Back the right horse

So, Hilary Clayton hangs out with physical therapists and people in human medicine at the university where she works, and they talk shop and share viewpoints. Her PT buddy says:

"The worst thing you can do to your hips is to ride a horse that is too wide for you." HC tells us there is no reason to buy a horse that's wide, and no reason not to buy a narrow horse, especially if he feels comfortable to you. In dressage, she says, we don't come anywhere near reaching the limits of a horse's aerobic capacity. Buy a horse that fits you.

Vicki Wilson, New Zealand

Last year this pair Vicki and Amanda Wilson -- did an amazing Puissance demonstration at this New Zealand horse show. This year, they rode saddle and bridle-less, and for the record, the palomino is not exactly dead broke. The pony is pretty young, kind of green, and absolutely beautiful.

  Here's an earlier video of Vicki jumping a car. I suppose it's risky stuff -- isn't riding in general an inherent risk? I enjoy these videos because I really admire their wonderful riding.

Saddle deliberations. Here goes...

Maybe just one more...

Okay guys, a BC Vinici saddle update. I have tested a MW and W, and neither is 100% perfect, both are close-ish. Before you say, hey, keep looking, understand that I have looked at maybe 12 saddles, and these are by far the best fitting.  I love this style for me, and Ri is reacting well despite some needed tweaks.

I'd like to ask you guys what would you do? Remember that Riley is six years old and his back is likely to change, and that there is two centimeters difference between the MW and the W.

WIDE TREE
-- Since my last set of pix of this saddle, the fitter has flocked up the front. It did make a difference.
-- Girthed up, no pad, without me in the saddle, I can see daylight all the way through the spine/gullet area and it all looks good. There is at least 3-4 fingers clearance -- more really.
-- I think the points align really nicely with his back.
-- When I sit on him in the saddle with no pad, it's close to the wither. I can fit a finger under the pommel, and it's  not  resting on his wither, but it's close -- of course I never ride without a pad.
-- The big fluffy mattes pad seems to lift it nicely.
-- Ri definitely reacts better to being saddled in the W tree. He objects more to the MW.
-- He goes better in the wide, but the wide, with a mattes pad, is just a hair  wiggly from side to side. 

MED WIDE
-- It absolutely won't work as is, but a tweak could make it perfect. Or...
-- I could pay to have it widened and have it still be too narrow. That would make me really sad.
-- I could pay to have it widened and Ri might grow to need yet another tweak. Then no more adjustments on that tree, right?

What do you think?

What the flock...

So I've been reading about saddle flocking. Here are some tidbits...

Flocking material
Wool has traditionally been a good stuffing for saddles in part because it is hollow and tends to bounce back when crushed. Years ago saddles were flocked with wool/horsehair or wool/deerhair. Now most are flocked with a wool/synthetic blend to maximize bounceback. Is this good? I don't know. Some claim that pure wool or ‘natural’ wool will lump, and there are companies whose sole product is this wool/synthetic composite for saddleries around the world. Advocates of pure wood say that it is the only filler which will retain the spring and shape so that your horse’s back never gets that ‘wrinkled sock’ feeling. The best wool will be of medium length fiber and it will appear coarse. Here are two qualities of wool:

• Staple length is the length of wool at the time of shearing 
• Micron is the thickness of the wool

 Synthetic wool
Some saddle fitters say that mixing types of wool/flocking can affect the panel resistance on the saddle and allow for unlevelness due to different flocking having different bounce. I guess those are your purists. Not all fitters are so particular, though. Unscrupulous fitters might even use things like yarn or old rags to stuff a saddle.  I think saddle fitters have "stories to tell" -- the way fisherman talk about what they find in the belly of a shark, I bet saddle fitters talk about what they find used for flocking!

Reflocking an older saddle
 According to some saddle fitters, complete reflocks can not be done in a day. Why not? Because the flocking needs to settle for at least 24 hours as, even the most experienced saddlers have have found, sometime wool will settle and create holes. 

 RESOURCES
http://www.manelyequine.com.au/pages/Saddle-Flocking.htmlhttp://www.southernequineconnection.com/2010/02/saddle-flocking-101-by-carey-smith/http://andersonequine.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/focus-on-saddle-fit-the-art-and-science-of-reflocking/

Monoflap saddles

Black Country Saddle (monoflap)

So, have any of you tried a monoflap saddle? I can't say the concept impressed me, but trying (in my case at least) is believing. Here are some advantages...

