) or anything else that just doesn't seem right — And no, my horse has no problem with my putting a finger into his ear.
Many horses are initially uncomfortable with anyone toughing their ears at all, even on the outside, let alone inside.
But you can desensitize your horse to almost anything.
It just takes some patience and slowly getting your horse used to being touched there.
In fact, it's a good idea to do so, if for no other reason so he/she will let the vet check the ears during a physical.
Think of what our horses have already had to learn not to fear, such as a halter being placed around the head and neck, no less; or a bit being placed in the mouth, floating of their teeth; and much more.
The ears are no different.
During my survey, I also check his teeth, look at his eyes, and look into his nostrils. I'm not doing a medical examination, just looking to assure I don't see a cut or other injury, blood oozing, bug bites or eggs — that sort of thing.
Checking our horse every time we visit or ride is a good way to catch problems while they're still minor and easily treated.
And it also means we're greatly reducing the chance our horse has to suffer with a problem until we notice — I'd feel really badly about that.
May 30, 2008 – STAYING DRY
For the last 15 years or so, I've been using hi-tech clothing.
I often have to hike in almost any season to get to some of the locations where I'll shoot landscape photos.
But I don't enjoy it when I get wet unless I'm actually swimming or snorkeling.
The rest of the time, I don't want to get wet.
As this relates to caring for and riding horses, I feel similarly.
So, I'm a big fan of breathable polymer membranes in my outerwear.
These membranes stop water from getting through while they let my perspiration escape.
The most famous and original is likely familiar to you: Gore-Tex.
And there are other products specially designed fabrics to perform this function, such as Epic, eVent, and L.L.Bean's Tek2.5.
Regardless, they all help keep you dry when active outdoors.
Another benefit they provide is excellent wind blockage; this is especially important in the winter when strong, cold winds can quickly steal away our heat through normal clothing.
But don't stop there, this form of clothing is available in many products related to riding.
For example:
- My riding coat with these materials keep water and wind away from the trunk of my body, even in a heavy rain.
- My riding boots use it to keep my feet dry even when I step into a deep puddle of water, mud, or horse waste.
- My gloves use it to keep my hands dry even if I brush off a lot of wet snow or put my hand into liquid water.
- I have ski pants I use when riding of very cold days that keep the water and wind off my legs.
So when colder weather comes along, with the proper clothing, you can enjoy riding in it without the discomfort.
And these clothes generally last a long time. I have coats and gloves that I use every year and have had them for over 15 years so far — they're still in good shape and I'll be using them again next winter.
While my outerwear is waterproof, I'm not one to intentionally go riding in rainy weather, especially when it's cold, for my horse's sake as well as mine.
But, here in New England, the weather has a reputation of changing very quickly regardless of the forecast.
I like the fact that if it should change quickly and start to rain before I get all the way back to the barn, hi-tech clothing will keep most of me completely dry and significantly reduce the risk of hypothermia.
May 29, 2008 – CHEAPER BARN LIGHTING – SAVE MONEY!
It's been all over the news for the last year or so, but I'm surprised at how many barns I enter that still use traditional incandescent bulbs.
Just replacing all those bulbs in your barn with their Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulb equivalents will drop your electricity costs to power them by about 73% — that's a lot of savings for the price of the replacement bulbs — you get those savings every month!
There will be one inconvenience, but in my opinion, it's a very small one.
Depending on the CFL bulbs you get, you may have to wait a minute, maybe even two minutes, for full brightness.
But when you consider that many barns leave these lights on much of the day, the only person that will notice is the person turning the lights on in the morning.
And they may take another minute or two more in the winter depending how far north you live.
But you'll get even more savings because you leave those lights on much longer then because of the shorter, darker days of winter.
But don't stop there, change them in your house, basement, and garages, too.
About the only place I've found that seems to make little sense is in closets, because we're in there for such a short time that the savings are small AND it makes little sense to wait for them to brighten up.
Quite an easy way to save almost 75% of your lighting costs in these days of ever increasing energy prices!
I'll be posting a more comprehensive article on this topic during the summer that will actually quantify the costs and help you calculate your actual savings.
