Flying High - Second ride in the Stonewall~

The way out~

Today, I unexpectedly had the opportunity to ride again.  Short notice - I missed Pat, so out from home.  Jackie called, I'd sent her a few photos & she made suggestions.  No thick pad - just a saddle blanket this time.  I'm so used to using thick pads to mitigate saddle fit that it seemed strange to just have the blanket. 

Fireweed~

It was warm today & pretty humid, bugs weren't too bad - the cooler nights have helped that.  I'm enjoying those cool nights & brisk mornings - harbinger to fall.  Once we were on the trails - Farah just took off!  I couldn't believe it!  On a section where she doesn't usually trot - we not only trotted, we flew!  Even on the overgrown, twisty trail almost 10 mph.  She was the happiest I think I've ever seen her under saddle - the most relaxed I've ridden her - probably ever...  I was just along for the ride.

Breeze on the water~

Once we were on the top of the ridge, we picked up a nice cool breeze.  Enough to put ripples on the wetland - beautiful.  Farah broke into a gallop - then picked up speed & when I asked her to slow down for the rock, she dropped down, in one stride & right into a 5 mph. walk!  She felt loose, I felt loose & we were in sync :-)

The road home~

I called Jackie to tell her how happy we both are.  I'm going ahead & placing my order - sadly the trees for the Sport are on order, so that will slow my order down.  I started Farah out in the Meridian Saddle - then, when it was sent to Everett for a new tree, started using Linda's.  That lasted the year wait for the McClintock.  (I was saddened to hear of Garry's passing...  At the height of his craft, I doubt there were many who made any finer saddles.)

Racy sweat pattern too :-)

 Now, I wish I'd followed that nagging urge to order a Stonewall way back when...  It would have saved me a lot of grief & money too. For the first time in our partnership - four years strong, we're finally Good to Go!  Hallelujah!
P.S.  Jackie said today that when I get my new saddle, this one will be listed on eBay.  If anyone in my area would like to try it - I can lend it out.  It would be perfect for a small person or young rider.  The price is really reasonable too.  Try it - you'd like it!  :-)

Tale of Two Saddles~

Linda's McClintock Saddle

June of 2104, I gave up on my second custom made saddle.  After replacing the tree, there were issues with the rigging.   I'd spent more than enough money on trying to get it right, so put it up for sale.  I was using my old Bighorn, felt insecure in it & Farah knew it.  On one particular ride, not long after - with Linda, she watched as Farah did all her ornery antics & I tried to stay on top.  When we returned to her place, she disappeared into a shed, came back & thrust the saddle above at me!  She said;  "Try this one, it's a great saddle & has a deep seat.

July 22, in Linda's McClintock

After a ride or two, I soon added padding to the rock hard seat!  Otherwise, I was in love with it!  Butch & I were sitting out one hot evening, the saddle was on the stand & we were both admiring it's style.  Butch said;  "Why don't you just order one like this?"  That started the search & I felt so lucky to find Garry McClintock - still in business.  When I called, I explained I'd been seriously ripped off with my last custom saddle.  Also how much I liked the saddle I was borrowing - one of his!  He was gracious, told the history of how he'd made that particular style & how surprised he was one had turned up, since he'd only made a few.  Garry said he was just finishing up a saddle & mine would be next. 

Waves on the the withers~

I was riding a lot of miles & the only problem that cropped up was the waves on Farah's withers.  I did some searching & couldn't find a definitive answer as to a cause - but I did notice it on photos of other horses.  She wasn't sore & the only problem I'd had was being pitched a little further forward than I like on the steep downhills.  I decided to pull out some shoulder shims & started using those.  The waves improved, but never went away.  Since the sheepskin was completely worn off the bars of the saddle, I started using my woolback with supracore inserts & the problem almost completely went away.  That is the way we rode a couple LD's & Mt. Adams for two years.  No issues at all.

I tried not to call & harass Garry as the months went by.  When I did reach him, he'd been in an auto accident, in the hospital & was just getting back to work.  Yes, my saddle would be done soon.  Then - he had additional health issues & again - my saddle was being worked on.  Finally, I had to say;  "Either the saddle or my money back!"  At that point I was told it would be in the mail in a week.  The week stretched to two & the new saddle arrived last Sat.  We returned home on Sunday.  Butch sat out the stand & helped me unpack it.  It's hard to express the total disappointment I felt as it came free of the box.

Holes in the leather on the Pommel

Holes in the pommel :-(

off side rigging adjustment strap

The off side rigging strap only had one hole punched!

Near side rigging

On the near side, there were three holes, but of different sizes & different distances apart!  When we pulled both straps under the saddle - none of these holes lined up with the one on the off side!  There was no reinforcement.

