The more I ride this tree / saddle the more I love it,

Today (Sunday) was so beautiful that Sue and I were able to go out for a ride this evening.  I have two morning services and currently don’t have an evening service.  I pressed down on the back of the seat and reached under with my hand and ran my fingers under and I can’t find any place where the bars were sitting wrong.  Sue didn’t either.  I am trying not to cinch the girth as tightly.  Dixie and I had a really nice ride this evening and I was firmer with her about having her following my cues.

The more I ride in this tree / saddle the more I love it!  I am so comfortable and sitting up straight.  I don’t feel nearly as tense as I did in my other one.  You asked me to tell you about anything that seemed uncomfortable or as if it wasn’t fitting / feeling right.  I can’t tell you anything at the moment.  You wanted me to take my time so I’ll ride it a few more weeks and then we can get together on completing the saddle.  By the way Dixie has lost a little bit of weight.  Sue believes it’s because the field which had Pearl Mullet in it is done and she’s about to plant rye grass in it.  She’s also giving her just a tiny bit of feed ( I was wrong it wasn’t sweet feed but a pellet feed.)  At present I have a high port bit coming in, I’m looking at the Myler bits, that might be down the road if I continue to have issues.

First is my new saddle!  I appreciate all your time and attention, and your desire to craft the best saddle for the horse and rider.  Such attention to quality, detail and craftsmanship are hard to come by in today’s world.  I’ll continue to give you updates as I ride.
Karen

I am ready to get my Steele saddle started

I rode the Steele trail saddle demo twice this week, once for 2 hours and  once for  3.  Both times, I had a dry spot on each side (pix).  I did not see this on the 4 -5 hour ride I took before.  His winter coat is starting to come in so he was quite sweated.  Temp is still 70-75  I had the pad on frontwards this time LOL.

I also did a good check on the front while sitting in the saddle.  I am easily able to slide my fingers under the tree in the front on both sides.  He was not sore and had no flinch spots after riding.  He seems very comfortable, fox trots and canters easily.  I am getting used to the seat and find I like it and have no pain in my knee and thighs after riding.

I would like to send this back and get my Steele saddle started.  Anne

Let the saddle sell itself,

Eric I really liked the ride I got on the Steele saddle.  I wasn’t really sure at first but the more I rode it the better I liked it.  I will be putting them back to UPS tomorrow morning.  I will be ordering but I worked all night and really need to go to bed now.  I will send you some questions and/or an order tomorrow.  Thank you very much.  For years we have let people take horses home to try for a couple of weeks before deciding if they want to buy or not and it has worked out well for that too.  If you have something people want and it is a good quality let the horse or saddle sell itself.

Thanks, Hal Staley

“Love” the saddle

I “LOVE” the Steele saddle.  We rode 5 to 6 hours every day for 4 days straight & no sore back! I did get a girth sore, I switched girths to a felt and was okay.  I generally use a 3 point hitch to avoid this?  Did not ride with a breast collar! & it moved with the horse but not in a bad way.  The girls I trail ride with were very impressed.   Nancy

More convinced than ever

Just wanted to pass along how pleased I am with finding you and your company

3 saddles and several equine body work specialists later, I finally found your Steele trail saddles and the very thorough process of fit you have developed!!  From speaking with you I can see how experienced you are and how you have listened and seen many many saddle problems w many types of horses.  Thank goodness for your expertise!!

I have a 10 yr old Rocky Mountain gelding that has spent years now getting back treatments so he can gait for show and trail.   After ONE ride in your demo trail saddle I now realize the problem all along has been my saddle (s).

I have 3 saddles which all were “supposed” to be great for gaited and difficult to fit horses.  Your approach to fit the rider and the horse is completely unique and I just want to tell everyone I know about your PROCESS of fit.   When I first rode in the Steele saddle demo I was convinced this saddle is the one for us.  My horse seemed to re-discover his 3 distinct gaits and no longer tried to lurch into a cantor to avoid gaiting.

I, however, stuck to your process and sent you the pictures.  So glad I did cause you saw things in the pictures to improve the fit even more.

Thank you thank you thank you…Stephanie Szabo. Keller TX

Special Need Steele Saddle 99.999% fit

Hello Fred and Eric.  Thank you both for the info. and replies.   I know these pics are not ideal, and if need be, I can send for the pad molded to the horses back, mentioned in your instructions.  Having a saddle to sit in was first priority for me, so I could see if the tree shape gave the support I need – which it did, 99.999%  !!  (a slightly wider rise, just an inch or so at the bottom, or beginning, of the rise would make it 100%.)

I’m in a bit of a predicament, in terms of having the horse available and help to saddle him. And especially to get on him at this point in time.  I depend on the other volunteers to help and on one in particular, who is big and strong enough to boost me up. He has been out of town 2 weeks.

As I was telling Fred, I am in a wheelchair and the horse I ride most lives at the equine rescue where I volunteer.  We’ve added a program for kids (several disabled) and for adults like me.  Haven’t raised enough funds yet to build a wheelchair ramp/mounting platform  – so I had to improvise by sitting in the demo on the little stand I use for cleaning saddles.

I did feel very comfortable and secure in the seat.  No struggling to keep pelvis and spine in proper posture.  (working like a dog to lose weight, but it’s slow going. if anything, I’ll be a bit smaller in future, rather than larger.) I am only 5’1″, and 133 lbs. But my body shape is irregular.  My legs are short (29″ inseam), but my butt is plain old middle aged gal size.  Being very weak, my legs tend to swing and bump the horse’s sides at a trot or canter.  So the nice long fenders on the demo will work well for me, by giving a little buffer between the horse’s sides and the bumping stirrups.

I will use my saddle on two horses, possibly more, because my access to horseback riding is at our rescue facility, but also in another town, where a friend has a therapeutic riding program I visit once a month.  Both horses I’ll ride are similar in weight and shape, not quarter horses, but short, stocky grade horses with a bit of withers and plump backs (i.e. spine is almost level with either side of their backs).

I have put a small cardboard box in with the demo and it contains the two hand grabs the welder made. Since he couldn’t know the exact contour of the tree, before leather is added, he used a wider and thicker screw plate than necessary so that there would be plenty of lea way to grind it down to fit the bare pommel.  We guessed you might embed it into the pommel some.