Google Dixieland Saddles
and Gaits of Gold - however, be careful not to drink the Kool-Aid at the GOG web site!!! :eek: :yes: :no:
[QUOTE=Orn1218;2527355]
The lady was a flake!! And I believe rather dishonest. I am not getting this fella, now. She gave me some weird story of her truck breaking and her needing more money. I hadn’t even seen him yet!! Grrrrr. So I did the wise thing and just backed away from the whole thing.[/QUOTE]
Where are you located ? I can point you to some bombproof gaited horses in Kentucky…
Most people I know who have gaited horses go with the treeless saddles. They fit your horse as its musculature changes, fits different horses if you have several and VERY comfy. I know many are over your price range, but some are coming out in a lower price. I know a few people bought the barefoot (not sure which model) and absolutely love it. I have a Torsion standard…love it. I bought several saddles before I found this one. In my attempt to find a “cheaper” saddle I ended up spending more in the long run. Remember…many co. will let you try them out first…take advantage of it.
Good luck with the “gaited horse search”. My favs…paso finos and icelandics
Many people enjoy the feeling of a treeless saddle but the horse is not always so lucky. If you don’t have perfect equitation, your balance and seatbones are always changing and giving him mixed signals. I’ve actually seem more sore backs from treeless saddle than those w/a tree. A tree is designed to distribute weight. Had a horse come to the house for trianing w/two quarter sized white spots on either side of his backbone from, you guessed it…the rider’s seatbones. It wasn’t a training issue w/ the horse, it was clearly a rider problem.
I have fibro and my body is like princess and the pea for saddles and other stuff (like chairs!).
With fibro, you will need to try different saddles to see what fits and works for your body. We are “different” in that way as the pain can be quite specific.
My favorite way to ride, kid you not, is with a Best Friend bareback pad over a merino wool shaped pad. If my body is really really in pain, I found that walking like this is uber comfy and theraputic.
I have had Stubben, my ex had their gaited saddle so I am familiar with those, too. They are not the most comfy seat for pain–but again, it will be up to you what feels good.
I have a County saddle (I know it is over your budget) and out of all saddles I have tried, it is the most comfy and balanced for my body.
I tried treeless and I swear, the twist on those things made my back ache as I rode in them. I tried Ansur and owned a Marshall.
My county rides so balanced, it almost feels treeless to me (I ride bareback A LOT, so I can really swear by this feel).
Let me know what you come up with as I am always interested to hear from other riders who deal with chronic pain.
I ride both gaited and trotting horses in Barefoot treeless saddles. I have two of them – a Cheyenne (trail type) and a London (dressage type). Both are extremely comfortable and they are the only saddle that my gaited horse likes. I have had some back issues with the trotting horse, but that went away when I switched to a HAF pad. I did a 25-mile training ride on Sunday and my horse had no back issues afterwards. They are a bit more expensive than $500 though… The HAF pad alone is around $200, but well worth the price considering the protection it affords.
Good luck with your quest for a gaited horse. I absolutely adore my Paso Fino! 
Can anyone point the way to a site or place where I could find a used Stubben gaited pleasure saddle (or any good site for used saddles for gaited horses)? I’ve been googling for days trying to find one – but have only found them new…Thanks!
http://p218.ezboard.com/GAITED-HORSE-SENSE-/bgaitedhorsesense
this is a fairly busy gaited horse board, and way down at the bottom is the sales area, horses and tack, too.
Thanks!
Lee was a great woman...I still keep the last email she sent to me before she went on her way to the next world :sadsmile:...she was one of the few modern horse trainers I had much use for...anyway...
just fyi...pay [B]closer attention[/B] to the bitting of the horse rather than the saddle....esp if the one you finally choose is a "walking" type gaited with an honest head nod....they will not be very excited about the traditional "snaffle" bits with a single break in the center...
the best results I have had were straight bars or snaffles wrapped in sealtex to prevent the natural "nodding" action from actually jabbing the roof of the mouth...when this happens they tighten the back and hollow and then "rack"...which is not what a "walking" horse is supposed to do...
