Sharon Saare Saddles
Bill Kambic
Bill Kambic, Haras Lucero, Kingston, TN
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1816
Mangalarga Marchador: Style, Stamina, Symmetry, & Smoothness
Ken Brown
> I am considering the purchase of a Sharon Saare saddle. Any opinions?
According to recent posting activity, it *must* be the best and just darn
right because it has a woman's name attached to it! About damn time a
woman broke through the saddlemaker ivory ceiling, eh?
Saddlemaking is still a "secret" in many ways. The books tell a lot, but
not enough. There is sooo much to learn and so many little "tricks of the
trade". I am still picking up "secret tips" left and right from my mentor
who has been making saddles for 47 years.
------------------------------
Those of you that think you know
everything about horses really annoy
the hell out of us that know we don't.
CMNewell
wrote:
go to http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp/ and do a search in the
archives. You'll get lots of informed opinions, pro and con.
CMNewell, DVM
The Chuck of Eq
self-proclaimed vet
Surgeon General of the Bogbash Party
"You can be perverse, a horse cannot." --TvG
Lurking Fool
fits perfectly.
Ann George is another female saddle maker. I don't have one but they seem
very well crafted and solidly built.
http://www.vtc.net/~ageorge/
As far as opinions:
Not any real comments except we did gnot et one. It was measured but did not
fit exactly correctly. I don't know what happened but I ended up not buying
it due to that fact. It also hurt our legs. I am not exactly sure as why
since the stirrups were the same height and it seemed as they were the same
position on the horse as well (forward and back). I was thinking maybe that
the stirrups had an elasticity to them but that seems WAAAAY to goofy to be
true. I liek the craftmanship and the way it seems to be 'put together'. It
seems to be a nice solid saddle.
We did get a saddle for endurance riding, made by an endurance rider,
Specialized. Now that is why we ended up with the one we purchased. This
saddlemaker listens to customers designs and talks to you about the saddle
that he will make you. I liked that. I used it on 2 50 mile rides so far and
looking at sweat patterns, it fits FANTASTIC. I also like the wieght, look
and feel of the saddle itself. It feels real nice to sit in it and when
posting. Neither myself or the horse were sore after those events.
"Bill Kambic" <wka...@vic.com> wrote in message
news:3d07b9c1$1...@news.vic.com...
Carol Nichols
>
> > I am considering the purchase of a Sharon Saare saddle. Any opinions?
I have several friends who had their horses "bare-tree" fitted,
then purchased Saare saddles.....and they all love 'em.
I went to a demo of her saddles, complete with a "computerized"
saddle fitting....and got just *a tad* suspicious when each and
every horse had a major problem with saddle fit (according to the
"expert"). He told me my horse had severe back pain, and that
my saddle was a very poor fit. Then he told each one if us the major
problem each horse had with it's farrier job....even told a good
friend her horse had ringbone. Her horse (a six year old) has
*never* taken a lame step. She had the horse x-rayed. Nada.
I had my vet out (for something unrelated) and he said my mare's
back was just fine. He also just happens to custom make western
saddles.....said mine was an excellent fit, and then proceeded to
admire it. Then I asked him about Kylee's feet---he said he
couldn't see anything wrong, and that my farrier was one of the
best in the area.
I paid $45 for the "saddle fitting", and I think $55 for the
vet call. <sigh> What the hell, what's another C-note down the
tubes, eh?
Carol Nichols
who learned something that day
and Kylee, who had a lesson in patience, being tied to the
wall for about 4 hours
Ken Brown
> We did get a saddle for endurance riding, made by an endurance rider,
"Tis best to get a saddle for a particular purpose made by a saddlemaker
that rides. Off-the-shelf generic isn't all it is cracked up to be.
RGB
What I've seen of them, I really like. But if I had the bucks and was
buying
a new saddle, I'd go for an Ansur. They have a completely leather tree but
are much better than those treeless saddles.
