We know how important posture is to our own well-being, health, movement over time but we rarely think about our horse’s posture. How your horse stands, carries himself, balances his weight in work and rest and how he re-balances his body when he needs to is just as important. This is what I call equal [...]
Saddle Fit Concepts
There was a time when saddle fit didn’t matter. Whoever that brave soul was who first decided to climb on a horse’s back probably impressed all of his friends and neighbors by how much further he could go and how quickly he could get there. But very soon he found that for long distances that [...]
Choosing a Saddle Pad
When choosing a saddle pad for your saddle it is important that the pad, under compression, not be more than a quarter of an inch thick. The pad may be an inch thick but if you take your thumb and forefinger and pinch down on it, you would like to see it compress down to [...]
Saddle Fit and the Seasonal Rider
When considering saddle fit and the seasonal rider you need to keep a few things in mind to get the big picture. A horse’s seasonal weight loss and gain due to conditioning and periods of inactivity can be a major concern for some riders and not affect others. If the rider is a weekend warrior [...]
Tack Care Tips
Here are ten tack care tips to keep in mind. Being from Wyoming we’re aware that the folks who live in the northern half of the United States don’t get much of an opportunity to horseback ride during the winter months. With the arrival of more hospitable riding weather, now is the time to take [...]
Saddle Trees ~ Standards?
In our business we hear people refer to different types of saddle trees by name: mule, gaited, semi quarter-horse, quarter-horse, full quarter-horse, Arab-Morgan, draft and so on. It’s important to realize that there is absolutely no standard for any of these. If we lined up three ‘quarter-horse’ trees, from three different manufacturers, you would see [...]
The Barefoot Horse ~ No hoof, no horse!
Keeping a barefoot horse is becoming more popular every year. As a farrier of 30+ years, I have had the opportunity to experience many theories on how to manage the horse’s hoof to insure soundness. After all these years there are more points of view than ever on how to achieve and maintain our goal [...]
Hollow Backed Horse
What’s really going on with a hollow backed horse? We’ve seen quite a few horses over past years who appear just as any other horse when at liberty or standing but as soon as the rider is mounted and asks the horse to move forward, the head comes up and the middle of the back [...]
Buying a Used Saddle
Buying a Used Saddle When thinking about buying a used saddle, the most important consideration is the fit to the horse and the rider. The nicest looking, well built used saddle in the world is worthless if it is causing either the horse or the rider discomfort. For the rider, the most important consideration is [...]
One Saddle, Multiple Horses
When talking about the – One Saddle, Multiple Horses – scenario, a little bit of common sense goes a long way. Quite a few people have asked us if they can use their custom-fit saddle on multiple horses. The answer is a definite ‘maybe’. Whether your saddle is custom fit to a specific horse or [...]