|
|
Post by jen1 on Dec 31, 2011 2:41:22 GMT 1
anyone got one, ?
|
|
|
|
Post by Zuzan on Dec 31, 2011 12:43:49 GMT 1
No but I did try one.. very unfortunately they don't have a tree that fits Neets.. She's a little unusual moderately high and long and wide withers with a flat back..
Would highly recommend trying them.. Ilga Cottle is very principled and will not persuade you if the tree is unsuitable.
Really excellent quality and very comfy seat.. I keep my eye on them to see if they've developed another tree..
|
|
|
|
Post by julz on Dec 31, 2011 12:51:21 GMT 1
No, but oldie had one for about 3 years til he died.... brilliant saddles, very comfy and the memory foam panels for the horses back are great too.....
you thinking of getting one?
|
|
|
|
Post by jen1 on Dec 31, 2011 12:52:47 GMT 1
oo thankyou, so what about star trek? they do a spanish type saddle
|
|
|
|
Post by jen1 on Dec 31, 2011 13:16:47 GMT 1
Startrekk Espaniola, this is one i like the look of,
|
|
pd
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 1,367
|
Post by pd on Dec 31, 2011 19:38:31 GMT 1
I looked at them when saddle shopping recently but my horse changes weight summer to winter, and the strada's are very shallow in their flocking. I chose one of Heather Moffetts saddles instead which can accommodate these changes perfectly.
I thought the Strada was very over priced for what it is.
|
|
wills
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 4,657
|
Post by wills on Dec 31, 2011 22:41:17 GMT 1
I liked the look of the strada (but not the price  ) when i googled reviews on it a few weeks ago i noticed alot of people had commented that it can take a while to warm up in cold weather, some suggesting you should leave it on for 10 mins before riding, fair enough if youve got time but most people are short of time in the winter. |
|
sixfootblonde
Grand Prix Poster
www.western-saddler.co.uk
Posts: 1,138
|
Post by sixfootblonde on Jan 1, 2012 10:09:29 GMT 1
I had one and they really were very hard in cold weather. Some people put hot water bottles underneath it until the panels warm up. Horses heat was not enough with my long haired NF pony to warm it up enough in the winter, certainly in 10 minutes.
|
|
|
|
Post by Zuzan on Jan 1, 2012 11:57:29 GMT 1
The Strada is a close contact saddle so you feel very much part of the horses back. It's a very different principle to the HM saddles.
I don't know if the materials have changed but I trialled one in the depths of a Highland Winter on a very woolly Neets and it seemed to warm very quickly .. maybe they have changed the material ..
|
|
|
|
Post by specialized on Jan 1, 2012 12:05:32 GMT 1
Memory foam is notorious for going hard in the cold, and I believe the strada fitters advise a 10 min warm-up period before mounting - as one of my customers commented 'not a lot of good in a vet-gate on an endurance ride'.
I know that the designer of our saddles trialled memory foam in the seats and found that he was sitting on a 'block of wood' in the Texas winter.
I have dismantled an orthoflex panel which was made with a layer of memory foam against the horse and after approx 5 years of use it resembled cardboard and caused a pressure sore on the horse's back.
These are purely anecdotal comments from my experiences with memory foam - I have not had any personal experience with a strada saddle so cannot comment on them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Zuzan on Jan 1, 2012 12:11:22 GMT 1
My current saddle is memory foam (not a Strada) and seems to be fine even tho I mostly keep it in the steading which can get very very cold... last winter was serious minus temps but it still seemed to warm up quickly.
I really like memory foam as it is very smooth and stays so.
I know one very successful endurance rider who not only rides in Stradas but is an agent for them.
Memory foam does need replacing ... like wool flocking every now and again.
|
|
|
|
Post by julz on Jan 1, 2012 12:52:27 GMT 1
With Strada saddles, you need to keep them on soft furnishings to prevent the memory foam being creased ... ie when it's taken off the warm horse's back, then placed on it's rack... we used to have four layers of saddle cloths on the metal saddle rack, for this purpose.... Kept properly they will last for years and years, like any saddle.
|
|
|
|
Post by Zuzan on Jan 1, 2012 12:59:04 GMT 1
Another great tip for those metal saddle racks is to use pipe insulating foam on them as this ensures whatever you use to flock / pad panels with they don't take on the ridges of the bars of the rack.
|
|
|
|
Post by jen1 on Jan 2, 2012 1:35:41 GMT 1
Startrekk Espaniola, this is one i like the look of, has anyone seen one of these, i wonder how wide there wide is, i want to buy very wide and keep doing what i do with my balance pads as fleur has still got scope to change shape and does winter and summer |
|
|
|
Post by specialized on Jan 2, 2012 8:06:41 GMT 1
i want to buy very wide and keep doing what i do with my balance pads Would that work with a treeless? |
|
) when i googled reviews on it a few weeks ago i noticed alot of people had commented that it can take a while to warm up in cold weather, some suggesting you should leave it on for 10 mins before riding, fair enough if youve got time but most people are short of time in the winter.