The pros of a monoflap saddle are...

• lighter
• closer contact
• easier to clean
• good for the shorter-legged rider (easier to wrap your leg around the horse)
• You might think they'd pinch but they don't!

The downsides are

• no sweat flap, if you feel that the sweat flaps do what their name says they do
• thigh blocks and knee rolls are exposed
• billet replacement is more challenging
• they tend to be more expensive

Any other pluses or minuses I've forgotten?

Parabol: The old gentleman enjoying life

How can I visit Hilltop Farm without stopping to see Parabol, one of the grandest  old stallions in the U.S. Ri's grandma is by Parabol.  He was known for his kindness and rideability, among other things. The folks of Hilltop treat him like the king he is. Here he greets an admirer from the best stall in the barn-- two windows, and overlooking the rolling hills of the farm.

Hilary Clayton @ Hilltop: Awesome

HC leads a discussion of the fine points of conformation

So I know a lot of you are waiting for my clinic review -- I attended the Hilary Clayton clinic at Hilltop Farm in Colora, MD today.  I have to admit it was hard to get up at 6am on Saturday to make the 2.5 hour drive, and as I shut off my alarm I thought for a brief moment that it would be nice to just stay in bed. Fortunately, my better judgement prevailed.

It was AWSOME. HC is British (who knew?), engaging, exceedingly clear in her teaching, and approachable. Sometimes the Big Names know they are Big. That is not the case here, and she seemed to truly enjoy interacting with us and helping us to understand.

The only disappointment with this clinic is that I was unable to sign up for Day 2 due to scheduling issues. Day 1 focused on the neck and back, and HC offered us insights from her past and current research. Really great stuff. For now, I'll pass along a tidbit that was one of the more memorable images.

Belly flop takes on a new meaning
We talked about the musculature of the horse -- the long muscles along the topline (and a shorter, more fibrous set of deep muscles surrounding the spine. We covered the abdominal muscles underneath the belly and stretching up and around the horse's underside. HC told us that the belly organs of the horse (intestines, liver, etc.) weigh hundreds of pounds. As the a horse trots, during the "airtime phase," the top back muscles tense, or as HC says, they "light up"; at the end of the moment of suspension, the organs are bouncing upward and their weight/force meets the top back muscles in their active, tense state. The organs bounce against the topline and they're driven down as the horse descends.  And as the horse makes contact with the ground (the stance phase), the organs are close behind, and the abdominal muscles light up/activate. The organs then bounce against the abdominal muscles.

So as the horse trots, his insides are bouncing around in this predictable way, pinging back and forth against the spine and abdomen. What are the implications of this?

• Well, for one it gives us a sense of which muscles are activated during the trot mechanics.
• We get a visceral sense of the horse's experience while trotting.
• HC states that our job is not to make the horse's back move more, but to stabilize the movement. 

This last point is the hardest to take in. I think she means that there's a lot of action going on already as the horse works--they're trying to control their own parts (limbs, organs, etc.), and we need to develop the musculature to help the horse control his own body, within his own rhythm.

I can't get over the notion of the organs ping-ponging around inside.

Photo from Belinda Trussell Dressage

Oh, heck, I'll throw in one more...
HC spoke of how the spine bends and twists -- yes, twists -- and the muscles that support these motions. She showed us a picture of the half-pass, and noted that during this bend, the horse is not just wrapping the spine around the inside leg but twisting/rotating it.

So in the half pass right pictured here, the spine is curving around that inside leg but also twisting/rotating clockwise slightly, lifting the inside shoulder. HC said (at least, I interpreted her to say) that when a horse bends this way, people don't realize how much the inside shoulder has to lift, and as a rider you have to allow for this lift.

I could write fifteen pages on what I learned today. I'll share what I can. If you get a chance to participate in a clinic with HC, don't let the chance slip by. I think it will change the way I work with my horse and what I expect from him and myself.

Sensual: Is that a good horse name?

Lovely horse -- I'd change the name. She seems very uphill at the trot, especially for her age! The canter is more baby-like...

"Taming of Totilas" analytical video (one hour long!)

Hi guys, this seems like a really interesting video -- just released, I have not watched it, but they narrators are saying that they want to analyze how the different riding styles of Totilas' main riders have affected him--their body language, balance, use of rein aids, etc.