Sue
Bill Kambic
> What I've seen of them, I really like. But if I had the bucks and was
> buying
> a new saddle, I'd go for an Ansur. They have a completely leather tree
but
> are much better than those treeless saddles.
No, I don't think so. I have seen one Ansur and was not impressed. They
still, IMO, do not efffectively distribute weight.
Jennifer Thompson
I will share with you my experience, as an aspiring distance rider who has
done many 20+ mile conditioning rides (but now my horse is laid
up...arrghh!).
I had my mare bare-tree fitted for a Saare saddle about two years ago.
Waited about 4 months for the saddle and when it finally came it did not
fit. The back of the saddle stuck way up in the air when placed on my
horse's back (there was about a 2" gap between my horses back and the
saddle in the rear), and the front fell down too far. When I sat in it,
the back end would smash down to where it was supposed to be, but there
was still a definite forward tilt to it because of it falling down in
front, so I was pitched forward. I tried using a built-up pad to even it
out (I thought I bought this "custom" saddle to avoid having to use
special pads!) and rode in the saddle for a couple of months while I
decided what to do.
In the meantime, another major thing that I did not care for was the
seat. It was murder on my seatbones. It was so bad that I literally got
off and walked home a few times as the pain in my seat bones was the most
exquisitely severe I have ever felt - even compared with really
cheaply-made saddle with rock-hard seats. It was like I had hot pokers
shooting through my seatbones after about 2 hours in the saddle. I don't
know what it was about that seat, but it was NOT comfortable.
I have been told that Sharon Saare now has several factories manufacturing
her saddles, and each factory makes them a little differently. So maybe
that would explain why some people love their Saare saddles and others
don't. Just go to the Ridecamp archives (you can find Ridecamp at
www.endurance.net) to see what I'm talking about.
All that said, I must say that the saddle itself was gorgeous. I was
thrilled with it when I first took it out of the box. The leather was top
quality, the stitching, the hardware - all great! It was truly a
great-looking saddle. Too bad it didn't fit me or my horse.
I sold it at a $400 loss just a few months later.
One other caveat. Ms. Saare is not exactly well-known for her people
skills. She is very curt and will actually tell you not to waste her time
if you simply call to inquire about her saddles. She will also refuse to
give you her rep's name and number for your area unless you practically
promise her you WILL buy a saddle. She is quite rude, and if you have a
problem with your saddle after you've purchased it....well, good luck.
She flat out told me that she would not do anything to try to make the
seat more comfortable and that it was my fault for riding incorrectly
(funny how after 25+ years of riding I've never had my seatbones hurt like
that before!), and as far as it not fitting my horse there would be no
refund, as my horse probably changed shape during the four months I waited
for the saddle to arrive. Whatever. My only option was to trade it for
another Saare saddle. No thanks.
I now ride a Desoto. These saddles are hand-made by Marilyn Horstmyer in
Michigan. It is a dream to ride in. It puts you in a perfect
dressage-like position. The twist is very comfortable and has very
adequate padding in all the right places. It is lightweight and
well-made. More of a minimalist saddle though, compared to the Saare.
Prices start around $1400, I think. If you're interested, you can take a
peek at the Desoto saddle here:
So there's my $.02 (or maybe a little more!).
Good luck,
Jennifer
Susan Ravan
Susan Ravan
Bill Kambic
> Bill, have you thought of an OrthoFlex?
Yes, I have. And came up with two problems:
1. They are no longer in business. (At least they were not last time I
checked; I have heard rumors that they might be back in business.)
2. VERY spotty quality control and VERY poor customer service after the
sale (when they were in business).
I actually spoke to them about 5 years ago, and was pretty well "brushed
off." Don't really know why; maybe they were having a "bad day." Maybe
that's why they ultimately went Tango Uniform (no business can afford too
many "bad days").
