Additionally, Florida’s “State Horse” is the Cracker Horse… they are small, nimble, some really carry the “Iberian” look, some are gaited in a sort of amble. Also sometimes knows as a “marsh tacky”. Payne’s Prairie State Park in Gainesville has a herd of them. https://floridacrackerhorseassociation.com/about-us/
And, our “native” cattle are Cracker cattle…
Now however you have been educated as to the Cracker horse, cracker cow, etc. Hope it makes you feel better.
The structure at the front of the saddle would make it illegal according to current rules https://www.bentbranderuptrainer.com/equipment/
They look like very handy little horses
Very nice looking too. 
Would it be possible to build an “english” saddle on a western tree? Is it the tree that makes it an English or western saddle, or is it the styling?
I was just going to ask this. The plantation I posted is close but
Not sure what would make it illegal at this point.
It’s the “swell” - the raised area near the pommel that makes it illegal IMO. I am not a judge but here is the rulebook: DR121 “1. Saddle. An English type saddle, with or without a tree, with flaps and stirrups is compulsory for all tests and classes other than FEI tests. For FEI tests it is compulsory to use a dressage saddle that is close to the horse
with long, near-vertical flaps and stirrups (except for FEI Para tests). The use of a saddle with a horn, swell, gallerie, or open gullet, or the use of an original or modified Australian, Baroque, Endurance, McClellan, Spanish, Stock, or Western saddle is prohibited.”
And I’d imagine that a saddle that looks english on a western tree would be fine - who can see the tree?
If I was a rich woman which I’m not I’d be tempted to buy a tree from the guy that made my Western saddle and have an English saddler build a dressage saddle on it. Just to see if it could be done.
Designed for use on gaited (singlefoot/racking) horses. I doubt it would work well for dressage.
I had a plantation saddle that I took dressage lessons in (not this saddle) and it put me in a great position and worked well for the horse. My instructor was shocked as she had expected she was going to have to tell me I needed to replace it ASAP.
I eventually did replace it with a Dressage when I needed a bigger tree. rode the same, but it weighed 10lbs less
If the fork could be modified so that it doesn’t have those big swells at the pommel, I bet it might work… if you were a rich woman. Len Brown’s “Salient” dressage saddle is made on a tree that has bars, instead of rails - no tree point that could dig into the shoulders. The fork is modified to the english pommel shape. It’s a flexible tree made of fiberglass - he claims it can fit any horse, and because there are no panels that need stuffing, you use his corrector pad.
Circling back to the garrocha pole - does anyone have a video of someone actually working cattle with it? I’d love to know what that involved. All I can find are working equitation videos and one guy moving very young cattle that are already in a confined space/chute. Seeing as even I can work young cattle in a small space (and I never had a horse or pole to do it with - you just climbed the fence if they really, really doubled back with intent), I sort of assume that’s not it’s only use?
agreed. It is REVEALING to see someone put a spade in the mouth of a young horse.
You will get a pretty headset, but you are applying about 4 different pressures and on a horse that doesn’t understand them.
This is just the tip of the disheartening world of western. It’s riding with the seat and the leg that you are doing at this stage and a youngster doesn’t have this understanding in a meaningful way.
As to saddle slope, well, to me people buy western saddles without analysis of the way it places the rider.
Try looking at the spanish style vaquero saddles that have smaller/flatter seats.
I can’t even image putting a spade on a young horse. It’s like the tip of the iceberg of ignorance.
Flame me or block me.
I was taught to start them with a bosal then move to a snaffle, hands without legs/legs without hands until they understand. Leading rein until they understand.
That photo just depresses the he!! out of me.
I think you could Google it.
I believe she said she did, and didn’t find what she was looking for.
There are idiot horse trainers everywhere but I’ve never known anyone who rode with a spade on a young horse. Most were about10 years old before they reached that level.
(Granted, my experience with western horses took place many decades ago and times may have changed for the worse for all I know.)
Youtube channel;
Agree. We put my horse (14 years and very well trained off leg and seat) in a half breed to see what she’d think of it. And she’s been ridden in a bosal.
Thank you, @Equibrit.
Admittedly not what I was expecting, since the garrocha pole is so often compared to the lasso.
I thought there would be closer manipulation of a single cow to separate it from the herd and handle it, but it looks like the pole is more for protection and to allow distanced handling. Very reasonable. (And I had a laugh at the one rider who was clearly outclassed when a bull gave a brief thought to running him down - if you can’t handle the heat get out of the kitchen!) But - no American cowboy could trade his lasso for a garrocha pole and get by and I doubt a vaquero would consider a lasso the equivalent to the pole (at least not as long as the cattle they’re working are for bullfighting!) Clearly there’s some creative license being taken with the comparison there.
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