I have often thought that a good bit of the walking horses becoming so rare is the "snaffle bit mafia" insistance on "snaffle" everything....
so anyway there’s my two cents…
Lee also said over and over and over again that riding comes from the seat first....that is the [B]key[/B] to her legacy...[B]it's about your seat first[/B]....that is my job to her memory...to say that to anyone who asks....
Tamara in TN[QUOTE=Tamara in TN;2597493]
just fyi…pay closer attention to the bitting of the horse rather than the saddle…esp if the one you finally choose is a “walking” type gaited with an honest head nod…they will not be very excited about the traditional “snaffle” bits with a single break in the center…the best results I have had were straight bars or snaffles wrapped in sealtex to prevent the natural “nodding” action from actually jabbing the roof of the mouth…when this happens they tighten the back and hollow and then “rack”…which is not what a “walking” horse is supposed to do…[/QUOTE]
Interesting you say that. Not to hijack (but maybe I am?) but we picked up a TWH for trial last weekend – and if we keep him I will also be new to gaited horses (although my hubby has a SSH, but he’s very different from this TWH). He came with a snaffle and shank bit. Would this be more or less harsh than a straight bar shank bit? I would think more – but I’m not a bit expert having ridden all my previous horses (QH, TBs) in regular snaffles.
I’m headed out this weekend with him for a lesson with someone that knows TWHs, so I’m hoping to get set off on the right path re: saddle and bit (and bless him for being patient with me this week!), but would love a little 101…
[QUOTE=katarine;2527356]
Stubben’s making some designed for gaited horses- the Scout and the Gaited Pleasure, I think are the names. [/QUOTE]
The Scout is not aimed at the gaited (i.e. designed with the sweet spot too far back) market, but it’s a fabulous saddle. :yes:
Can anyone point the way to a site or place where I could find a used Stubben gaited pleasure saddle (or any good site for used saddles for gaited horses)? I’ve been googling for days trying to find one – but have only found them new…Thanks!
Really, “gaited” saddles are largely a marketing ploy. Don’t just limit yourself to “gaited” saddles.
look at the Mylers, Jazz.
http://www.toklat.com/myler/mbits_06.html
http://www.toklat.com/myler/mbits_43LP.html
The three piece mouths shown above can’t break in the middle like a normal snaffle. His head nod - depending on how much nod he has- could make a normal snaffle a real PITA for him- it’s going to bonk him in the roof of his mouth with every stride. As Tamara said, he’ll stiffen to prevent that, and get racky.
I like the independent sides - the bit is mobile in several directions. I have the second one shown and loff that bit. I think the traditional stiff all over shanked bit can make 'em a little racky too- same reason- uncomfortable in the face.
Now I’m waiting to see if I’m all wrong, LOL- where’s T in T?
really? Lonnie Kuehn states that the Scout is her design and is aimed at the gaited horse crowd, particularly the versatility exhibitor.
[QUOTE=citydog;2597704]
Really, “gaited” saddles are largely a marketing ploy. Don’t just limit yourself to “gaited” saddles. :)[/QUOTE]
I believe it. It took us two years to find the right saddle for my SO’s SSH, and we ended up have a custom made Schleese made. :eek:
But if we keep this TWH, I already know that my dressage saddles won’t work for him (they’re all wide tree, and he’s high withered). I have a Circle Y rounded skirted western that double padded will work for him (and might continue to work if we get some meat on him), at least for a while. Though I’m not a huge fan of riding western (feels too bulky for me). When I think “saddle for gaited horses” I think of a saddle that gives them room for the shoulder movement…and the easiest place to start looking is at gaited horse saddles…
Katerine – Thanks for those links! I love Myler bits. I’ll wait until after the weekend when I get some feedback from the trainer, but I’d be up for trying the bit in the first link. The second bit looks scary to me, but as I said, I know nothing about what works for a gaited horse. He has a lot of nod, to me. And seems to go well and happier when I practically throw the reins away. Hence I got the idea that maybe the bit wasn’t right for him.
Ugh. I’m sure all you gaited horse people are rolling your eyes and thinking, poor horse! 
oh no, not at all. I’m really very new to TWHs, after a lifetime of QHs and such. I’m learning as fast as I can, though.
