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 Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:23 pm
So, really I want to chatter a bit about my horse, but since we both LOVE trail blazing and trail riding, I'm going to talk about that. I ride a cute, chubbly appy mare and we enjoy long walks through the ditches and jumping logs (or sticks if we choose). I have noticed that the difference between the two 'events' (at least with my horse) is how much I let my horse do her thing. When we go over a jump, or a log, I have to keep her brain-cells on each and every step otherwise we don't look near as good as we could. However, trapesing down the side a a steep hill or down a 'car-eating' ditch means that I have to let her kinda pick her own steps. Why is this important? ...because I discovered the profound and wonderful purpose of a western saddle on the trail. I slide a little in an english saddle, the western saddle prevents shifting to far foreward on the saddle (and falling off as I nearly did). So I've been thinking (which explains the smell of smoke, by the way) about the differences between the english saddle and the western saddle AND I FIGURED OUT WHY THE AUSTRALIANS ALTERED THIER SADDLES!!!! If you add a swell and pommel and raise the cantle (which is also helpful for trail & long hours) BOOM you have a start toward an austrailian saddle. Moral of the story: each saddle has an expertise, an area of use that it is best suited to. So if you're going trail-riding, your comfortable riding different disciplines, and you have a western saddle (or austrailian) availlable USE THAT. Thank you. (Oh, my wanted to know why I wanted to look at that particular mud puddle so closely.)
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 5:59 pm
YAY for trial riding!
Ok ^^, if you looking for a good trail saddle i suggest a Tucker trail saddle. Amazing, and confortable!, but sadly very expencive, they make them in a western style too.
I had this same question one too, when I wanted to buy a new saddl,e for hunter pacing. (if i ever do that now) I looked at both sides, english saddles would be good for if there are alot of logs and jumps on the trail, and a dressage saddle believe it or not is deep and is good for knowing your secure. Western saddles would be good for long distances, sometimes, or just for a nice trial ride in a wester saddle, which i love doing. and they don't move around as much. biggrin But the thing is if you jump in a western saddle you can get the horn jabbed into your stomach.. hasen't happed to me but i needed to run up a very steep hill and the horse stabbed me in the belly. xP owie! Wait, i think i went off topic, sorry!!! sweatdrop
I trail ridden in a dressage saddle, comfy and that log on the trail is no problem now. ^.^
Those Aussie saddles are soo cool, but never used one but look so comfortable!! ^.^
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Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:30 am
My favorite saddle to ride on the trails in was my dressage saddle. The deeper seat and longer stirrup allowed me to relax easier than my jumping saddle, but I like the lightness and contact that I didn't get in my western saddle. I can also jump small things in my dressage saddle without much problem, as long as my horse is good for it. Mostly, that's the saddle I ride in most of the time, so it's what I feel most comfortable in.
The Aussie saddles are nice. I really like endurance saddles for the same reasons you stated. We use them for certain therapy sessions because they provide the rider more support than an english saddle does, but they don't have the horn to maneuver around, which is a pain in butt if you're donig a side-sit crest mount with a wheelchair transfer. If I were going to be doing a lot of rough trail riding, I think I'd probably invest in one of those. There are certain trails that I take horses on back home that I'm really nervous about riding if I've got a jumping saddle or one of the smaller, shallower dressage saddles on because they're so steep. Only time I feel comfortable is when I'm in Paula's custom DK dressage saddle with the gigantic thigh blocks and knee rolls, because I can hold myself in the saddle while we slip and slide down the side of the ravine. I can do the ride in anything, it's just a little more hair raising when I don't have a saddle that's holding me in!
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Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:11 am
I can't ride in western saddles, or aussies with the western stirrups because they litterally rub the skin off mt shin. I was in a WP class once, and hal fway through I knowticed it, but I kept going, and by the end of the class the blood was soaking though my jeans. It wasn;t nice. xp
My favorite saddle for trail riding is actually my saddle lol (the only saddle I own haha). I always use my coaches saddles on Anna because mine doesn't fit, but it fits the horse I'm riding now. It's a cheap, old, AP saddle, and its sooo comfy. It's like the stock saddle of the english world lol.
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Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:52 pm
I love and adore my aussie saddle. I haven't even really had the chance to trail ride in it yet, though! I bought it in the middle of winter. xp
It REALLY holds me in though, even moreso than the western. I also opted for the aussie with the horn, which is nice.
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:04 pm
I love aussie saddles, too! I just wish I could find one that would fit my horse...
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Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:30 pm
Yes! That's why I love Western Riding for trail riding. You are much more secure in the Western saddle. Not to mention the horn can be a panic handle(my friend had to grab it to save herself from falling off once). I only ever trail ride, and I've never actually ridden on an English saddle. However, one thing I think could be an interesting topic could be bareback riding. I had to ride bareback trail when I was having problems fitting a saddle for Pearl. THAT was interesting. I was amazed at how much balance I had, how I could take the starp turns and steep hills(with a little technique I made up).
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:50 pm
I'm pretty sure we had a bareback thread at some point...
I learned to ride bareback before ever learning in a saddle, because when I first got my horse, I had no saddle, and then I decided I liked it better than riding in a saddle anyway (still do). Also, my trainer gave lessons mostly bareback (when I finally started taking lessons...). So I've done a bit of everything bareback. Lots of trail riding, but also jumping and barrel racing and all that fun stuff (I would not recommend barrel racing).
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 3:14 pm
I ride a gold old western saddle trail riding and like it except for after a few my bum starts to hurt, but thats only because I haven't been riding to long.
Rose rides in a quaker saddle and just LOVES it, I don't think I could ride it because it doesn't have a horn ((I need my panic horn sometimes)) although it has a really high pommel and seat much like an Australian saddle but much different from one too.
I'll try to take a picture of it next time I see her pull it out.
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Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:29 am
Guessing when you say trail riding you mean like hacking or endurance smile
on saying that I do ride down the camel trail lol hehe
I ride in the same saddle for everything,my general purpose,very comfy,saddle. rofl
I do alot of hacking because I prefer to school my youngster while out and about plus it keeps them fitter because of all the hills.
My comfy saddle does the job brilliantly and no matter how much my horse spooks I don't seem to come off.
But not coming out of the saddle or sliding about is probably due to having a good seat rather than the saddle.
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