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Wednesday, February 4, 2015

the latest craze

Y'all are probably so sick and tired of reading about my saddle search... I'm kinda sorry - but I'm also kinda bound and determined to document this process, even if it kills me. lol

PLUS - that thing everyone said would happen finally happened! I sat in a saddle and felt immediately at home - like, yes THIS is my saddle! Super exciting, right? 

So, without further ado, allow me to introduce this next trial saddle:

Bates Caprilli Close Contact Saddle 17" 

(came with yellow narrow plate installed and has been converted to wool flocking)


This is the same type saddle as the other Bates I tried - but is in much better condition. That other Bates seemed to work well for Isabel - and I really really *wanted* to like it, but just couldn't get past its poor condition (and unreasonable price tag). 

Hopefully this one will be the best of both worlds. I especially like the idea of an adjustable tree - meaning this saddle could stay with me through future horses too.


sorry she's so crooked in this pic haha

My first ride in it went super well - it was comfortable for flat work with a longer stirrup, and it was *awesome* for jumping. SO awesome. I felt so secure in this saddle that we even hopped over every jump in the arena, despite most of them being set a bit outside of my height comfort zone (ride details will have to wait for another post).



So I'm pretty excited about this saddle - but I'm also trying to keep my expectations in check. The primary purpose of this whole exercise is to get Isabel a properly fitting saddle. Everything else is secondary. I'm a little worried that this saddle will be too long for Isabel's back and will therefore try to keep a lid on it until I can get feedback from the fitter and trainer P. 

BUT.... unlike with the Stubben (which got stuffed back into its box the moment we determined the fit wasn't quite right), I like this saddle enough that I'd pay to get it adjusted if necessary. So things are looking promising :)

for your patience in sticking with me through this process, i reward you with this gif of my cat. he is not a smart cat. but i can commiserate about the invisible force field coming between him and his object of desire... poor guy. lol

52 comments:

  1. Yay! Good luck!! It does look a little long (that's only a 17"?! Omg. She's tiny!), but I wonder if the forward balance will make it okay. Fingers crossed!!

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    1. thanks!! and yea they said it's a 17".... but i'm probably gonna measure it anyway bc it seems bigger than that. she IS tiny tho haha. who knows tho, the fitter might like it anyway?

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  2. HURRAH!!

    Ditto on the long-ish fit and second Austen on the forward balance. Geeez, why does saddle buying have to be SO hard?!

    AND your cat is adorable.

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    1. thanks! and idk why it's so hard... definitely wish it wasn't haha. fingers crossed this one will work tho :)

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  3. I'm not bored I'm actually really enjoying saddle shopping alongside you lol. Fingers crossed for this one, again I know nothing about saddle fit but it is pretty!

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    1. yay thanks! i don't really know much about fit either... tho the process is certainly educational in and of itself lol

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  4. Hooray for a promising saddle!!! I like reading about your saddle adventures, it's always useful to hear what others think about different types of saddles!

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    1. yay!! i'm always really interested hearing about what other people like/don't like in tack too - so i'm hoping this might be helpful :)

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  5. That GIF, I can't even. SO FUNNY.

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  6. Interesting how another of the same saddle can fit you so differently! Fingers crossed your fitter can make it work beautifully for the both of you! And your cat... hysterical.

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    1. it's kind of crazy how different the two bates are... but i suspected that would be the case bc a few barn mates have bates saddles as well that are all MUCH nicer than my previous trial one... i think the previous one was just so neglected and old... poor thing!

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  7. I honestly can't really tell if it's too long for her back - the first pic is at an awkward angle which makes it look like it's too long.
    Fingers crossed for you two - and keep blogging about it pls!

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    1. thanks! yea both of those fit pics are pretty awkward bc she wouldn't stand still and was 18 kinds of crooked... but it's better than nothing i suppose... in any case, i'll let you know how it goes :)

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  8. I love cats. That GIF does a solid job of explaining why. I'm not sick of your saddle search posts because I know they are leading up to an "I found THE saddle" post! :)

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    1. hehe thank god for cats :) hopefully after our next saddle fitting appointment i'll be able to write that post too!!

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  9. Yay, I hope this saddle is the winner!! And I love your cat. He's pretty amazing.