May 28, 2008 – A MORE COMFORTABLE STIRRUP
For those of you that enjoy long trail rides as I do, consider switching to endurance stirrups if you haven't done so already.
For most of us, long rides will often mean a little soreness for the soles of our feet.
And if, like me, you do a lot of half-seat riding for the occasional small jump and to quickly shift balance while rounding corners at a trot (or canter, or gallop, or, or…), ankles and knees can also get sore because we're using them as a shock absorption system (a la skiers), though, we are protecting our backs much more by doing so.
Endurance stirrups are deeper front-to-back than conventional stirrups and that distributes our weight over more of the sole of our feet.
But because they're deeper, they should also be wider or there will be a slightly increased chance to wedge your foot in the stirrup — a wider stirrup preserves your foot's ability to slip out during a fall — a good thing.
Some also have foam-padded bottoms which serve to absorb some of the pounding and reduces strain from the aforementioned half-seat riding using our legs to absorb shock.
All in all, I've found my legs and feet more comfortable during and after my rides since converting to them.
May 27, 2008 – RIDING HELMETS – A RECENT "CLOSE CALL"
While this is a "how-to" column, I thought I'd share an experience of this past Sunday during the Memorial Day weekend.
I'm a big proponent of wearing riding helmets.
When in my 20s, I was an Emergency Medical Technician and firefighter.
During warmer weather, we responded to many motorcycle accidents causing serious head injuries — some were DOA.
I owned several motorcycles myself at that time and these experiences motivated me to always wear a helmet.
Coming to horseback riding later in life, there was no question I would wear a riding helmet.
While the photo of me on the "About How-To Horse Guy" Webpage shows me with a hat, that was for the purposes of the photo.
Except for one weekend each year at which most attendees wear western garb at the ranch where I board, I ALWAYS wear a helmet when riding.
I occasionally ride the trails alone, but 90 - 95% of the time, I ride with others, both for safety and social reasons.
My horse is a little bigger than average (~16 hh) and I'm a little taller than most (almost 6' 3").
When I'm following "the pack", they'll often "scoot" cleanly under small branches and I'll bend my head down so the twigs hit my helmet rather than my face.
They don't do this on purpose (I hope), they just don't realize that I "stick up higher" than they do.
On Sunday, I was on a 6 hour trail ride with a friend and farther from the ranch than usual.
We were at a slow canter on a trail and I was in front.
When we rounded a corner, the butt of a one inch branch was facing my head.
The branch had broken from some upper level and settled on a lower branch just above me and pointed at my face.
I immediately faced down, ducked, and yelled "BRANCH!" — the branch end hit my helmet and glanced off — that helmet made a potentially dangerous event nothing more than a minor thud.
(I've checked my head and there are no splinters sticking out.
And my riding partner said the branch was above her head.)
Now readers may say, I shouldn't have been at a canter, even a slow one, or we should have been walking our horses because, while I'd ridden the trail before, it wasn't recently, and branches drop from time to time due to heavy winds — I would not disagree with this advice.
On the other hand, we can't think of every possible situation, there is some modicum of risk in just being around horses, let alone riding them, especially at speed.
And we still have to remember, we're on very powerful, 1,000+ pound beasts that have their own minds and can deviate from our instructions — we've already accepted some risk.
If it wasn't for my helmet, I don't know what would have happened.
It's protected me from head scratches, through my tumbles that have contused or scraped my lower body, and now a direct blow to the head.
Because I see many people of all ages on the trail without helmets, some of them close friends (yes, I bug them about getting helmets), I just wanted to share this experience in the hopes that at least some of them, and any readers like them, will reconsider.
May 26, 2008 – PART 12 – SADDLE SEARCH
Wither Tracings
I thought I'd share the process of taking wither tracings in case any readers are considering having a saddle made for their horse.
Some fellow riders had expressed a little confusion about the process and concern about whether they could have any confidence of getting a properly fitting saddle using this method. I'm confident it should work and am comfortable with the approach.
Of course, I'll have some experiential evidence one way or the other when I receive and try the saddle and I'll let you know what I find.
