Horse Training Tips – Balanced Ride

Dear Friend and Horseman,

Welcome to another Horse Training Tips Newsletter.

In this issue, I want to talk about a topic that I feel is very important when it comes to having success in riding or training a performance horse.

There is a good chance you are NOT going to accept what I say in this newsletter. You will probably say to yourself, "Oh, this doesn't apply to me".

However, put this information to the acid test. You just might find your riding and training ability greatly improved.

Okay, lets get started with the newsletter

The other day, I was giving a riding lesson to a would-be client. This lady wants to get started in reining so she bought a not-too-expensive reining horse and brought him over to learn how to ride him.

Well to make a long story short, the lesson didn’t go too well. Basically, the lady had a lot of trouble sitting the stops and turns. Actually, she couldn’t sit down in the saddle at all.

Most of the time, she was arching her back and riding on her pelvic bones or thighs instead of the cheeks of her butt (jean pockets).

Consequently, her horse wouldn’t stop right, he wouldn’t turn on his hocks and he wouldn’t lope slow either. It’s just a fact that if the rider doesn’t sit right, the horse won’t work right.

Now, I spotted this "riding problem" right away. I see people riding like this all the time. I mean, at least 90% of the folks who ride horses, ride just like this lady.

Oh yes, I can just hear you screaming, “HEY LARRY, YOU JERK, I DON’T RIDE LIKE THAT”.

Well, I hate to be the one to break the news to you but unless you’ve been riding cutting, reining or working cow horses for quite a while, YES YOU DO. You're just not AWARE of it. I promise there are very few exceptions.

And yes, I know I'm going to get a ton of email from people arguing that they don’t. All I can say is “show me the proof”. Email a photo of yourself sitting a stop.

And be warned, if I see you are full of B.S., I’m going to publish the photo (with your name, address and phone number) in a future newsletter and use it as an example of how NOT to ride.

Okay, I’m only kidding about sending the photo. But, I am totally serious about the way most people ride. They have just never experienced any other way.

Let’s get back to the lady who was taking the lesson because there is an important point I need to illustrate.

So anyway, after a half hour of me working with this lady, she got a little better but still no real success. I assured her that with more practice she would get better and it would just take more time.

She was fine with that and asked me if I’d ride her horse so she could watch him work. I said sure.

I got on her horse and as soon as my butt settled in the saddle I knew exactly why this poor lady was having so much trouble.

Her saddle was absolutely TERRIBLE. I’ll tell you, I couldn’t even begin to sit the stop.

I could barely stay in balance enough to lope the horse. I mean this saddle made riding well almost impossible.

I told the lady that her saddle was the major cause of her problems.

Of course, she didn’t want to hear that because she had just bought this one a few weeks prior. And here I am telling her she needs to spend a few thousand dollars more and buy another one.

The bottom line is, either you have a saddle that helps you ride well or you don’t.

Unfortunately, most saddles don’t. Some of the most popular brands actually HINDER you.

Every other week, I receive an email from somebody asking if a particular brand of saddle is good. And 9 out of 10 times, my answer is NO.

If you haven’t read the article on my website about choosing the right saddle for cutting and reining, you should. It explains what you need to look for.

In a nutshell, the seat needs to have a pocket (the lowest part of the seat) in the MIDDLE of the seat (approximately 2/3rds of the way back toward the cantle).

Some saddles don’t have a pocket at all or worse, the seat is convex and bulges upward. Other saddles may have a pocket but the pocket is too far back and forces you to ride with your butt against the cantle.

Neither one is good.

Also, for cutting, reining, working cow horse and team penning, the stirrup leathers should be hung far forward, within a couple inches of the swells.

Most saddles have stirrup leathers that are hung too far back, toward the middle of the seat or even behind the middle.

This may be okay for calf roping or trail riding but for other high performance events, it’ll make you lose your balance and keep you from being able to sit the stops and turns.

And like I said before, if you don't sit the stops and turns, your horse will not do them correctly.

About six months ago, I received a phone call from the marketing executive of a major saddle company. This company manufactures three very popular name-brand saddles.

The marketing guy called to see if I’d endorse their new line of cutting and reining saddles.

While on the phone, he had me go online and take a look at the photos of their new saddles. Enthusiastically, he asked, “what do you think? Pretty nice huh?

In my usual un-tactful way, I replied, “these saddles are exactly the type I tell my clients NOT to buy”.

For a full 5 seconds there was dead silence on the other end of the phone.

