|
Andi’s Saddle Review
Equestrian Travel Equipment
The Long Riders' Guild does
not accept advertising revenue, or any type of outside funding, from anyone -
ever. In other words, you can't buy your way on to this website. We're not for
sale!
Thus the opinions expressed in the Equestrian Travel Equipment section of The
Guild’s website by the various Long Riders are unvarnished, sometimes harsh,
often complimentary, but always spoken from the heart. They have to be.
Unlike ring riders, our lives and those of our horses depend on our gear. If a
piece of equipment fails in the middle of the Amazon jungle, while riding over
the Himalayas, or fording a Russian river, we can't load up your pony and go
home. You don't get ribbons or trophies when you're a Long Rider. If you do it
right, you and your horse make it through in one piece.
We are pleased therefore to publish this strong personal review from North
American Long Rider Andi Mills, a self-described “fifty-six-year-old, diabetic,
grandmother of five still up to meeting an awesome challenge.” The challenge in
Andi’s case was a 1,500 mile ride across the Mojave Desert and the Western
United States using the saddle described below.
As I was getting ready to begin my ride from California to Texas, I knew I would need a special saddle. I have a lot of trouble with my left knee which has been broken twice and with my right leg which was broken two years ago. I needed to find a saddle that had a free swinging fender to allow a full range of motion for my legs. I found it in the Steele Mountaineer. It is an endurance saddle and mine was in the western style. It was also a concern that I was riding a Quarter Horse with low withers and a wide back. This saddle was perfect. I had full contact with my horse because there is not a lot of heavy skirting as on my western saddle. In combination with a saddle pad that had full side silicone gel inserts, it was a fabulous fit on my horse. I never had a single minute of pain in my legs, even after grueling 25 mile days in extremely rugged terrain. My horse was never sore backed from the saddle. It has a deep seat and more than enough dee rings to attach additional gear. The saddle stayed in place no matter how steep the trail was up or down. It is the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden, bar none. Steele saddles come in a variety of styles, both English and Western style. They have something to fit every need. I recommend them highly. Check them out at www.steelesaddle.com.
Click on photo to enlarge it.
For more information about
The Long Riders’ Guild’s on-going international study of equestrian travel
equipment please
click here