The shorter your stirrups, the more secure you are in the seat.įenders – The leather on the fenders can’t be too thick. If your stirrups are too long, you end up having to ride on your tippy toes, which makes you less secure in the seat. They should be hung 1.5 to 2 inches behind the swells if you want to have a secure seat, ride in balance and sit that stop. Stirrup Leathers – Your stirrup leathers should be hung pretty far forward and shouldn’t be too long. But the main thing to be aware of is whether there is a nice groove from the seat, down to the stirrup leather. The measurement between the edge of the cantle and the back edge of the swells, that’s basically the measurement for the leg path. Leg Path – The leg path goes down from the seat down to the fenders and into the stirrups. It’s not a big difference, but it gives a different feel to the seat. In some saddles, the pocket is longer, and the rise starts farther ahead. The short pocket just means that the rise in front of the pocket starts pretty quickly. The cantle in barrel racing saddles tend to be higher in inches than other rodeo event saddles for extra seat security.ĭifference in Pockets – Some saddles have a short pocket and some saddles have a long pocket. If the pocket forces you against the cantle, you’re going to have the cantle launching you every stride the horse lopes – and you’re not going to be able to sit the stop. The rise behind the pocket is what keeps you centered in the saddle, and off the cantle. You see, the lower your center of gravity, the more secure in the seat you are, and the more balance you’ll have.Īnother aspect of the pocket that’s important is the rise behind the pocket. Across the plain of the pocket should be fairly flat. The pocket should be close to the horse’s back. The lowest part of the seat should be 2/3 to 3/4 of the way back from the swells. The pocket is the lowest part of the seat. Good Seat Pocket & Leg Path – One of the most important elements for balance in the saddle is the pocket. If you want a lighter barrel saddle, get one where the bars are a little thinner. Make sure the tree fits the contour of the horse. No amount of padding will help if the tree is the wrong size.
If there’s too much flare at the top or bottom, that means too much pressure is going to end up some place else on the horse’s back, and the horse’s back will become sore. Since the tree is the foundation of the saddle, it needs to fit the horse’s back well. Now, what are the basic design elements of a good saddle that will allow the rider to ride in balance and sit the stop?Ĭorrect Tree Size – Everything starts with the tree. You shouldn’t have to fight or struggle to find and maintain the correct position. So, your saddle should also be designed so that it’s easy for you to assume the correct position. The two main goals of a saddle are to allow the rider to ride in balance and allow the rider to sit the stop. Too many saddle designs hinder, rather than help, a rider’s balance, especially for the performance events where the horse has to make stops, sharp turns, and turn over his hocks. Even fewer saddles help the rider to sit that stop. Very few saddles are designed to help a rider ride well. Martha Josey Barrel Saddles Sale – Great Barrel Racing Design But in rodeo events, such as barrel racing, reining, cutting, or roping, poor saddle fit creates specific problems that prohibit the rider from achieving their goal.Īnd since barrel racing requires a horse and its rider to run a cloverleaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time possible, the rider needs a saddle that will help her accomplish that goal.Ī poor-fitting saddle will cause the rider to: Poor saddle fit, in general, creates problems when riding, both for rider and horse. Martha Josey Barrel Saddles Sale Solves Poor Saddle Fit Martha’s barrel racing saddles are specifically designed to help you ride in balance, go with the movement of your horse, time your horse’s movements, and allow you to sit the stop.īut, before I show you a few of Martha Josey barrel racing saddles, I’m going to explain to you the problems you’ll have (in general and in rodeo events) when you have a poorly-fit saddle. She has also designed the Ultimate Barrel Saddle Collection.
She’s an 11-Time NFR Qualifier Barrel Racer, a 1980 NFR World Champion, WPRA and NBHA Champion, an Olympic Gold Medalist Barrel Racer, and Clinician. I mean, what barrel racer wouldn’t get excited upon seeing a Martha Josey barrel saddles sale? I couldn’t help get excited when I saw a Circle Y Martha Josey barrel saddles sale on the internet.
0 kommentar(er)