The process starts by taking the shape of your horse's back (I'll try to add some images in the next day or so). Here's the procedure:
I cut off the bottom horizontal part of a wire coat hanger.
I bent the remaining top portion to follow my horse's shape at the withers.
Then, I placed the hanger on a piece of paper and traced the bottom side that had touched and followed the contour down my horse's sides.
Moving toward his tail, I re-bent it to follow his shape 5 inches behind that, traced it, and then repeated the step twice more in 5 inch increments.
Finally, I bent the straight hanger piece I cut off the bottom to follow his spine from his withers backward so it reflected the shape of the top of his back where the saddle tree will sit.
I labeled each tracing as to its location as Colin's catalog and Website instructed.
When I got home, I included a page with my height, waist length, and weight, and also the accessories I wanted to order with the saddle.
This information packet of about four pages was then FAXed to Colin.
Now I wait. I did receive an email from Colin indicating that the factory in Australia is backed up some on its orders.
I'm currently four weeks along and waiting for an ETA.
Am I excited?
You betcha!
Once I placed my saddle order, it seems my current saddle instantly became less comfortable…go figure…
I'll let you know when I receive the saddle, my feelings about it, and will include some photos.
May 25, 2008 – PART 11 – SADDLE SEARCH
Coming to a Decision
As we continued our call, Colin asked many questions about saddle fit and what I wanted, and I had to ask many questions about saddle features and available accessories to answer him.
Originally, I had picked up a catalog from his booth at Equine Affaire (one of many catalogs from many booths) and read it through several times.
It is jam-packed full of information, and Colin, a prior published author himself, writes in a very informative, witty, and fun style.
I looked at his Web site (see Part 10) trying to find answers to my questions before calling him.
But on the phone, he offered lots of even more information.
In addition, the catalog and Website both list glowing testimonials, but we, as readers, can always wonder if a company is displaying only the good correspondence.
Here at QueryHorse, I know the testimonials listed are true and written by the actual individuals listed.
But how do I convey that to site visitors?
Similarly, I wonder the same when reading testimonials from other sites.
Ordering the Saddle
So, I searched the Internet for Australian saddles from Colin's company, especially reviews from prior customers.
I found a few and these independent reviews expressed delight with their saddles, especially their comfort.
One had a minor quibble with a slightly mismatched color between two pieces of leather, but he still raved about his saddle AND HIGHLY recommended it.
I don't know whether he ever contacted the company to get the problem resolved.
No matter, with only raving reviews and no detractors found, plus a 100% guarantee on the purchase, it made me feel very comfortable.
Therefore, it's mainly my time that I'm risking, and after a year-long search, what's another four to six weeks to have the saddle built?
So I took out my credit card and ordered the saddle to be built.
In the next posting, I'll explain wither tracings.
May 24, 2008 – PART 10 – SADDLE SEARCH
Finding an Australian Saddle Supplier
We now return to our saddle search saga.
As we got into April of this year, I was getting frustrated at my inability to find a "live" Aussie saddle to sit in — there seemed to be none at any tack shops in the area.
I started calling around asking this question: if I was to special order a saddle and I didn't like it or it didn't fit well, could I return it?
I received the expected reply, a very reasonable reply that, in their shoes, I would also say.
The gist of that reply was: "we can't accept a return on a specially ordered item unless it's defective".
So, I started talking about these saddles to my horse friends and fellow riders — none knew much about them nor had any ever ridden in one.
But the owner of my barn told me one thing that got my attention.
She said that if I was going to get an Australian saddle, get a really good one, because she had heard of a number of cases where cheap ones just fell apart after a few years.
I mentioned what she said to my aforementioned "horsey" friends and they responded they had heard similar advice and had also heard of them falling apart.
At this point, I didn't know if this new information was true or just a well-circulated rumor.
No one seemed to actually know anyone who had experienced such a saddle falling apart, they'd just heard the same advice.
With no corroboration, I was stymied.
I knew it could be true; I also knew there was little way to determine which saddles have this problem and why.
With no Australian saddle available locally, there had to be some way that mail order saddles could be tried and returned.
