I bought a Rocking R saddle over the weekend with Sil-cush lining. I rode in in yesterday, and while I love it, it does not fit the horse. The tack store has a 7 day trial period, and I’m bringing in the sweat-marked saddle pad to show them where things aren’t fitting and talk about a custom order.
I pretty much have my heart set on a saddle with the Steele Equifit Classic tree, which this saddle had, just in the wrong shape, and I really like the Rocking Rs. Although I don’t see Sil-cush offered as an option any longer on the Rocking R site, I am wondering if it is worth trying to get. I know other brands use the Steele trees, and I will keep those in mind, too.
The Sil-cush material seemed to retain quite a bit of heat - the horse this saddle is for is a Norwegian Fjord who doesn’t need any help in the keeping warm department. However, I like the idea of a material that helps with weight distribution.
My current thought is a properly-fitted saddle shouldn’t need a special lining, but a special lining shouldn’t hurt, and I may keep this saddle to use on my other horse. I wanted to ask the knowledgeable folks of COTH if anyone has any experience with or opinions of the Sil-cush lining. Anything good, bad, or “meh” to report?
