[QUOTE=dauphine2;4485760]
I was just wondering how exactly the back brace helps you - not to be snotty or anything, but because I, too, have scoliosis. :)[/QUOTE]
It helps absorb the shock from landing… I don’t always use it over smaller jumps (3’ and lower) - it depends on if I’m feeling sore that day or not - but for the 4’ and up stuff, I need it or I’m in tears within a few courses.
I just don’t see how readily available, inexpensive items of tack can be considered even small cheats 
If you think Sadl-Tite gives an edge to a rider then use it yourself. Not like you’ll go broke on a $12 stick of it that will last forever and ever. I’m with those who say they’d rather not gunk up their expensive saddles or boots or anything else that it touches, but I certainly don’t watch competitors go and think, “gosh, I’d totally beat her if only she didn’t cheat with that Sadl-Tite!”
And the magnetic stirrups…what advantage would that give to a good rider? How often do you see eq riders lose their stirrups in the show ring? Same goes for the flexible stirrups. If anything I think it takes a more solid leg to remain still in those stirrups. I personally can’t ride in them. I’m with whoever mentioned that they had super flexible ankles. I loved the pair I bought until I started coursing my old horse above 4’6". The minute the fences got big enough for him to start making a big effort (and thus landing hard) my left ankle ended up sprained…ouch! So I ride in my regular stirrups with cheese grater pads. Which, again, at $2.95 a pair, certainly doesn’t seem like a “cheat.” In response to the extra wear on boots…I’ve had my cheese graters on my saddles for over 10 years and my paddock boots (which I ride in daily) have worn out on the leather portion of the boot FAR before there’s any wear on the bottoms. My field boots show no wear from the stirrups either. Maybe partly because of the fact that I never clean out the cheese graters though? :lol:
And the saddle comments drive me crazy…get off of your high horses about the old saddles meaning you had to be a better rider! I have both old flat-as-a-pancake saddles and new cushy saddles. There is no real difference between the two when you’re up and going. My “cushy” saddles certainly don’t make me a better rider or help the leg stay more still! I pick my saddles by whichever fits each horse, and I’ve found that my OLD flat saddles fit just about every horse where my new cushy saddles tend to fit one horse or one type of horse. I’ve gone back and forth between the two types over some big fences and can’t tell the difference beyond the first 30 seconds in the saddle.
And seriously? If people want to “cheat” (by the definition in this thread), then LET THEM! The eq basics are such because they’re a foundation of correct and effective riding. Taking short cuts will only bite the “cheater” in the butt in the end. And having tried just about everything at this point in my life, I can say with certainty that there’s no such thing as an aid that will magically make you a better rider. In an average show, the difference between first and second (or first and not-placing) is not as small as the shoulders-back contraption or someone with a heel down an inch further than the others.
[QUOTE=Pandora1087;4485392]
I don’t get the complaint about the “sticky stuff.” If you live in areas that it gets very cold in the winter, you know how slippery your leather gets on the very cold days. I find that it helps in a big way on those cold days. I don’t use it any other time, butI don’t see the problem with it. [/QUOTE]
That was my first thought as well. Up in northern Massachusetts, it gets BRUTAL in the winter, and not only does the leather get pretty slippery, but those who’ve ridden in the cold know that sometimes those grippy muscles just FAIL when the temperature goes down.
Now, I’m talking about the Sadl-Tite stuff, the wax, not the goop in the orange container or spray. There is a significant difference there. The wax isn’t even really grippy, it just adds a little bit of friction…I was advised to use it while breaking in slippery new boots or a new saddle. Baseball players use the same exact stuff on gloves!
As for the shoulders back, bendy stirrups, stirrup pads, etc…to each their own.
I have a shoulders back that I throw on once or twice a season to remind myself where I should be. I’ve ridden in Sprengers for almost 5 years now, and my awkwardly proportioned leg that literally doesn’t ALLOW my heel to flex down (at least not prettily…) loves them. I can see what people mean when they say there’s a little extra swing factor, but to me that’s just another reason to work harder on my leg through training. I use cheese grater pads. I still lose my stirrups if I’m doing stuff wrong.
I don’t consider these cheats at all, and just like people have said, every sport has them.
[QUOTE=BridalBridle;4485584]
I’m pretty lazy and I have NEVER used that stuff. I know of NO ONE who ever has.
If that’s your definition of cheating then you are Snow White at the horse shows.
