This looks correct, though, right?
Here's a closeup of what I did.
Here's my February Appreciation Photos.
The moon's technically more than half full right now, but in daylight it looks pretty small. I don't like this photo as much as I thought I would've, but it was too cold to take lots of pictures today!
Yellow Dawg, snuffling around.
Headed back.
Looks good to me!
ReplyDeleteI know in the western horsemanship classes, where you are judged on your equitation, girls almost always tie the fenders back with baling twine, so your idea isn't all that risky :) They do it on those big hunkin' show saddles, that for some odd reason STILL make the stirrups too far forward!
They did it around the top part of the fender, instead of the back, like you did. I have NO idea if this makes a difference or not!
I have to do it to my own training saddle... sigh.
So, am I "cheating" or is this more like working with the equipment I already own? It feels kind of like cheating, because my legs are defaulting to the correct position... but isn't that exactly how knee rolls and thigh blocks and balanced stirrup bars on a dressage saddle operate?
ReplyDeleteI think tying the fender would work with a show saddle because they have those horrible 1/4" thick leather fenders. The cordura fenders are one of my favorite features of my saddle.
With western saddles, I've always felt like it's working with what you have. I can find my position in almost any english saddle, but put me in an old western saddle and Poof! Chair seat. The 'correct' way to ride, in western, was with your feet out in front of you in the chair seat. They TAUGHT people to do this! They've just gotten to coming around to the 'shoulders, hips, heels' thing, but the saddle companies still make 'em the same way--with the fenders pushed way up in front.
ReplyDeleteDon't ask me why, lol. I'm sure if you shell out some big bucks you can get saddles with the fenders back further, but as with english saddles, the cheaper you go, the more you're going to compromise your position. Great saddles put you in the position (or help lots), okay saddles stay out of your way, and bad saddles put you in BAD positions.
Sometimes you get lucky, and sometimes you don't. Ugh.
If anything, try borrowing a friend's english saddle and see where your feet go--it'll be a good test every now and then, since the stirrup leathers are so loose and swingy. :)
Looks goof Fund
ReplyDeleteI am sure there are westernasaddles out there that have a better balanced seat for the leg position!But, in a pinch..you did right!
KK
I've heard it said of English saddles that many have the stirrup bars set too far forward. Perhaps Western saddles suffer likewise? I would have thought that, yes, when the correct style is to ride with a long leg, you do need the stirrups well under you. I think that half the problem is that the people who make saddles most often don't ride.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you have made a good practical alteration, and experimentation like this can only help you.