We are no longer building saddle trees. We have two saddle fit videos available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Western Saddle Fit - The Basics, aimed at riders, is available either on DVD or streaming on Vimeo while the six hour series Well Beyond the Basics, aimed more for professionals but understandable by anyone, is available by streaming on Vimeo. (We left this website up because we have had many requests to keep the information available.)
Myth Busting - Cranial Nerve 11 and Saddle Fit
Posted by RodandDenise on June 3, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees. We have two saddle fit videos available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Western Saddle Fit - The Basics, aimed at riders, is available either on DVD or streaming on Vimeo while the six hour series Well Beyond the Basics, aimed more for professionals but understandable by anyone, is available by streaming on Vimeo. (We left this website up because we have had many requests to keep the information available.)
The Story
I saw it again this last week. Another website/video talking about Cranial Nerve 11 and how important it is regarding saddle fit. The story is that there is a triangle behind the shoulder blade, in the center of which is Cranial Nerve 11, also called the Accessory Nerve. If you put pressure on that nerve, there is a “reflexive action” which causes the horse to “become agitated… twitch, pin their ears,” and which makes the horse stop and hollow through the back and the croup, preventing them from going forward. So, how much of this is true? Not much, actually. Let’s look at real anatomy and physiology and try to sort out truth from fiction…
Are you still building trees?
Posted by RodandDenise on May 28, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees. We have two saddle fit videos available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Western Saddle Fit - The Basics, aimed at riders, is available either on DVD or streaming on Vimeo while the six hour series Well Beyond the Basics, aimed more for professionals but understandable by anyone, is available by streaming on Vimeo. (We left this website up because we have had many requests to keep the information available.)
We had a question a few days ago from an old customer. He was wondering if we were still building trees as he knew we were shutting things down. The answer - yes, we are shutting things down and yes, we are still building. The key is the time line. The shop will close at the end of July and we will be finishing out our orders by then. But until then, we are still making trees, so I thought I would show you some of what has been going on in the shop, as I have been sadly remiss in that lately…
The most important tool in the shop
Posted by RodandDenise on May 25, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees. We have two saddle fit videos available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Western Saddle Fit - The Basics, aimed at riders, is available either on DVD or streaming on Vimeo while the six hour series Well Beyond the Basics, aimed more for professionals but understandable by anyone, is available by streaming on Vimeo. (We left this website up because we have had many requests to keep the information available.)
So what’s the most important piece of equipment in the shop? Is it the Big Band Saw, that makes those oh-so-important cuts on the bars?
Springtime in Alberta...
Posted by RodandDenise on May 21, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees. We have two saddle fit videos available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Western Saddle Fit - The Basics, aimed at riders, is available either on DVD or streaming on Vimeo while the six hour series Well Beyond the Basics, aimed more for professionals but understandable by anyone, is available by streaming on Vimeo. (We left this website up because we have had many requests to keep the information available.)
Thursday, May 19, 11:49 am - Four days after mandatory evacuations due to wild fires were in force less than 100 km (60 miles) away from us. The rain was definitely appreciated and desperately needed, but just rain would have been preferable…
You're not hurting his kidneys! Don't worry about it!
Posted by RodandDenise on May 11, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees. We have two saddle fit videos available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Western Saddle Fit - The Basics, aimed at riders, is available either on DVD or streaming on Vimeo while the six hour series Well Beyond the Basics, aimed more for professionals but understandable by anyone, is available by streaming on Vimeo. (We left this website up because we have had many requests to keep the information available.)
One of the biggest things we hear from people saying you can’t have any saddle pressure on the loin area is that “you’re putting pressure on his kidneys”. Well actually, no, you’re not - or else everyone is as well. Depends how you look at it.
You're not hurting his kidneys! Don't worry about it!
Posted by RodandDenise on May 11, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees. We have two saddle fit videos available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Western Saddle Fit - The Basics, aimed at riders, is available either on DVD or streaming on Vimeo while the six hour series Well Beyond the Basics, aimed more for professionals but understandable by anyone, is available by streaming on Vimeo. (We left this website up because we have had many requests to keep the information available.)
One of the biggest things we hear from people saying you can’t have any saddle pressure on the loin area is that “you’re putting pressure on his kidneys”. Well actually, no, you’re not - or else everyone is as well. Depends how you look at it.
Behind the scenes of "the video"...
Posted by RodandDenise on May 7, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees. We have two saddle fit videos available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Western Saddle Fit - The Basics, aimed at riders, is available either on DVD or streaming on Vimeo while the six hour series Well Beyond the Basics, aimed more for professionals but understandable by anyone, is available by streaming on Vimeo. (We left this website up because we have had many requests to keep the information available.)
This last week we have been concentrating on our video project.
Cinches - what more I have learned
Posted by RodandDenise on April 25, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees. We have two saddle fit videos available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Western Saddle Fit - The Basics, aimed at riders, is available either on DVD or streaming on Vimeo while the six hour series Well Beyond the Basics, aimed more for professionals but understandable by anyone, is available by streaming on Vimeo. (We left this website up because we have had many requests to keep the information available.)
After my last blog post about the “external abdominal vein” and the real anatomy related to cinches, I had a few interesting conversations and have done a bit more research. (After all, our area of expertise is what goes on top a horse, not what goes under it.) In no way am I pretending to be an expert on cinches. But I do know a bit about anatomy and I can understand the big words in the research papers. So, in reading various lay articles, both sent to me and from searching the internet, here’s what I have found.
Myth Busting - the "External Abdominal Vein"
Posted by RodandDenise on April 20, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees. We have two saddle fit videos available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Western Saddle Fit - The Basics, aimed at riders, is available either on DVD or streaming on Vimeo while the six hour series Well Beyond the Basics, aimed more for professionals but understandable by anyone, is available by streaming on Vimeo. (We left this website up because we have had many requests to keep the information available.)
Here is my rendition of a picture which has circulated on the internet for a while, claiming to show where the “external abdominal vein” lies. The theory is that you have to have a short cinch so your cinch buckle doesn’t sit over it and stop blood flow through this important vein. The picture and idea come from a pdf advertising cinches. I won’t copy the real picture for copywrite reasons, but if you google “external abdominal vein” and Parelli you will find the picture and the (very erroneous) explanation that goes along with it.
You're saddling your horse wrong...
Posted by RodandDenise on April 2, 2016
We are no longer building saddle trees. We have two saddle fit videos available on our westernsaddlefit.com website. Western Saddle Fit - The Basics, aimed at riders, is available either on DVD or streaming on Vimeo while the six hour series Well Beyond the Basics, aimed more for professionals but understandable by anyone, is available by streaming on Vimeo. (We left this website up because we have had many requests to keep the information available.)
The first thing the rider does that affects saddle fit is to put the saddle on their horse. Where they position it is so very important.