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    1. he's an odd cat, that's for sure. every question can be answered with 'maybe i should bite it' lol...

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  10. YAY! Keeping my fingers and toes crossed that it works!

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  11. OMG! That GIF!!!! Love it!

    Keeping my fingers crossed this saddle works out!

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    1. haha my cat is silly ;P and i hope the fitter likes this saddle too!!!!

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  12. You are having great luck finding wool flocked Bates! The saddle looks really nice.

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    1. thanks! its' kinda wild, right - i guess it's not super uncommon to convert them to wool?

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  13. Good luck with the new saddle. Another who doesn't mind reading about your saddle search at all - I need to start one of my own and it's nice to read your thoughts on the different ones you've tried. I love your cat!

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    1. thanks! glad you find this useful too haha - i'll probably post all the various resources i used once it's all said and done too

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  14. Documentation is good and the whole point in having a blog. Fingers crossed this is the one!

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    1. yep - i agree completely about the documentation stuff! and thanks, i hope this is the one too :)

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  15. That cat gif is a metaphor for everything!!! Finger crossed this Bates is the one! I love reading about all of your saddle shopping adventures!

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    1. haha i agree - poor guy learned a tough life lesson that day lol. and thanks - hopefully there won't be too too much left to post about saddle shopping :)

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  16. I love following along! Fingers crossed this one works out for you :-)

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    1. thanks!!! i'm perhaps unreasonably optimistic lol

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  17. I'm definitely not sick of your saddle search posts (though I do hope you find one lol - and I hope this one works out!) but I've been quiet about commenting on them because I really know barely anything at all about saddle fit! Hopefully one day I will get to upgrade from my wintec too though :)

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    1. thanks!! for what it's worth, i would have been cool sticking with our wintec if it actually worked for the horse, since i'm kinda the opposite of a tack ho... but alas, the wintec was NOT working, so now we're off on this somewhat complicated misadventure haha

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  18. Yeah, pictures you took aren't any good for seeing saddle fit, lol. I'm glad you were able to find a caprilli, I thought it would be a good fit for you. Hopefully it fits Isabel. I was concerned about having a saddle that was too long for Phoenix (I have an 18.5" since it was used with my flap!) but the fitter I had told me it's pretty rare because the rib goes way back. Isabel is extremely short coupled though, so I'll cross fingers for you!

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    1. lol yea.... i kinda figured the pics weren't super enlightening but it was a challenging moment for getting anything better haha

      i'm really happy to hear you say that about the ribs going so far back... hopefully that'll be the case with this saddle.

      and you were right about the caprilli - and i LOVE it. the last bates was also a caprilli - but it must have been a much older style, i think, bc this one is MUCH nicer

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  19. Wohoo! Its a beaut! Keep us updated :)

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  20. YAY promising, and comfy saddle!! :D

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    1. i'm super excited - hopefully the fitter likes it!!!!

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  21. Woohoo on the saddle news, fingers crossed it fits Iz when the professionals get a gawk at it.

    Love the cat gif & love everything you post. When my financial stabilise after the move I'll prob be in the saddle market for Miss Nancy, it's about time the poor pet got something new for her & not K's hand-me-down/cast - off *blush*

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    1. thanks!! good luck finding something for Nancy too - tho it's nice that you have something that's working well enough for now! :)

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  22. Fingers crossed. Also, I love your cat. Hilarious.

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  23. I've said it once on your posts i'll say it again... I have a love-hate relationship with saddle shopping..... I love saddles and shopping for them, I hate trying to fit them to my ridiculously hard to fit horse. I know what you mean about finding the one for you.... but worried it might not be right for your horse. been there done that. even paid to get it adjusted because I wanted it SO bad. and had to send it back.

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    1. aww boo!! it wasn't too bad sending back saddles that i didn't love, but i will be SO SAD if that happens with this current saddle... hopefully that won't be the case this time around!!

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  24. Ooooo Fingers and toes crossed this is THE one!!!

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    1. thanks!!! i remain super hopeful!!! tho we'll find out for sure this weekend :)

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  25. Add me to the list of people that enjoy following along on your saddle search. :) I hope this one is really The One! Fingers crossed for the saddle fitter on Sunday!

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    1. thanks!!! i'm simultaneously eager for and dreading the fitter appointment lol

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