As the snow around here begins to melt off and patches of bare ground appear on once snow covered ground, my thoughts turn towards riding. There have been winters in the past where I have been able to ride in our arena in February. This year is not one of those years. The snow has been piled deep and areas prone to drifts are sufficiently buried. Our horses have enjoyed a steady supply of hay and days off.

With thoughts of the approaching riding season I remember just how crusty and hairy my saddle pad looked when hung up to dry after my last official ride. These still cool days and longer nights are a perfect time to shape up all my horse gear in preparation for the days when riding becomes my top priority.

As I clean, scrub, polish, condition, and care for my much relied upon and occasionally overlooked equipment, I feel compelled to relay to my readers just why I use the gear that I do. To start with I have a couple of different saddle pad styles that I use on different horses. Our more rounded quarter horses seem to have the best saddle fit with a saddle pad that Three Forks Saddlery makes. The pad fits well on a horse that has more of the foundation build. One that may be deemed a little more stocky and low withered.

For our thinner more lanky horses, I feel that the saddle pad put out by Five Star to be a better fit. We like the piled wool for overall fit, comfort and durability. Both of these makers offer a high quality product. Though there are many other companies that supply comparable pads at a reasonable price. It has been my experience that with pads you get what you pay for to a point. I wouldn't use a cheap bottom of the line pad but some of the prices asked for by some companies is a little steep. Just remember that good saddle fit starts with a high quality pad.

***Here Bombay is shown under my saddle with a CSI pad, our only horse that uses this pad***

When it comes to the style of saddle that I use, and rely upon to not sore up me or my horse, I recommend a Wade Slick fork variety. One that is built by a reputable saddle maker on a nice tree. I like the Wade because of its ability to fit a large variety of horses. A saddle that you can switch between horses is essential.

I also am fond of the riding position that a Wade sets up. An upright balanced posture is essential to quality horsemanship. On top of that, a large Monnel stirrup helps to achieve the balance that I am speaking of. The stirrups on my saddle measure 4 1/2 inches along the length of the foot platform, with plenty of width to allow my foot to easily slide in and out.

Not only do these stirrups provide a large area to support a rider, they also assist in transferring cues to the horse. I recommend with this setup that a persons fenders are built with a turn in them to allow the stirrups to hang properly. This minor alteration will help to keep a fellows knees healthy and happy.

Not all Wade slicks are created equally. A custom built saddle is an investment that will pay off greatly. I rode in a nice saddle built on a Lieu Ellen tree for years and got along pretty well. However, once I had the ability to spend some time riding in a quality Wade, did I really feel the difference that it made upon improving my posture. This in turn has benefitted my timing and balance.

I won't go so far as to say that the gear makes the rider but poor quality gear can really hold a person back. On top of that, when a horse feels good they can perform up to their maximum capability.

Having top quality gear is essential to quality horsemanship. Maintaining that gear helps to assure it performs well year after year. That said, I will get back to scrubbing and cleaning. Soon the day will come that I feel the unbearable urge to mount up and ride. My mind will be at ease knowing all systems will be a go. With the side benefit of looking good doing it.

Happy Trails,

Eric

Easton Horsemanship