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Post by chunky monkey on Dec 30, 2006 23:59:28 GMT 1
Hi all - hope you had a great Xmas! I must've been a very good girl, cos Santa bought me a Barefoot Nevada for Xmas (well, my wonderful OH bought it for me, and it was a complete surprise!).....not had chance to use it yet, as horsey (Archie) has been 'resting' for about 6 weeks on vets orders.
I can now bring Archie back into work, but before I use it, I'd like to know if anyone has one of these saddles, and if they can give me any tips / advice, and tell me any of the pros / cons for them?
Archie has had a Fhoenix suberpanel (treeless) in the past, and unfortunately it made his back very sore, so I sold it. I have been yearning for a Western saddle for years, but Archie is very W-I-D-E so I was a bit worried about getting the fit right, and the price of a good quality treed Western saddle was waaaay out of my reach! I kept looking at the Barefoot ones, but never had the cash available to take the plunge and buy one....bless my lovely OH for getting me one - he's so thoughtful!
So what's the general opinion on the Barefoot treeless saddles - it looks amazing, and I can't wait to hop on board!
Tracey x
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Post by fin on Dec 31, 2006 0:09:21 GMT 1
Mine didn't fit my son, so I sold it Otherwise I liked them a lot--only prob I had was that the seat was actually very slippery, but other than that, it was fine Lucky you, BTW. WHat a nice OH!!!
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Post by chunky monkey on Dec 31, 2006 0:21:52 GMT 1
Hi Finn - yes, my OH is a real 'keeper'! He plumped for the treeless, cos he was unsure about the fit of a treed - he's not very clued up about horses, so he absolutely did the right thing!!! (he says he finally bottled it when the treed saddle fitter asked him to do a "wither pattern"......I think he asked "erm, what's a wither?" LOL ) The lady he bought the saddle from asked what my dress size and height is, so the saddle should fit me (hopefully!) - I'm just praying that Archie gets on with it (after our very stressful and expensive brush with the Fhoenix!!) I'm surprised that you found the seat slippy, cos it looks so sticky (nubuck leather) and squishy (almost like you'd sink into it), but of course, i haven't even sat on it yet - one of the main reasons for wanting a Western was security and comfort out hacking, so the last thing I want is a slippy seat! I'll bear that in mind, thank you. Tracey x Oh, and he also bought the grandeur pad (the sheepskin one) to go with it - it all looks very luxurious and comfy, I have to say!
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Post by fin on Dec 31, 2006 12:37:20 GMT 1
Well, TBH I was riding the sort of huge cob that had a trot that most andalusians would die for, so short of my ars being superglued to the seat I doubt I was going to stay put.....so thinking about it, the slipiness may not have been entirely due to the saddle, more to do with the fact I was being launched skywards at every stride!!!! I did buy a suede seat saver for it though, but never got occasion to try it out. The Heather Moffat ones don't fit (sadly), BTW--just in case you ever get tempted to get one!!! (But it fits my BM now, so it all worked out nicely in the end ). When are you going to ride in it?
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susan in greece
Olympic Poster
"you can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf" Joseph Goldstein
Posts: 556
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Post by susan in greece on Dec 31, 2006 12:57:44 GMT 1
hi cm, i've got the cheyenne but my friend is planning to order the nevada and i'm preparing to feel jealous! i'll probably have a go, love it and order one too. although i am happy with my cheyenne.
i nearly got a nevada at the outset but decided they might be too hot for summer riding here!! sounds daft but they do cover more of the horse than the cheyenne, and at the time i was 'off' having a horn having had a incident where my jacket got caught mid fall.
i did have fenders on my cheyenne originally but could never find them with my toe so changed to leathers. and also the leather of the fenders didn't match the saddle. but thats just cosmetic
where did the sheepskin grandeur come from? i can't see it on the german barefoot site. looking forward to seeing a pic of you on board. good luck! what a great pressie
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Post by chunky monkey on Dec 31, 2006 19:59:55 GMT 1
Hi Finn My boy's a huge cob too, with a trampoline trot - I've got a HM seatbone saver, which i use on my current treed GP saddle, and it's an absolute godsend. I'm hoping to ride in the new saddle as soon as we get a day of decent weather - rain and gales here at the moment! Can't get the lovely new saddle wet - well, not yet, anyway!