I don't really know the credentials of the narrators from Professional Horse Services (sort of like Acme, huh?). But the little bit I've watched so far it's clear they're not holding back on critiques...

Go to http://youtu.be/sK3TzBuGN0w

(Sings) They tried to tell us you're too young...

On the Chronicle of the Horse (COTH) list, someone posted this footage -- clearly a youngster with talent, and from the poster who translated the commentary, they said he has a good mind.  What is a bit surprising is that he was broken at two. He is now three-ish, I think? If I understand correctly he has been sold to a big name rider.I wonder what constitutes breaking, and what kind of schedule he was on. So young!

The rider is a lightweight, but looking at both of these videos, (being ridden, careening around a tiny ring) neither seems especially horse-friendly.

   Here he is in March 2012 at his licensing... 

Saddle update: Narrowly escaping disappointment

Riley relaxes as I check saddle fit...

Well, I figure a lot of you have read my "Bummer" post. It was disappointing to find my dream saddle is a less-than-perfect fit. I posted to COTH, and it was nearly unanimous--too narrow. I also studied the saddle pad mark and the problems with the fit were confirmed.

 Shhh... Don't tell.
One night, in frustration, I parked Riley in cross ties near the tack room and tried almost every saddle in the barn on his back. Don't tell anyone. But that's what I did. Ri's back was immaculately clean, and I left the saddle covers on, and each saddle rested on his back for about 30 seconds.

The result? None really seemed like a good fit. Not one, not even the wide and medium-wide saddles.

 I guess this drilled home to me that most saddles will need some sort of adjustment.

 It is good to be resilient. 
The saddle fit is very close to being right, and Riley is responding well to it. It may be the saddle, and it may be that I am riding better. I am riding better in this saddle, in no small part because of the monoflap design. I'll blog about that later. The saddle is going back for tweaking, or I'm getting a wide and having the flocking raise it a bit, but I'm getting this saddle.

I think I shared pix on Friday of the saddle on Ri's "cold back." The serge panels mold quickly to the horse, and Black Country flocks its saddles softly from the manufacturer, so the Trumbull Mountain lady suggested that I ride in the saddle to see if it drops. Here are some photos taken of Riley in the saddle after a 45 minute ride. I removed the thin saddle pad, took pix, and then mounted and had my friend Cassandra take pix of me in the saddle.

Here you can see the main problem -- the top of the points are hovering over his back.

I don't like "horse tricks" but...

I love this young woman's enthusiasm as she works with this horse, and I love the horse's willingness. She's accomplished quite a lot, and it looks like good exercise. Kudos on a job well done.

Rein lame or plain lame?

In the past I have talked about, and shared footage of,  Riley's "hoppy-trot." Ever since I started riding him he has occasionally shown this hoppy trot -- but never with my trainer. For example, both my trainer and I clinic'ed with a big name dressage trainer -- on day 1, with my trainer, he was totally fine. One day 2, with me, he hop-trotted around the arena for the better part of my $200 45-minute lesson.

The hoppy trot comes and goes.  At the moment, it is (kind of) in remission. If I had to guess, I would say that my riding is creating tension/resistance, and  possibly exacerbating something that might be percolating somewhere in Ri -- whether in his back or front or hind legs. He also hated his saddle, but hopefully we'll be removing that issue from the equation soon.

Anyhoo, this is not a post about Riley per se, but about the concept of rein-lame.
  
IMHANSAO (in my humble and not so authoritative opinion)
Despite having no veterinary credentials, I thoughts on rein-lameness. My definition of rein lameness is pretty narrow.  I'm sure that some horse/rider combos experience moments of unevenness due to miscommunication or tension. IMHO if it is prolonged or definitive it is not rein-lame, or at least not just rein lame. In reading about rein lameness, I noted a comment from one vet/author -- he said that most horses do not have just one thing wrong with them. And on that comforting note...

 Is there a definitive, authoritative definition of rein lameness?
Maybe rein lameness and real lameness are not two mutually exclusive categories -- there might be some overlap, don't you think?  Rein lameness may be a sub-clinical discomfort that the horse is feeling, and it becomes observable when the rider does not have the skills to keep the horse balanced/comfortable for more difficult work. One of my vets told me that he never lets professional riders show a horse during a PPE -- he wants to the the buyer in the irons, because it is too easy for a pro to mask a problem.