Let's face it, you can't know how well a saddle fits or doesn't fit your horse until you put it on — there had to be a way to check that before committing hard-earned cash, or returning the saddle if it didn't fit properly.
Calling on the Aussie
So I called the only Aussie I knew that rode horses and knew saddles (and he also happened to sell a custom saddle I was drooling over...err...considering highly).
This person is the infamous Colin Dangaard mentioned earlier in Part 9 and owner of the Australian Stock Saddle Company in Malibu, California.
I asked Colin for the location of the closest dealer carrying his saddles.
The answer: Ohio.
Now, many New Englanders think Ohio is in the mid-west, the very center of the country — they should look at a map for often.
While it's actually more in the Eastern US and not even halfway to Nebraska (which truly IS in the middle), Ohio is still over 600 miles away from me — no can do.
An Offer I Couldn't Refuse...
So I asked Colin the next question: "Do you have any used or demo saddles you could send me that I could try for a week or two?"
Colin answered: "no".
BUT, he wanted to know what saddle I was considering.
I told him it was the Southern Cross Poley.
He then said it was a great choice, that I could order a new one, and he would guarantee it 100% — if I wasn't happy with it for any reason, he would return the entire purchase price including shipping.
But I'm not THAT Special...
That surprised me and I thanked him for offering me such a kind favor, to which he responded: "I'll do that for any customer!"
Colin's initial offer made me feel "special"; really special; I like "special"; it makes me feel really, well, SPECIAL.
But when I found out he treats everyone this way, I was disappointed that I really wasn't very special at all.
(I think my mom has been trying to convey this to me for my whole life.)
Fortunately, my crushed ego was saved by the "little boy" in me.
That "little boy" started to get excited that my search might be over soon and that I could be the happy owner/rider of my "dream" saddle.
I should point out that this saddle is "custom built" for horse and rider, so Colin was obviously quite sure a customer would be happy or he'd be out of business by now.
He continued with something along the lines of: "We properly fit 95% of our customer's and horses the first time, and we revise and fix the remaining 5% the second time.
The tree can be adjusted for any horse as he grows or as you change horses — everyone is very happy with these saddles."
Happiness Might Still Be Mine...
This was even more exciting in that I would be able to try a saddle especially made for my horse and me without having to commit my money unless my horse and I were truly happy with it.
And I was equally excited that my investment would not be limited to my current horse.
While he's not old and he's very special to me, I intend to still be riding 30 or more years from now and this saddle can be adjusted for other horses as necessary.
Things had quickly improved with my call to Colin and the saddle search was becoming fun again.
May 23, 2008 – HYGIENE AROUND HORSES
One of the more difficult aspects of spending time around horses is that of cleanliness.
We pick up sebum when touching them in almost any way from grooming their coat to riding.
Sebum is an oily secretion from the skin of almost all mammals.
And cleaning hooves exposes us to dirt and biological horse waste replete with all manner of pathogens from both.
As a result, hygiene is difficult.
Yet, I want to clean my hands before eating a sandwich out on the trail, or even at the barn.
I also want to clean them before touching the steering wheel and driving away in my vehicle.
So, I carry two forms of "wipes" to achieve that goal.
I buy regular diaper wipes (yes, you men can laugh) at the supermarket or convenience store that I carry in my vehicle.
And I carry about six or eight individually wrapped pre-moistened, sanitized, hand wipes in my cantle bag.
Both make cleaning quick and easy at the barn, on the trail, or any other place where soap and water are not readily available.
(They also make lunch much more palatable.)
May 22, 2008 – RIDING FOOTWEAR
Reposted as separate article. See: Riding Footwear article.
May 21, 2008 – COMPLETE HORSE BODY SURVEY
A Short Break
The last nine days have focused on my year-long search for a saddle that my horse and I can be truly happy with for the long term.
While almost complete, I decided to break this up a little.
Our story is almost up to present day, so today I'm providing a "How-to Horse Guy" tip, which was the original intention of this space.
I'll return to the last few parts of the saddle search in the near future.
Horse Body Survey Details
Whenever I visit my horse, whether to ride, train, or just to check on him, I perform a quick, whole-body survey.