He finally asked, “why”?

I thoroughly explained my reasons. I also told him that it wouldn’t cost any more money for his company to manufacture a well designed saddle instead of the crummy ones they were making now. I also offered to help with the design.

He asked if I would endorse their saddles if they made these simple changes. I said that I most certainly would.

It’s been six months and I haven’t heard a word from them since… and probably never will.

I’m sure this corporation’s board of directors sees no good reason to make the design changes. After all, they have always sold plenty of saddles and continue to have a large market share.

Unfortunately, the key ingredient that is missing in this company is the same ingredient that is missing in almost all companies that mass produce saddles.

What is this missing ingredient?… A knowledgeable horseman!

The people who make up these companies know almost nothing about performance horses or how to ride them.

The companies are run by business people who know how to operate a business. And the saddles are made by craftsmen who's job is simply assembling pieces of leather. Most of these people have never, ever ridden a performance horse.

When these companies "design" a saddle and offer it for sale to the public, it truly is the blind leading the blind.

Brands of Saddles

Okay, after reading this newsletter, I know many people will ask me this critical question… “Does "such and such" brand of saddle have these design flaws that you are talking about”? And what brand of saddle do you recommend?

Alright, I’m going to list a few of the more popular saddles that I DO NOT recommend for cutting, reining or working cow horse.

To avoid getting sued, I’m only going to hint at the brand name.

Here is a partial list:

B—y C–k, T– Tan, S–co, Big H–n, Something Y, Cr-tes.

Actually, I can’t think of a single production-line saddle that doesn’t belong on this list. And there are very few hand-made saddles that don’t belong on it too.

Right now, about your only chance of getting a saddle that is designed right, is to buy a custom hand-made saddle. The brand name saddles you see being ridden at the money shows is usually the way to go.

They are not cheap. Prices start at around $3,500 for the stripped down models.

A lot of folks aren’t willing to spend that kind of money for a saddle. And forget about finding a good used one at a bargain price. It seldom happens.

As a matter of fact, most good used saddles sell for just a couple hundred dollars less than a brand new one. You're better off getting the new one.

Currently, I'm looking into solving this problem. I’m searching to find a manufacturer that can produce a saddle with the right kind of seat and stirrup leathers that could be retailed at a price that's under $2400.

And of course, the saddle would have to be good enough quality that I would want to own it myself. I just couldn't recommend a saddle that I didn't like well enough to use personally.

For research purposes, I commissioned a saddle from a reputable shop down in Texas that looks like it might fit the bill. The saddle just arrived last week and looks pretty darn good.

The seat and stirrup leathers are right on. And the rest of the saddle is good too. The leather and tooling are very good quality. I’ll let you know how it pans out.

Just for the heck of it, let me know if a saddle like this would interest you. If the response is big enough, I may try to put together a deal that would make it possible for my clients and members to get a really nice saddle at a really low price.

Mind you, I'm not promising anything. But I will look into it and see if it's a possibility.

ADDITIONAL SADDLE TIPS

If you've been riding for awhile and are still having problems with your balance, there is a possibility your saddle simply isn't designed right.

The usual symptoms include:

1. Falling forward when your horse slows down or stops.
2. Feeling out of balance when your horse turns sharp.
3. Hard time getting in a comfortable rhythm with your horse when he lopes.
4. Trouble timing your horse for hindquarter stops, spins and flying lead changes.
5. Your balance not feeling "stable" or "secure" when riding.

Also, if your thighs are touching the swells of the saddle or your butt is touching the cantle, THE SEAT IS TOO SMALL or not shaped right.

If you are constantly stiffening your legs or pushing your feet down, reaching for the stirrups, then your STIRRUPS ARE ADJUSTED TOO LONG or they are not HUNG in the RIGHT POSITION.

Just because a saddle is "custom" or "hand made" doesn't mean it is well "designed". A saddle maker can be a brilliant craftsman but not understand horsemanship well enough to incorporate it into the design of the saddle.

Same goes for the popular production line saddles.

Just because the manufacturer calls their saddle a reining saddle or cutting saddle, does NOT mean the saddle was DESIGNED WELL for those events.

The people who are designing and producing these saddles are NOT horsemen. Most don't ride or own a horse.

They are simply craftsman or "skilled labor" hired by the company to put pieces of leather together.

Well, this wraps it up for this newsletter. I hope you liked it.

Until next time, have fun training your horse.

Larry Trocha
www.HorseTrainingVideos.com

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