As owners I think we have to be careful about pronouncing a problem to be rein-lameness. It should not be just a comforting suggestion that we offer to our friends/fellow riders  when their horses take uneven steps. 

Red Haute Horse! A new horse site review

I meant to blog this earlier (back in January when my birthday actually occurred). Anyway, my birthday gift from Bob was from Red Haute Horse. I love these lead ropes and use them for travel and special occasions -- they have an amazing selection of beautiful designs (plus these new ones). Their elite lines are single design, and their fashion line features two prints. They're not expensive, either, for the craftsmanship that went into them. A total thumbs up to this site -- and note this is not a paid endorsement.

Luck of the Irish! I found a great sale...

Go to companystore.com if interested. For awhile they had the queen sized sheets for $20! but those were gone by the time I found this. In a few days I will need to explain to Bob how we acquired yet another comforter. Veni, Vidi, Visa.

Bummer

I got my BC Vinici MW tree, rode Ri in it, and of course I still love the saddle, but...

It is a wee bit narrow on Ri.



I tried the wide (they had it as a demo saddle)--Ri LOVED it, but at the time it seemed TOO wide (wither/spine clearance). In retrospect is might be a better fit. It's still available.



I'm hoping that the company will work with me to make something work. If I send the MW back there is a 20% restocking fee. I'm contemplating now, in my misery, what to do. Wondering if I could work a trade...

Rider and Horse Back to Back: A must read

Image from Amazon.com
(you can review some of the text!)

My most wishful imaginings for things-not-possible do not include Brad Pitt or Toby McGuire or George Clooney or whoever the latest heartthrob is. Forget that.

What do I wish for?
I want to ride well, and I want to know how it feels to ride well. I have often wished I could "sit inside" the top riders to learn what it feels like to ride correctly. Being a librarian, reading about riding is my best substitute--but most books on the topic are disappointing. Well, hooray! I think I found a book that will really help me: Rider and Horse, Back to Back.

The authors
Their resumes are impressive. Read about author Suzanne Von Dietz  on this web page,  and try not to hold it against her that she looks good in those breeches. Co-author Isabelle Von Neumann-Cosel has also made her mark in the dressage world. This is the second book they've co-written, I think.

I just got this book, and I'm pawing through the topics that I want to read first -- haven't read it all, but I can't wait to write about it.

Illustrative photos and graphics are awesome!

A word about design
 As someone who teaches and does instructional design, I can attest that how information is presented can mean the difference between getting it and not getting it. The authors have invested a lot in presenting their content so that we get it. I appreciate the thought and skill that went into every page -- the use of color, the way it is formatted, and the **awesome graphics/illustrations,** all these things took time and effort, and I bet it didn't come cheaply either. I think their goal was to create a lasting, authoritative work in the tradition of Sally Swift's Centered Riding.


No "Captain Obvious" here
At some point in my blogging past I wrote  a scathing review of a  dressage video on rider seat/position. In this video, the coverage of "rider crookedness" consisted of a rear view of a rider leaning exaggeratedly onto her left seatbone. Gee. Thanks.  I'll make a note not to do that.  With that anti-example in mind, I'm totally delighted with the level of detail in Rider and Horse Back to Back. Here is a teaser from a chapter that offers discussion of rider body type, its influence on position, and its effect on balance. Each page offers not just the basics, but new insight (at least for me)...  

Two and a half examples (many more in the book)

As I said, I haven't read it cover to cover but even as I "graze" the pages I'm finding it's all new information to me.  I'll write more as I read it, but at under $30 it is a very good investment for any dressage rider or trainer.

Sunny Boy X DeNiro = Desiderata

I've never seen a Sunny Boy offspring I didn't totally covet, and the combination of Sunny Boy in DeNiro has resulted in this very lovely 4-year-old. I'm not sure how experienced the rider is (hands seem a tidge unsteady on this very big mover). It's hard for me to judge, the German riders don't seem to value "stillness" as a riding quality, they just want to go with the movement. At any rate the horse is doing well.

 I love his head carriage and elastic/natural quality of his movement...

More great cookies!

I love my Harv B-day cookies -- love'em! Also check out these works of dressage art from adozeneggs.com -- what is remarkable here is that the artist does not have a dressage background, yet look at the detail in the horse/rider and the lovely tailoring of the jacket. I hope to buy these as a raffle item for LVDA, my local GMO.