I do this even if I was at the barn the prior day.
Something can easily happen or change from day to day.
To perform the survey, I run my hands methodically over his whole body starting at his head and then down his neck to his body, all over his sides and under his complete belly.
I cover one side from top to bottom, including down each leg, then do the same on the other side.
I even rub a finger into each ear as well as touching the complete outside of his ears.
I'm feeling for wounds, ticks, fly eggs, bumps, depressions, swelling, hot spots, and anything else that doesn't seem right.
The whole survey takes me about 30 - 50 seconds and I get more sensitive each time I do it because I'm really getting to know his body and what feels right and doesn't.
I started doing this right after I got him last year as a way to give him a quick survey and I do it each day I see him.
This is a great way to discover problems early when they're not yet an emergency and I highly recommend it to all horse owners, and even renters and lesson students who care about the horses they ride.
The more you do it, the more you'll know when something doesn't feel right and needs attention.
May 20, 2008 – PART 9 – SADDLE SEARCH
When more is not necessarily good…
I was surprised to see how many companies carry Australian saddles.
On QueryHorse, I searched for the phrase "australian saddle" and found over 50,000 documents relating to them.
As I started "combing through" the different offerings, they all seemed rather similar with few distinguishing features.
They all had deeper than average seats and knee poleys.
But I was not able to determine comfort or to find a local tack shop that had some on hand so I could actually sit in one.
At the Massachusetts' Equine Affaire that I mentioned in a prior post, I found several Aussie saddle companies, and one particularly caught my eye, but not because of the saddle.
A Suspicious Character
On the first day there, an unusual looking man walked by our booth about midday.
I say unusual because he was wearing a full-length oilskin coat, an Aussie hat, and other unusual leather accoutrements (don't know what they were).
He seemed quite rugged and perhaps a little worn.
In fact, he looked like he was ready to go to hell and back and was properly dressed for it.
Give him a horse and a whip and he'd pass for the "real thing".
Of course, lots of people at the trade show were wearing English, western, and similarly authentic garb related to their riding disciplines.
I didn't think much else of it at the time, though I did later notice he was hanging around one of the Australian saddle company booths.
When I came to that booth during one of my "rest breaks", I looked at the saddles and also noticed they sold whips.
That surprised me in that I'd not seen whips sold anywhere before.
A day or so later, this guy stopped by our booth and asked a little about what QueryHorse was and I explained.
I also learned his name was Colin Dangaard and that he owned the Aussie saddle company at the booth I had visited.
I did go back to his booth later and spoke with some of his sales people asking questions about saddles.
But I found it difficult to come to any conclusions about these saddles.
I also visited other booths with Australian saddles and came to similar non-conclusions.
I felt I was trying to come to a decision in the abstract, kind of like attempting to decide whether or not to buy a pair of shoes by looking at them on a shelf and trying to determine how comfortable they would be.
At the end of the last day of Equine Affaire, the crowd really thinned out on that Sunday Evening and Colin came by to chat.
All us vendors were exhausted by that time due to the long days and being on our feet all the time (plus Kathleen and my compulsion to gallop around these immense buildings as our warped idea of how to have fun and take a break…no, we're not that smart).
We spoke for about an hour and learned that Colin was likely crazier than we were (hard to believe, eh?)
I started to remember I had read an article written by him in the Sept. 2007 issue of Perfect Horse magazine.
He wrote about being in a hunt club race in the California Santa Monica Mountains.
It seems he spent some of the race taking jumps after losing his stirrups and still at a flat-out gallop.
He also mentioned having had so many crashes off a horse in his life that he should have been put down years before.
At least this was beginning to explain that worn and "to hell and back" look I'd noticed when he first passed by our booth — he really has visited hell — I'm really not into crashes at flat gallop.
But he was so very entertaining to chat with — we all laughed a lot; and he was quick witted.