Hi Susan The grandeur pad came from the same place (www.bitlessbridle.co.uk). I know what you mean about the saddle covering lots more of the horse - that's one of the reasons I wanted a Western. My cob is a proper cob - short legs, deep barrel, stocky and with a 'leg in each corner'. His current treed saddle, while it fits him really well, looks a bit silly on him - a bit like a toy saddle, the proverbial 'pea on a drum'!
I will get on board ASAP, and get some pics on! x
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Post by fin on Dec 31, 2006 22:20:39 GMT 1
Lol! Never thought of it as a trampoline trot!!! As fot the good weather.....what's that?
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Azrael
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Posts: 2,733
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Post by Azrael on Dec 31, 2006 22:45:57 GMT 1
Finn - is the trampoline trot cob a certain splodgy cob I know? His trampoline trot is hilarious, not so much sitting trot as hope the horse is still under you when you land. He can trot nicely but always does the trampoline variety when he doesn't fancy cantering or is on one. Great fun trying to stay on that bareback ;D I do remember noticing that he went better in the barefoot saddle than his usual treed thing. Saw him the other day, yard I'm at now is on their route right by one of the verges that are ideal for cantering down and he carted his poor little passanger over for a hug and to frisk me for treats ;D
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Post by fin on Dec 31, 2006 22:58:43 GMT 1
Lol! THe very same one, bless him!!!! Riding him sidesaddle was entertaining too ;D Actually he did go better in the treeless saddle....still didn't fancy cantering (he always did sidesaddle tho--strange, that???) and still did the downhill camel-walk, but he did walk out better. I absolutely begged Helen to sell him to me but she wouldn't
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Azrael
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 2,733
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Post by Azrael on Jan 1, 2007 13:40:57 GMT 1
Shame you couldn't buy him he's lovely. He can go fast when he wants to, it's just hard to tell with him how much of the not wanting to move the rest of the time is for good reasons and what is 'cos he's a clever little b*gger who knows all the tricks for getting out of work and getting at yummy hedges ;D Could certainly shift when he came out up the mountain with my horse and the little pink psycho-pony and we may have chased some sheep that just happened to be on a nice wide grass track
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Post by fin on Jan 1, 2007 15:00:24 GMT 1
Yup--he could shift! Not usually by the end of summer when he'd had all sorts bouncing about on him all the holidays though. I don't know if he was sore or just didn't see why he had to listen (bit of both I suspect ). Ah, he used to crack me up. He'd plod along listening to whether I was talking or not, and the second he thought my attention was elsewhere, he'd make a sneaky grab for the hedge. If you kept an eye on him of course he never bothered--you just had to watch what his ears were doing!!! Fabulously clever chap. I don't know if he would have got bored here with us though. He always seemed happy enough at Gadlys though. But I do miss him
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Azrael
Grand Prix Poster
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Post by Azrael on Jan 1, 2007 21:40:22 GMT 1
They work hard in summer so they're usually pretty tired by the end of it! Some do get sore from people bouncing around on them all summer as well. A few times the little b*gger managed to snatch so much from hedges he was producing bright green poos despite being in and meant to be eating only haylage and a small feed ;D He once spotted some bales in a field with an open gate and took his passanger off to investigate them instead of following the ride. Real character He seems pretty happy there scrounging pot noodle leftovers from the kids and having fun taking the pee out of tourists, though he always seems to find something to entertain himself when he's not working hard as well so doubt he'd be the type to get bored easily. Modified because it seems I'm not at all good at typing
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Post by fin on Jan 1, 2007 22:09:38 GMT 1
You know, looked at like that I dread to think what he'd do if he was here. A combination of Drummer, JJ and H--oh, good lord. Doesn't bear thinking about. Mine have already managed to trash next door's garden (twice ), and I left JJ parked outside a shop in the village only to come out to find he'd eaten somebody's hanging basket (he tried to go back for seconds today, actually, and got very put out when we said no). I'm not sure I could cope with three like that!!!! Nowhere would be safe ;D
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Azrael
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 2,733
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Post by Azrael on Jan 1, 2007 22:39:11 GMT 1
They'd get on brilliantly, Drummer and his partner in crime used to go and visit a neighbouring garden far too often until the fence got fixed and he's quite partial to Helen's hanging baskets ;D Drummer, my coblet and the little pink psycho-pony was a bad enough combination!
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Post by Mariaana on Jan 2, 2007 0:24:05 GMT 1
Finn & others, you CAN actually get the Heather Moffett seat savers etc for the barefoot etc treeless range, and western saddles, you just need to mention it when you order it. Please PM me if you need further info.
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