Need motivation?

When I have a bad day, or screw up, or feel hopeless, I try to imagine underdog scenarios where people have beat the odds. I'd say we have one of those situations here! If he can, we can...

Harvster turns 25!

Sugar ruled the day on Saturday, May 10. Harv graciously accepted his icing (the cake was chocolate and therefore a no-no). I had asked that Harv be left in for the celebration (he could be turned out afterward). A mistake. He was beside himself, all agitated and hyper, at missing his morning pasture-time. But it was a good day, and Bob took some nice pix of the cake, cookies, and Harv and I -- 42 pix in all! Remember, the cookies are by Cookies by Becky, and the cake is from the Flour Shop.

I'm a sucker for fancy tails...

So I love this horse...

And this pony, Dreidimensional AT...
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Harv's Birthday! A quarter century of being a good boy

 The Harvster turns 25!!!! Celebration Saturday the 10th (his birthday was the 5th)
How can I top previous years? It was hard. But, I found these cookies on Etsy.com from Cookies by Becky -- her stuff is so reasonably priced, I ordered a custom cookie for each horse in our barn, with markings etc. Oh, and a cake, this time chocolate, from a company called the Flour Shop (I'll show you that tomorrow).

From the etsy ad

The cookies I received -- Harv and Ri, partly obscured by the wrapping

Harv's Barn Mates!

Harv memory #2: The service here stinks!

It's going to seem like I'm picking on a certain barn worker from a boarding barn long in my past -- and I don't mean to -- but he's part of the story. His name was not Athens, but I'll cal him Athens.

Sometimes Athens tippled while at the barn, and chores were not done properly. In a 60-70 stall barn, mistakes can go unnoticed.

This was apparently the case one weekday evening at the barn -- a night that I was not there. The incident began with  a big commotion in the back aisleway. The back aisle ran down the outside of the indoor arena, and a horse was kicking the back of his stall so violently that riders could see the boards along the indoor wall shake. Everyone assumed a horse was cast, and the instructor came running.

Not cast. Pissed.
Earlier that evening, Athens (apparently) was very distracted when he fed the back aisleway, where Harv was stalled. He:

1.  Forgot to water any of the horses.
2. Dumped Harv's grain into his nearly, but not quite empty water bucket.

There was just enough water  in the bucket that Harv couldn't eat, and just enough grain that he couldn't drink.

Harv does not suffer in silence.

Probably an hour or two after Harv's meal was botched, it became apparent to him that the wait staff was not returning.  He started out kicking the wall,  but when the riders came upon him in his stall, he was head-butting the water bucket repeatedly, timed so that the bucket was spinning on the eyehook like a  wheel.

Good people that they were, they took care of my boy and watered the other horses. All because of Harv.  Although I worry about Harv, and his care--not so much now as then--that story made me realize that Harv was capable of making his needs known. And good for him!

"They're not machines"

One of the best pieces of wisdom I've ever gotten from a riding instructor is, "They're not machines." I harken back to this any time I get frustrated with my riding and with Riley. I repeat this to myself and it brings me back to the reality of the human/horse partnership. We're not on snowmobiles, we're not in cars, we're not on hang-gliders. We're working with  a living animal.

Poetin, the remarkable mare that made headlines with her spectacular gaits and potential, is lost to us. A charitable way of describing the circumstances of her death might be that "mistakes were made." Mistakes such as...

1. Horses-treated-as-assets. Poetin was hidden from creditors. A horse-in-hiding is a horse stabled at some out of the way a place, away from folks who might recognize her. Maybe the people caring for her did not know her value, or know how to care for a horse. The owners were bankrupt, so who knows what they could afford? At any rate, she got injured, somehow, whether by accident or negligence. Original owners, FAIL.
2. Corporate ignorance, corporate greed. You might think that the German police rescued her from bad circumstances, and that the bank would be in a position to manage her care. That now she'll be okay.  Instead, EPIC FAIL.  Some hired horse manager,  some bean-counter, some business exec smart guy decided that steroids would fix the lameness problem for purposes of a quick sale.  FAIL. Steroids never fix anything.  I  betcha I could have kept Poetin alive, and that's not a big brag.  Probably any pony clubber with a few years under their belt could have done better by this mare.
3. New owners can't write the check fast enough. Wow. Crappy circumstances, paying $3M for a horse than many observed was lame at the walk at the auction. The mare was lightly shown to buyers because she was "out of shape." The highest bidders didn't see the signs, or overlooked them in the auction atmosphere.  They took a chance, bid their money, only to have a very sick animal come off the trailer. Whether they showed good judgement or not in the purchase, they look like the freakin' heroes compared to everyone else. They tried to help Poetin, tried to salvage her for THREE MONTHS, and when it was clear she was to be lost,  they preserved her bloodline.
4. The law is an ass. I'm sorry the new owners lost the lawsuit--for so many reasons--but mostly because the people who mistreated this unique, beautiful, injured horse got the big win, $3M, and suffered no ill consequences for the harm they caused.