Use it all you want. Tricks are tricks not cheating. Use it in public and then work on your seat and leg at home. It could be having the placebo effect. If it makes you feel like your better at the show you may become better.
I know some people who really “cheat” but that’s my definition of cheating and not technically by the rule book.YET.
SUre would like to see lunging outlawed like they got rid of poling with the bamboo sticks. If every one didn’t lunge…how kind it would be for the horses and the grooms;-][/QUOTE]
If you have never heard of it or heard of someone using it you’re probably out of the loop. Not saying it is used in all barns everyday, but it is not at all uncommon.
And really, you compare lunging to poling? I don’t get the analogy and think it’s ridiculous that you want to “outlaw” lunging. We lunge almost daily at home whether in the ring or in the round pen, certainly not an excess but I think it can be very beneficial to horse and rider. I hate to see a horse lunging for hours the morning of a show as much as anyone does, but lunging for 10, 20, even 30 minutes is not comparable to poling and is definitely not cheating. Horses can’t be turned out at shows - why shouldn’t they be able to get some exercise without a rider on their back schooling, jumping, etc. Lunging is certainly not as good as turnout, but it’s a good way to work off the morning playfulness with relative low-impact (if done properly).
of correct and effective riding. Taking short cuts will only bite the “cheater” in the butt in the end. And having tried just about everything at this point in my life, I can say with certainty that there’s no such thing as an aid that will magically make you a better rider. In an average show, the difference between first and second (or first and not-placing) is not as small as the shoulders-back contraption or someone with a heel down an inch further than the others.
Totally agree.
I’m another who has no problem switching back between cushy and flat saddles - rode mostly in flat saddles growing up and bought a cushy one a few years ago. Still use both. Also, I definitely don’t think a little bit of saddle tite is the difference between a swinging leg and a steady one.
PNW is correct. It’s pretty rare that something like that would actually give someone any real competitive edge - being a better rider is your competitive edge.
Kwdf3day: I have tried the Sprenger and the MDC, offset, non-offset, bow balance, but the ones with right to left play just kill my knee more. I swear by the cheaper S-Jointed Irons from Dover that only have the back and forth play for my sore knee. It has just enough give without the sideways (the most painful thing for my injury) action. I think it really depends on the knee problem you are dealing with which for type will work best for you but those are what I like best.
A little sticky stuff on the inside of your boot or breeches is not going to keep a loose leg tight. It’s that simple. It may help with a new pair of boots or a new saddle but it is not going to make or break any class for someone with a bad leg position.
I would love to get a pair of those stirrups that keep your leg in a dead perfect position as I did not even realize that they existed!
I haven’t read the whole thread, but I would like to throw in a comment on the “sticky stuff”. I use them on new tall boots. I just cannot grip in those things. Why is it cheating? It won’t make me squeeze harder or have better form, it just prevents my slippery boots from sliding all over the place.
I just rode in my ‘pancake’ on Saturday. I haven’t really ridden in it for many years. Can I just say that I was a better rider when I was riding in that regularly. I’m actually going to go back to using it. The only thing that keeps you on the horse is correct position and boy does my sort-of-correct position need some work that that saddle quickly pointed out.
As for saddle tite, it’s been around forever. We were never allowed to use it as teens. Heck, I wasn’t even allowed to wear full chaps (no half chaps back then) because I couldn’t easily switch to my boots. I do think saddle tite is on the 'sort-of- cheating side but it doesn’t matter to me if others use it. I won’t and I’ll do my best to ride my best without a little help.
Bendy stirrups are hard for me to ride in. I don’t have any joint issues and they just make me feel very unstable, like I have no good foundation.
Call me the #1 cheater, then
Are you kidding me? When you’re with the over-50-I-ride-once-a-week crowd, it’s SportyHaft sticky spray every ride. Call me the queen of the “cheaters”.
I don’t have to jump 3’6" courses without irons anymore. That’s the joy of being an old farte amateur.
Note to new users…DO NOT SPRAY Sporty Haft on your britches. Last year I saw a professional riding in the warm up ring and making a funny squooching noise with every post. When I asked her if she had just gotten a new saddle, she said she’d sprayed Sporty Haft on the inside of her full-seats and every time she posted, the inside of the full seat leather stuck to the saddle until it squooched free. I nearly wet myself I was laughing so hard.
