I’m sorry I’m retired now due to my breast cancer, but look back, happily, on such a wonderful career…
I would like to congratulate the makers of the new CKRider saddle. This morning I had the honor of riding in what I believe is the best saddle on the market for my sport.
As a judge, coach and competitor, I obviously love dressage and performance, but I’m a actually a real “country rider”. My mother and I used to call it “bush bashing”…going all out “Man from Snowy River” style flying through the bush as fast as our horses could go, then leaping into the creek with the horses to cool off. Even though we compete at elite level, our horses lives outside, I hack out every day, I ride up hill and downhill A LOT! I need more from a dressage saddle than just sitting pretty in front of a judge. I need a saddle that can HANDLE THE ACTION. But mostly KEEP ME SAFE!!!
Finally, after 35 years in the horse industry, I am able to create the EXACT saddle that I want. The exact shape, size, color, choice of leather, but especially what I want is a balance between freedom and SAFETY (OK I’m not young any more here!)
I HATE being locked into huge hard saddles. And I HATE the fact the shoulders just cannot move underneath. This whole concept of saddling and special pads is just amazing, the horse can change muscle shape underneath you, but you don’t need a new saddle…anyone can change the shims in about 60 seconds, meaning you can have the saddle on LOTS of different shaped horses!
CK Rider saves me (us!)…
Just recently in training I realized just how good this saddle is…I was riding at our Black Pearl Farm, and “spring had sprung” there were 2 baby calves bouncing around in the paddock next door, and a whole bunch of goats and one VERY scary Alpaca!
Cantering downhill…well my Saint had a bit more SPRING that I really needed! When the alpaca hissed and ran at us, only 10m away from us, Saint really did a massive leap in the air, but came down hard and stumbled a bit. I didn’t move an inch in this saddle. But not LOCKED…just still and safe! Not only did I not move an inch…I was able to pick the horse up from stumbling further…it saved us BOTH!
The next day I went back and rode in one of the saddles that was the skeleton for our special design…it wasn’t NEARLY as good at keeping me “alpaca proof”, and that was it, I sold my previous version because this one IS IT!!!!
It’s a combination of special seat shape, but also the MONO flap is much much closer contact, but it was my own personal request that “stuck me on”. I asked the makers to get me the STICKIEST leather there is and the CKRider comes in several leather shades of this superior “stick on” leather, but (for us fashion fans!) more importantly about 24 different colored trims (I of course have red, being so shy LOL).
You can get your exact color, exact flap length, as this is a personally designed saddle, and I’ll bet my reputation on you just LOVING it!