And, I'm pertty much a "mainstream guy." Rigid tree saddles have been doing
the job for something better than 2000 years; "if it ain't broke, don't fix
it"!!!<g>
Susan Ravan
dealers went with Rockin R, started by an ex-employee. Customer service
did improve, though many of the dealers really hated Len Brown. I have
two and they have really been great on my horses. I went through 6
saddles trying to find one that didn't make my mare sore. Some folks
don't like them and that's ok too.
Susan Ravan
Texas rider
good and bad things about her. A couple of people here think she hung
the moon, but one friend had a good buddy who was an editor at a very
well known national magazine and this woman bought a saddle from her.
It didn't fit and caused her horse to start rearing. She had been told
she could get her money back if it didnn't fit, but she couldn't. SS
never returned her calls and wouldn't take it back. She also told
these people their horses had a bunch of problems.
CG
Texas rider
> Bill, have you thought of an OrthoFlex?
> Susan Ravan
>
comfortable. However, if I could do it again, I would buy the english
model instead of the western one. The english one is better for gaited
horses, too, and I believe you ride gaited horses. I ride in a
modified hunt seat so it would have worked better for me. The tree is
identical.
Everyone who has sat in my saddle wants it.
Carol Grosvenor
Beverly Wheeler
> comfortable. However, if I could do it again, I would buy the english
> model instead of the western one. The english one is better for gaited
> horses, too, and I believe you ride gaited horses. I ride in a
> modified hunt seat so it would have worked better for me. The tree is
> identical.
> Everyone who has sat in my saddle wants it.
>
> Carol Grosvenor
Carol, What exactly did you get from Tucker Saddles? I ordered the
Western Endurance Saddle and tried it for a few days. It was great on
my seat bones, seemed to fit my horse fine, but I there was pressure on
my crotch. I have sent to exchange it for the next larger seat hoping
that will make a difference. Is there any advice you could give me? I
know in the Tucker site it says that the seat runs smaller than some but
if I go by my weight and the other things *they* use to determine seat
size, the seat I tried should have fit me. Any input would be
appreciated, Beverly
Texas rider
Beverly, I did not get my saddle directly from Tucker, although I did
find out about them via Rec.Eq and did go to their web site and call
them. I bought the saddle at D & D Saddlery in Sequin, Texas, which is
one of their dealers. I believe I have the same saddle you ordered. I
have not noticed any pressure on the crotch. Mine fits me very well. I
have ridden in it for many hours at a time without pain there. Mine is
a size medium. I don't think they come in very many sizes. When I
bought it the sales person said the western tree saddles are made for
TBs and QHs and they only had the medium tree on the medium seat
available at the store because that was what almost everybody needed.
She also said the english saddles worked best on gaited horses,
probably because they have shorter backs. I have a 15 hand TB/QH cross
mare who weighs about 1050 pounds, and it fits her just fine. She has
not had any back problems with it and seems to like it. She is picky
about saddles, so if she didn't like it, I would know. It wasn't sized
like most saddles by number. It is possible yours might be too small,
but I can't say. However, the problem I am having is that I ride
huntseat most of the time, and almost always when trotting and
cantering. This means I ride with a shorter stirrup than most western
riders and I ride with my heels way down, as I feel it is a more
secure seat. However, the saddle wasn't made for this, I am finding
out. There is a metal circular ring for the girth and my knees seem to
hit the ring all the time. I end up getting bruised on the inside of
my knee. That is why I wished I had gotten the english saddle because
it has the knee roll for the shorter stirrup length. The western
saddle isn't all that different but it has a straight fender and it
probably was designed for someone who is riding with a longer stirrup.
The trees themselves are identical. It is very comfortable if I am
just walking along, but it hurts if I ride a long stretch of canter or
trot. I have found I have to wear heavy pants or leather full chaps. I
ride in Wranglers most of the time and they are heavy enough to help,
but when I ride in my lightweight schooling tights, I get the bruises.