That second bit? my QH loves that bit, OMG he just digs it. I can drape the reins and he just power steers, it has a ton of communication to it and it doesn’t irritate him in the least, or scare him at all. it just fits him like a glove. Nw the WH is a tense character, full of life and go…and he likes it, but he’ll still tense and get racky just to tick me off :lol: j/k, we’re getting there. he’s also good in a french link but I think he will want a shanked bit in the long run (again, the ability to communicate on a draped or slack rein, that- to me- is the beauty of a shank).
He (your horse) may well tote himself well enough he doesn’t need much rein/contact, that would be delightful. one thing- avoid bit clips or snap on reins- that nodding head will make a lot of racket with those in use, LOL.
pictures are required, you know. here’s the WH in that bit, BTW…
http://shim1.shutterfly.com/procgserv/47b7d928b3127cce98548c24464200000027108AZN2TRm4Yt9
[QUOTE=jazzrider;2597666]
He came with a snaffle and shank bit. Would this be more or less harsh than a straight bar shank bit? I would think more – but I’m not a bit expert having ridden all my previous horses (QH, TBs) in regular snaffles.
QUOTE]
think less in terms of “harsh” and more in terms of him understanding what you are asking…the biggest reining bits look just awful til you understand that more than 80% of the “understanding” the horse has about riding is in the seat first…
in the older TWH people a horse was put into a bit he could "hold in his teeth"...these were just what the catalogues now call grazing bits...they were used only to "primp a horse up"...their words for collection...the first walkers were ridden in these from the 1920's until the big lick mania hit...
low sweep back....low low ports and just a little bit of curb straps...snaffles were "colt bits" or work horse" bits....my fav is the first mylers picked with the flat shanks...very few horses of mine don't go well in that ....[B]once they are trained[/B] you'll need a year or so on them first before you pop that one in
Tamara in TN[QUOTE=katarine;2597727]
really? Lonnie Kuehn states that the Scout is her design and is aimed at the gaited horse crowd, particularly the versatility exhibitor.[/QUOTE]
Not according to Stübben. They told me (and I ride in one and believe it) that it’s a VSD tree and balanced as one. I’ve owned/ridden the gaited pleasure and older Island (from the German market but aimed at Icelandics) models, and have a Siegfried VSS, Tristan and Romanus dressage saddles. I’ve ridden the Icelandic models, too. The Scout is balanced like a regular VSD. I had a couple of lengthy conversations with the American Stübben reps when I was ordering my Scout, and a lengthy exchange with the German shop I ordered from about which tree was used, and how the Scout differed from my old Siegfried VSD (springier tree, more padding, more D-rings).
It’s also the saddle used by the RCMP, they tell me.
It would make more sense that Lonnie was involved in the design of the Gaited Pleasure saddles, maybe?
Every horse needs room for the shoulder movement. Jessica Jahiel has a lovely article on “gaited” saddles in response to a question about fitting a TWH here, and I think Liz Graves has a similar one floating around (she spends a lot of time on the topic at her clinics).
Katarine – Beautiful horse! I remember watching the video. Ugh. I’ve got a lot of learning and reading to do, I think. I’ve been lucky to have my other two horses be relatively simple in their saddle and bit needs. I’m hoping the trainer I’m taking him to on Sunday will help a bit.
I haven’t taken pictures yet – I guess I don’t want to jinx it…we have vet check tomorrow. Won’t know if he’s staying until we get through that. He’s very cute though. Maybe I’ll make my SO take pictures during our lesson, if I look good. :winkgrin:
TinT – Thanks for all the info. I may hit you up in the future!
CityDog – Thanks for the link! Interesting that in it she says…“Gaited horses tend to have active hips and shoulders, so owners of gaited horses should look for saddles that can be set back far enough to NOT interfere with the horses’ shoulders, and that aren’t so long and bulky that they might then interfere with the horse’s hips.”
Yes, of course every horse has that concern, but my understanding is that this is particularly good advice for the gaited breeds, and well, you’ve got to start somewhere!