Reinforced rigging on Linda's

Garry had sent me bucking rolls for Linda's saddle, Butch had no problem installing them.  When he went to put them on this saddle - big problem...  The screws in front didn't line up!  The one on the near side was so close to the pommel there was no way to screw in the bucking roll.  When he got out a tape to measure, each side of the saddle was different.  He had to move the screw to get the bucking rolls to fit.

Off side with Bucking roll attached

Now near side~

Uneven screws from side-to-side, we had to move the left, to install the bucking rolls.

Bucking roll now in place~

We'd punched holes in the rigging strap, got the bucking rolls on - I was ready to take it for a test ride.  That's when I discovered the breast collar fit cockeyed & the rigging was so long that my cinch didn't work.   Then - of course the blisters on Farah's sides...

We took a closer look & realized the entire saddle is crooked.  The off side seems fine, the near side somehow doesn't match it.  When I picked up Linda's saddle yesterday & we sat them side-by-side last night - the differences were blatantly obvious.

Something crooked this way comes...  You can also see where the rawhide trim is already loose 1/3rd of the way up the off-side.

The leading edge of the front of the bar on the near side, flares in - toward the horse.  The other side flares out - as it should.   No matter how hard you try, the saddle doesn't sit square.

Linda's -Both sides equal & flare out~

Under the seat, where the panels are supposed to be tight - well - see for yourself!

Crooked somewhere in the tree - large gaps, shoddy work~

Uneven~ You can see too, how the leather on the right in the photo flares down, under the D-ring

Even in the photo you can tell there's an unevenness between the left & right sides of the saddle.  I think it took some jury-rigging to even make it look close to right...  There are many other issues, uneven stitching & just general shoddy workmanship.

Tomorrow, we're heading over to visit Everett, pick up hay & we're taking both saddles with us.  Everett has kindly agreed to build me a saddle just like Linda's - if that's what I want.  It will take a couple months to get a tree & until Fall for completion.  I've asked Linda, she may be willing to sell her saddle.  I'm going to ask Everett for an estimate as to what it would cost to replace the sheepskin & rigging - which is getting old now & showing it's age.  Also - the possibility of adding padding to the seat.  Then his eye as to how the fit for Farah is.  At this point in the game - whatever will work best is what I'll do.

Another story for another day~!  Keep your fingers crossed for me - hopeful Mr. McClintock will refund my money - which he says he doesn't have until he sells this saddle.  Personally - I can't even see it selling...  Since he wasn't as good as his word when it came to ripping me off - I can't imagine his word is any good when it comes to "making it right" & refunding our hard earned money...  I have to ask myself - which saddle gods I've managed to tick off?

Hot Fun in the Summertime~

Fireweed in full bloom

 A couple days into our Summer, but no change in the weather - just warmer, longer!  We're past the solstice, so to think that the days are now getting shorter seems strange when the real strangeness is waking to sunshine, day after day, after day!

Linda has been mowing trail!

I was More than ready for a ride!  Waiting a week for the new saddle to arrive was no fun.  Now - it's here & I had to try it out.  The first thing I found... was that the cinch I'd been using on Linda's saddle - made by the same saddle maker - & ordered to be an exact replica - (with very minor changes) - was too long?  Way too long!  Since I had nothing shorter - it was already a 26" - there were no holes left to buckle into.  I ended up with a big knot of latigo under my calf.  The second thing...  The breast collar that again, I had used on Linda's - sat cockeyed?  What the heck?  The front rings were not even.  When Butch tried to add the bucking rolls (again the same ones I'd ordered & used on Linda's saddle - they didn't fit!  On one side, he could get the screw in - on the other - no way - it was set too close to where the pommel attached.  He'd had to move the screw to get them on - that put an extra hole in the leather :-(

New views, long forgotten trails~

The seat was great, but I had lumps from the stirrup straps under my thighs?  Farah seemed to be moving well, leading us along at her 4 to 5 mph walk.  Count loved it, Leigh's beautiful mare had to jog to keep up.  Linda took us the most direct route by trail to areas far to the south, we even rode the trails Butch & I cleared!

Leigh & Linda - "This Way!"

The bug mask Leigh has for her mare is just amazing - a very thin mesh that is almost custom fit to the mares head & all the way down her neck.  Very nice & black goes well with black :-)

At the creek

Since there's now no water anywhere on the trails & we'd been out a couple hours already - we headed down to Pilchuck Creek.  I was shocked at how little water is left - just since my last visit!  Scary stuff after seeing southern, CA earlier this year - with No water in any of their rivers.