As for weight and sizing. I weight about 115 pounds and am 5'5" tall.
I would think the saddle could accommodate someone up to 150 to 160
pounds. After that you would probably need to get a bigger one. Four
people have ridden my horse in the saddle. My daughter who is 5'4"/120
pounds, a trainer 5'7" probably about 135, and a man who weighed about
140 pounds. It seemed to fit all of them. The trainer was a dressage
trainer, though, and thought it was uncomfortable for dressage work.
I tried out every saddle they had at D & D when I bought this, and it
was the most comfortable and most balanced saddle there. We also
looked at the Trooper Tucker saddle which is built sort of like an
Orthoflex saddle. It was also comfortable, but I didn't like the way
it sat up so high. It has a seat built over the tree, sort of like if
you put a seat on top of a Magellan saddle. It is probably a good
saddle if you just go down the trail but I'm not sure how handy it
would be for other things. However, it was about $200 cheaper for
some reason. It also was flatter in the crotch and might be more
comfortable for you. It is made for just spending a lot of time in the
saddle but doing nothing real fancy.
I hope this is somewhat helpful but I'm not sure it will answer your
question exactly.
Carol G
Beverly Wheeler
> Beverly, I did not get my saddle directly from Tucker, although I did
> find out about them via Rec.Eq and did go to their web site and call
> them. I bought the saddle at D & D Saddlery in Sequin, Texas, which is
> one of their dealers.
I think you have to go through a dealer rather than the site, I am going
through Saddle-up Trail Riders in MO.
I believe I have the same saddle you ordered. I
> have not noticed any pressure on the crotch. Mine fits me very well. I
> have ridden in it for many hours at a time without pain there. Mine is
> a size medium. I don't think they come in very many sizes.
They seem to only come in a couple of tree widths, adverage and wide,
but seat size goes from 15 1/2 to 19 1/2 depending on the style Tucker
saddle you choose. It seems to be the rise that bothers me. I am 150 #
and 5'21/2" so built quite a bit different than you. You say you have
the medium seat? I wonder what size that is? I tried the 16, which is
what the site recommended for my weight. As small as you are, if you
have the 16, maybe the 17 will be all right for me. I don't have a
store around here that carries the Tucker so that I could have gone and
tried different seat sizes. State Line Tack, which is about 2 hours
drive from me, sells them but doesn't carry them in the store in Plastow
NH
> She also said the english saddles worked best on gaited horses,
> probably because they have shorter backs. I have a 15 hand TB/QH cross
> mare who weighs about 1050 pounds, and it fits her just fine.
My horse is a TB/QH cross also, and I bet she weighs about the same as
yours does, although I haven't taped her in quite a while. Sounds like
I was right and the tree was right for her. I have been a nervous wreck
about making the wrong decision. As a matter of fact today I made up
the measurements, did the drawings, took pictures and scanned them onto
paper to mail off just to be doubly sure I am not making a mistake in
choosing the adverage tree for her. I figured I had the time (even
though the dealer didn't request them) because the larger seat size will
not be in until July 23rd.
It wasn't sized
> like most saddles by number.
What do you mean?
girth and my knees seem to
> hit the ring all the time. I end up getting bruised on the inside of
> my knee. That is why I wished I had gotten the english saddle because
> it has the knee roll for the shorter stirrup length.
I only trail ride so it should be ok for me.
> As for weight and sizing. I weight about 115 pounds and am 5'5" tall.
I'm green with envy!!!!
After that you would probably need to get a bigger one. > looked at the
Trooper Tucker saddle which is built sort of like an
> Orthoflex saddle. It also was flatter in the crotch and might be more
> comfortable for you. It is made for just spending a lot of time in the
> saddle but doing nothing real fancy.
I'll keep this in mind if getting a bigger seat size doesn't do the
trick. Thanks for the information. You were a lot of help and I
appreciate you taking the time to answer. Beverly