Hate that noise. :winkgrin: Hear it from one particular person at the barn often. They ride enough that they shouldn’t be using it, but I don’t have to clean the saddles…only tolerate the ‘squoosh, squoosh, squoosh’ when they ride by.
I can’t imagine using spray AND wearing real leather full seats. Might as well get a seat belt while you’re at it.
Basically, if you are coming off you’re coming off. I have used the “sticky stuff” once in my whole riding career. At a show, one of the workers wiped off my saddle with a towel that had Show Sheen on it. Needless to say, there was no way to even remotely begin to keep my leg still with Show Sheen all over my stirrup leathers and saddle and also in somewhat new Vogels.
[QUOTE=drawreins;4489371]
Basically, if you are coming off you’re coming off. I have used the “sticky stuff” once in my whole riding career. At a show, one of the workers wiped off my saddle with a towel that had Show Sheen on it. Needless to say, there was no way to even remotely begin to keep my leg still with Show Sheen all over my stirrup leathers and saddle and also in somewhat new Vogels.[/QUOTE]
This. It’s just wax, not some industrial strength adhesive. Frankly, I don’t like the feel but it’s really subtle.
I was forced to use Saddle Tite with a pair of new boots until they broke in a bit. As mentioned, I don’t like the feel, but my boots were so slippery they may as well have been greased. It does you no good to fight your own tack as it slips and slides!
PNWjumper, I’m with you!! Sheesh…
I agree with most of your post, but FOR ME…there is a HUGE difference between my flat saddle and my cushy saddle. I just rode in the flat one after years of not being in it and I can definitively say there is a big difference. I was pretty ineffective. I had the choice of making the horse work properly or working on my equitation. I tried for horse working properly and still had some trouble. I rode him last night in the couch and had no issue getting him to work properly.
Would I think there was much of a difference if I rode in the flat saddle more often? Probably not. When I was going back and forth between the two, I didn’t really notice too much difference…I do like the harder seat and narrower twist of the pancake…but I still rode in either just as well. It’s when I’m out of the flat saddle for long periods of time that I notice a difference.
And yes, I DO think the flat saddles made us better riders. Jumping ahead, swinging legs and pinching knees are a LOT harder to recover from in a flat saddle. While I’ve always had a problem with ducking, I never had a problem with jumping ahead or pinching knees. I occassionally do now, but I’m pretty sure that’s only occasionally because of all the years I spent in my pancake.
Your mileage may vary, but if you’re switching back and forth between a flat and a couch on a frequent basis, you’re not really in the same group that is being addressed.
(I don’t think couch saddle are cheating, however.)
If you think saddle-tite is cheating…then what stuffing their ears with poms-poms? or trainers clucking from the rail for a change? “lucky braids”?(or as I like to call them panic buttons - letting novice & amateur riders know where to put their hands for a crest release).
Just like cheese-graters stirrup pads, jointed stirrups, and shoulders back…the list goes on and on…
Should we start banning saddles with knee blocks and thigh blocks then? No more buffalo hide. Avoid glycerine soap on the saddle? No more rubber reins in the jumpers? Everyone back to snaffles?
Truth of the matter, there’s a million ways to make things a little easier. Unfortunately you don’t usually get points in the eq for riding the hardest jumping horse in the flattest saddle so sometimes a little extra something is a huge help. Each horse has a different jumping style so yes, sometimes you need a little help. This comes in many forms from changing the bit/bridle, riding in a deeper saddle, or maybe sometimes using saddle tite or the equivalent.
Everyone can use it, so I don’t consider it cheating. I personally don’t use it, but have in the past when I was trying to ride the eq on a horse that would either stop or jump like a pogostick and disappear underneath me over the fence.
Cheating is when you do something against the USEF rules.
I saw a little (6? 7? year old) girl at a hunter show whose stirrups were actually tied to the girth. Don’t know if that is USEF legal . . .
[QUOTE=sirensong4;4491376]
I saw a little (6? 7? year old) girl at a hunter show whose stirrups were actually tied to the girth. Don’t know if that is USEF legal . . .[/QUOTE]
That is illegal per USEF standards
I didn’t think it seemed very fair!!
This was back when USEF was still AHSA–so maybe it was still legal at the time? I don’t know. I know it used to be AQHA-legal to tie people to the gear, but i thought that it was only for 18 and over/adults and only for a compelling reason, i.e. they were handicapped and riding a western pleasure class. I bet that’s not still around any more either, though–seems like a huge liability issue for the circuit!
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