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hi,
im going to start some team penning and steer daubing (sp?) with my dressage horse (who is very cow-y) in the coming months (high school equestrian team) i think it will be fun, and im excited, but being an english girl , i need some help on buying tack. i would like a synthetic saddle for sure, because i couldnt ever lift one of the leather ones up on my 16 hand horse. i want it to be good quality, but i dont want to spend alot, iv heard the abettas are good? also, what 'type' do i need for cow events? barrel, trail, i really dont know! lol
also with the sizes, my saddle size is 17 inch, so would that translate to 17 in western? my TB is a medium tree, so will most saddles fit her, or are most stock horse type, therefore leaving me fewer options as far as saddles that will fit her?
for girths, does anyone have girths they just really like? and if my horse is a 56 AP girth and 26 dressage, what would her cinch size be?
and then headstalls, any plain ones of any particular brand you guys like?
do western saddles need breastplates? iv always seen pics with those, but are they needed for the events i would be doing?
ill have help with the training and all that in the coming months, i just need some help so i can look at what to buy. thanks so much!
Proud to be owned by a thoroughbred. Have you hugged your horse today?
Thoroughbred Talk
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[quote]Gracie53 (10/29/2009)
hi,
im going to start some team penning and steer daubing (sp?) with my dressage horse (who is very cow-y) in the coming months (high school equestrian team) i think it will be fun, and im excited, but being an english girl, i need some help on buying tack. i would like a synthetic saddle for sure, because i couldnt ever lift one of the leather ones up on my 16 hand horse. i want it to be good quality, but i dont want to spend alot, iv heard the abettas are good? also, what 'type' do i need for cow events? barrel, trail, i really dont know! lol
also with the sizes, my saddle size is 17 inch, so would that translate to 17 in western? my TB is a medium tree, so will most saddles fit her, or are most stock horse type, therefore leaving me fewer options as far as saddles that will fit her?
for girths, does anyone have girths they just really like? and if my horse is a 56 AP girth and 26 dressage, what would her cinch size be?
and then headstalls, any plain ones of any particular brand you guys like?
do western saddles need breastplates? iv always seen pics with those, but are they needed for the events i would be doing?
ill have help with the training and all that in the coming months, i just need some help so i can look at what to buy. thanks so much![/quote]
You have a lot of questions!
OK, fist thing's first. If you're going to be doing a lot of different rodeo events, which involve fast starts and stops, hard turns, etc. you're not going to want to use a synthetic, even good ones like Abetta. They're comfortable, a good value, and I do like them very much for general riding and trail, for starting youngsters, and they're perfect for kids or riding in bad weather. However, a lightweight synthetic saddle, even a good quality one like Abetta - isn't going to have the versatility or the weight and pressure distribution of a leather saddle. A saddle with a wooden tree distributes weight more effectively and will stay more balanced over the back of the horse during sudden stops and changes of direction. There are plenty of lightweight leather saddles out there - you can get them with round skirts, single skirts, etc for less weight without sacrificing balance, durability, and versatility.
It's not a given that you'll need a breastcollar either, but again, with the kind of stuff you'll be doing, it's probably a good idea. What style of saddle you buy depends on your primary events - if you're mostly going to do speed (barrels, poles) you're going to want a barrel saddle. If you're going to do more cow events, like the daubing, you're going to want something that doesn't have a big horn or fork in front to get in your way. As far as tree sizing goes, you're going to want to look at "Semi-quarter horse bars" which are trees that are narrower than full quarter horse bars. However, just like with English saddles, every manufacturer has slightly different ideas about sizing, and each tree will be slightly different depending on what kind of wood was used, if it's rawhide wrapped (the better trees are), etc. So it's best to try saddles on your horse before buying no matter what size or type you need.
As far as seat size for you - your western seat size is generally 2" shorter than your English seat size - so you'll probably need a 15" seat. Though again, the size and shape of the fork (pommel) and the height and shape of the cantle, will affect the fit.
Your horse's cinch size will probably be a 30-32 depending on the length of the saddle's skirts, rigging type (in skirt rigging vs. tree rigging), and the length of the billet and latigo.
There's a lot to consider, best of luck!
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thanks for all the advice. im super excited to start some cow events with her. but like i said in the original post, this is all new for me, so i need all the info i can get. thanks so much.
i guess some more questions too. what leg wear do you usually use in cow events? frieda always wear bell boots, but do people usually prefer splint boots, polo wraps, or flat work boots, or something different. also, WM, or anyone, you mentioned light weight leather saddles, would you have any websites or brands? i dont want to get a really low quality saddle just because i dont know much about them and have to sell it a month or two later.
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| My absolutely FAVORITE girth is the Smart Cinch! I could never get my girth tight enough by myself without it. Now, I can tack up all by myself and not have to worry about the saddle slipping. You can get a neoprene one on eBay for 24.99 + 8.00 shipping (extremely cheap compared to some tack shops). If you horse prefers a single or double eared bridle, they do make them with throat latches, they are just harder to find. My last horse had issues with her ears and did not like one touched at all. So for her she wore a single ear with throat latch, another of ours wears a double ear with a throat latch. My current wears a browband. That is about the extent of my knowledge when it comes to your questions...Hope I helped!
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For "footwear", the most popular is a version of the SMB boots (front and hind) with thicker bell boots in front. I just use splint boots on the front and fetlock boots on back. I don't use bell boots because I live in a very rainy climate and they get clogged full of mud before we even get to the arena.
I think most boots are game in Western, except maybe not dressage boots or open front jumpers. Hope I helped!
 
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You'll have fun! And 17" English is 15" Western...And you'll prbably want to look at semi-qh bars. They are slightly narrower, for the more "sporthorse" build.
Thanks Sunny06 for the siggy!
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