Colin's passion and enthusiasm were contagious and he spoke about some crazy riding he's done, such as jumping picnic tables and blasting through the Malibu hills at night (I didn't ask about the degree of darkness for fear this man could outride me in almost any situation — my frail male ego and all that)
I will admit that Kathleen and I later spoke about how fun it would be to accompany Colin of one of his rides, though preferably during the light of day so we could avoid errant picnic tables and other attacking obstacles.
I also learned this man really is a genuine Aussie and grew up herding cattle "down under".
This all turned out to be a great opportunity and I learned more about Australian saddles and how the poleys work to hold the rider in — Colin was a wealth of knowledge.
Still no joy…
Since returning home, I've been investigating other Australian saddle companies using the Internet and finding these saddles vary in price from several hundred dollars to many thousands, just like any other type of saddle.
Unfortunately, while I had selected the kind of saddle I wanted, I was still no closer to making a decision because I couldn't find a tack shop that even had one to sit in, let alone one willing to offer a week or two trial so I could test their comfort and greater safety claims.
The growing tedium of my saddle search was to continue for several more months.
May 19, 2008 – PART 8 – SADDLE SEARCH
Australian Saddles
Moving on to Australian Saddles made my job much easier.
They're built specifically for the kind of riding I like to do.
And their job is to keep the rider in the saddle.
Mind you, I've taken my own tumbles just like anyone else who rides, especially trail riding with its occasional surprises.
And yes, there have been times when I should have been paying more attention than I was.
But there's a difference between riding for an hour in a controled space like an arena and the much longer rides on the trail with multiple horses and friends with whom you're chatting (I'm not saying we won't include the horses in conversation, but it's fair to say the horses we ride with are not very talkative).
Riding for hours with friends and enjoying the beauty of nature does conspire, at least a little, to distract us from time to time.
And during that time, things can happen (or our horse might realize this is the "perfect opportunity" he/she has been looking for to get away with something).
So, if a particular saddle design can make our riding safer, why not avail ourselves of that extra safety component?
Australian saddles have undergone a constant, evolutionary development intent on keeping the rider atop the horse.
That's very important!
Most, if not all of the pain and injury from a crash occurs when we eventually hit the ground.
If we can skip that part, we avoid the pain and injury — is this a great concept or what?
So, Australian saddles have generally deeper seats.
That helps keep us there when our horse accelerates suddenly or takes that unexpected "instant hop" like only a horse, or a deer, can do.
(Few of my friends ride deer, and those that would like to do so complain of a lack of deer saddles that, to this day, keep them on foot rather than "deerback".)
Australian saddles also have kneepads called "poleys" that are designed to stop the rider from being thrown over the horse's neck during a steep and quick downhill run or an abrupt stop.
Now, I don't like to canter or gallop downhill.
In fact, I don't even like trotting downhill; I almost always walk my horse down anything but the most gentle slopes.
It seems horses more easily trip when going too fast downhill.
If my horse trips at speed, I'm not only afraid I'll get hurt, I also worry about him breaking a leg. I'd feel terrible if he got hurt because of some dumb thing I was doing, so I try to avoid that.
Level ground is different.
In fact, just yesterday, four friends and I were galloping through rather thick forest at almost 20 MPH (verified by GPS) dodging trees and branches (no, not a classic dumb male thing, three were women and we are all over 40, some over 50...shhhh...)
The horses loved it and the biggest risk seemed to be to us riders rapping a kneecap against a tree or being swept off by a low-hanging branch (one of those aforementioned "perfect opportunities" for the horse not happy with his rider).
Between that deep seat and the knee poleys, riders tend to stay put much better in such a saddle (quick moving tree branches notwithstanding).
And these saddle characteristics also address other concerns I've mentioned, such as the abrupt, light-speed turn only a horse can orchestrate.
So, just by moving to this saddle design makes trail riding somewhat safer.
And from the Aussie saddle manufacturers I reviewed, a horn is usually optional — we're not forced to select between western or endurance styles and be limited to the features a manufacturer has accorded either design.
Obviously, I'm saying goodbye to that pelvic scalpel.
At this point, I was starting to feel "real good".
The cloud of confusion was abating some (notice I said some — I was now in a "thinning mist" rather than a dense, blinding fog — to my way of thinking, this was progress).
