Newsgroups: rec.equestrian
Subject: Re: need suggestions on saddles
From: sbishop@desire.wright.edu
Date: 16 Apr 92 17:14:46 EST
 <1992Apr15.125701.6554@aber.ac.uk> <1992Apr16.065823.992@desire.wright.edu> <1992Apr16.125528.1597@cs.cornell.edu>
Organization: Wright State University 

In article <1992Apr16.125528.1597@cs.cornell.edu>, marsh@cs.cornell.edu (Dorothy Marsh) writes:
> In article <1992Apr16.065823.992@desire.wright.edu> sbishop@desire.wright.edu writes:
>>In article <1992Apr15.125701.6554@aber.ac.uk>, ckw0@aber.ac.uk (Carl Keri Williams) writes:
> 
>>> I have never tried a Wintec, but I did once have a Thorogood synthetic saddle.
>>> It cost me #150 (not sure what that is in dollars) and it lasted me exactly 
>>> six WEEKS before one of the stirrup bars came away as I was galloping next
>>> to a lake.  I was not impressed, as it was 10 miles from civilisation and 
>>> I very nearly tipped off into the lake.
>>> 
>>> The problem was that they had economised on the number of rivets used to hold
>>> the stirrup bars in place (these were advertised as 'Internationally accepted
>>> spring loaded stirrup bars' or somesuch and I assumed they were of a decent 
>>> quality.  This tree could easily have been used in either leather or synthetic
>>> saddles, but perhaps manufacturers of leather saddles might be fussier about
>>> safety standards.  
>>
>>> 
>>
>>I was very glad to see this post since I was just looking only *yesterday*
>>at a Thorogood saddle.  I was offered a new one with the adjustable tree
>>for $400.  Don't know if this is a good price, didn't know how comfortable
>>the saddle is, so this info has been very helpful.
>>
> 
> Sue, is it really an *adjustable* tree, or a *spring* tree that comes in
> 3 widths?  I didn't know Thorogood made an adjustable-tree saddle.
> I bought a Thorogood from a mail order catalog about a year and a half ago.
> They told me that it had a spring tree that would adjust somewhat to the width
> of the horse.  I was skeptical, but ordered it anyway because they
> said that I could return it if I didn't like it.
> 

I didn't see the catalog, but the owner told me that there was some kind
of screw adjustment from under the flap, you just 'back off' some screws
to widen the tree.  Actually what she was offering me was a swap for my 
Triple Crown saddle.  It doesn't fit my horse, I went to the saddle shop
to see if they had anything they would swap.  She offered me the Thorogood
saddle for my saddle and $100.  She wanted to trade right away of course,
but I told her I would get back with her later, since I didn't know anything
about Thorogoods and I wanted to check them out first.  The $400 is her
wholesale cost, or so she says.  


> It arrived and the wide width was too narrow for Penny, and I couldn't
> see any "springing" action of the tree.  I even put it on a hardwood
> floor and put most of my weight on the pommel and didn't see it flex
> at all.  The horse's back is softer than the floor, so if the tree
> wouldn't flex on the floor, it would never flex on the horse's soft
> back.  It would just sink into the back and dig.
> 
> I found that the Ainsley saddles were wider than most (it fit Penny
> the best of any of them, but it was more money than I wanted to spend,
> since I use my Ortho-Flex most of the time).  I think
> Crosbys tend to run wider than normal too.  You might want to
> check them out.
> 
>        Dorothy

I am looking for a used Crosby if I am able to sell this saddle.

Sue