Netherfield mom, I'm sorry this post is such a downer. I guess the bright spot is that  so many of us (and I'm thinking of the BTB readership here) care for our horses as if they are  $3M horses -- or rather we care for them like they are irreplaceable. To us, they are.

RIP Poetin, you were a good girl.

Poetin: How can this happen?

I admit I'm late to the party when it comes to the tragic story of Poetin, the double Bundeschampion and World Champion mare that sold at auction for about 3 million dollars in Europe in 2005. She died due to mismanagement, and news of the lawsuit  outcome was posted recently. Here is a summary of what happened...

• Poetin's original owners apparently went bankrupt and tried to hide her so that she could not be sold. She was found several years later by German police and arrangements were made to auction her  off to settle a financial dispute between the owners and the ING Bank.
• She was lame when they found her, supposedly with a minor (tendon?) injury. Her managers at the time pumped her up on steroids to get her through the auction, where people reported she looked lame at the walk. 
• Still, she sold for 3 million The new owners had no idea that the mare was heavily medicated with steroids. 
• As a result of the meds and being ridden hard at auction, she foundered. She in distress when she got off the truck at their facility.
• They tried for three months to save her, even putting her in a sling a la Barbaro. She was cloned (at some point) and her eggs were flushed. When her condition worsened, she was euthanized.

Here is footage of this mare. I believe she is one of the few sport horses to achieve a "10" on her trot.  Commentary forthcoming.

Saddlebred/Arab prospect

I don't know how old this saddlebred/arab is, but what a lovely picture he makes. Is he not cute? I like the way he is being ridden too. The reins are long but I love how the rider is using them. Even with my uneducated eye I can definitely see how the outside is supporting and the inside is ever-so-slightly helping with the direction -- it's a good illustration. The horse looks so happy and confident in the contact, and nothing is forced. He looks pretty undeveloped in his musculature in July 2011...

Now check him out at a show six months later! It's his first show, and "he's very nervous," but a nice picture all things considered. One thing I notice is a big difference in the canter under these conditions. Training level 3 and First level 1 -- pretty ambitious for a first show...

If wishes were horses (Claire Lynch)

I love this song, "If wishes were horses" by Claire Lynch. It's catchy, it's high-energy, it's bluegrass, and it's got horses in it! Give it a listen -- do you know any other "horse songs" that are not well known and fun to listen to?

Piaffe in hand

Is this horse just volunteering a piaffe? Pretty spectacular...

Chickens, sheep, and horses

"My vet says that chickens, sheep and horses are all animals born trying to die." This is a great quote I read on the Chronicle of the Horse forums.

Facebook members have probably read the story about the world's  oldest horse ciculating, I think many of you have seen it. Now I have a sheep story to go with it...

Read the story of the world's oldest sheep

Lovely to look at, but...

Hey, all, here is another saddle for your review -- tell me what you think of the look and fit.  I tried several saddles from this fitter, who sells, among other things, a custom Wolfgang Solo. I liked the short exposed block version of the WGS, but the short block test saddle was 18" -- too big. The 17.5" saddle had a long block. Their 17.5" short block saddle was out on trial. In finally came back to them, and they sent it to me, and here it is on Ri Ri.

This saddle came with a feature I didn't expect, which is a fancier leather type -- a $400 upgrade. I was afraid I'd fall in love with the upgrade, but quite the opposite. I didn't like it. In fact, the saddle did not feel at all the same as the ones I tried 3 weeks ago. Since I've already ordered a Black Country saddle, this was kind of a relief. For those of you actually reading this far, here's a hint. The saddle does not fit.