I started feeling a little puny - so decided to head back on my own & see how the saddle worked with some faster trotting & a gallop.  Seemed OK, but something was "off".  Once home I was giving Farah a bath when Butch pulled in.  He found blisters on both of Farah's sides, where the rigging had rubbed :-(  Really Not Good.  Tomorrow I plan to go visit Linda, take this saddle & compare it with hers - the one I'd borrowed for over a year now.

I wasn't thrilled with the craftsmanship - it had certainly slipped, but I was willing to bear that - if the saddle worked.  After only 14-miles - blisters are not something that I'd call working...

Turning on the After Burners ~

The rain moving in~

Today, we headed out on our own to do our large loop at Victoria.  I wanted to do some moving out - on road & trail too.  I enjoyed my tea up on the swing - then caught up on chores before I drove up shortly after noon.

Full parking!

What a surprise to take the last open spot in the parking lot!  Even with all these rigs, we only saw two other horsemen during our ride & they'd ridden in.  It was humid & quiet, I put my rain coat on the back of the saddle.

Another overgrown trail~

About the time we were making this climb, the rain started.  I was happy I'd taken my jacket & put it on! By the time we were at the top, I could see what I thought was a lot of rain heading our way...

Serious Rain~

After a stop at the Monument, short - since I didn't want my sheepskin seat saver to get wet - we kept moving.  Heading down to the south end & onto my Green Trail.  It was so gorgeous & quiet in the deep part of the woods.

Natural Arch~

 We hustled on through to the Main Line road & headed back north.  The rain had stopped!  Farah sat a good pace, she was enjoying this ride & getting to do her thing.  It wasn't long before we came out at the clear cut & could see back & up to the top of the Mountain.

Outlook at the far right - high point

From here we really started cooking along - making really good time & started the climb back up.  Our elevation gain was 2,198 - a good climb in anyone's book.  We hit the top at a trot, then turned onto the logging road that's at second level.  From there it's yet one more climb & we did that at a gallop.  One guy on a bike was trudging up...  I yelled that we'd be passing him on the right & he already knew that we were almost there!  Farah gave him a sideways look as we flew past :-)

Hardly out of the trailer & head down!

I don't think I have to worry about having enough speed - we were flying by the time we were coming up on the crest of the hill & I was asking her to slow up!  I spoke to Gary McClintock again today & we're looking forward to working with him.  Farah has accepted the crupper in the correct position now & the waves on her withers seemed better after today's ride.  It will take a few more miles to see if it solves the problem.  Gary's sending a set of bucking rolls, not sure if they'll fit the saddle, but worth a try.  There's nothing to keep me in position on the steep downhills & he got a laugh out of that!

Trying out a Saddle~

Linda's McClintock Saddle

After our ride on Thursday - when we returned to Linda's, she surprised me by pulling this saddle out & handing it to me!  One of the nicest looking saddles that I've seen in a while.  With - a Deep Seat!  Close contact!  (Linda is the one person I know - who knows full well the importance of a deep seat!)  Over the weekend I played with it - the biggest challenge was getting the fenders adjusted up enough for my short legs.

Morning snow/sleet/hail

This morning the rain turned to white stuff & the temperature at 35 degrees didn't make me want to go out to try something new...  But - I put a corned beef from Kelso Meat Market in the pot (with a beer) & washed up some red potatoes, carrots & started our St. Patrick's day dinner.  It was after lunch that things really warmed up - everything started dripping & I decided that I could squeak out for a short ride!  I didn't bother to put any of my trail "stuff" on the saddle.  I was busy playing with my heart monitor - trying to sync it with my new Garmin.

Farah says the saddle worked fine!

 I decided to use the Thinline pad, the sheepskin on the bottom of the bars is worn down from years of use.   The breast collar needed adjustment & could have shortened it a little more, but I was in a hurry to get out & get back.  I Loved the slick seat, a narrow twist & plenty of security.  Finally - after a couple of stops to re-adjust my stirrups & the electrodes for the HR - I had success with both!  The 310 XT picked up the monitor & my legs felt about right!

At the wetland

The sun felt so Warm!  I had on my heavier jacket - but left it on.  We had to break through around the gate at the top again - I hadn't brought my saw.

Our "trail" is now a stream!

 The trail past the lower end of the large wetland was totally flooded out & flowing over the road & back into the creek.  The deepest was about knee high on Farah.  But on the way back, there were new orange stakes going down the side of my trail - so with the coming of dryer weather - may be the coming of development...

Stakes on the trail...

I won't relish giving up these trails - so will continue to use them for as long as I can...  So sad - to see another wild place disappear...  Thanks Very Much for the loaner saddle Linda!  I'll be riding in style again now!