Newsletter – Spring 2010

STANDARD COLOR CHANGED!

We are changing our standard leather color from chestnut to brown. This light brown goes well with all color horses and seat colors. In discussions with our users, we found that brown is more poplar. It is our goal to offer the most beautiful saddle possible, thus the change. Let us know if you have questions or comments so that we can continue to improve our saddles!

BIG NEWS – WESTERN SADDLES

We are proud to announce two upcoming western saddle improvements.

New wider trees will be standard without the extra tree charge and western pommels will not cost extra. This will help accommodate the increasing number of quarter horses and thicker padding used by western horsemen.
We will be offering a new line of western performance saddles including saddles made for barrel racing, roping, and other specific western disciplines. These will be offered on a new web site, Western Specialized Saddles. This site should be up in four to six weeks. Specialized Saddles will be expanding our manufacturing capabilities to keep pace with this growing product line.

NMSU SADDLE FIT STUDY COMPLETE

Approximately two hundred western saddles of all brands were examined; especially barrel and roping saddles by students at the University of New Mexico’s Ag marketing team in Las Cruces NM using an FSA pressure pad. Padding thickness, weight of rider and discipline of use were categorized.63% of all saddles tested had unacceptable levels of pressures exceeding 3.6 psi (a level, which can cause tissue damage due to loss of blood flow.) Also bridging and pressure along spine and withers due to thick padding and not enough clearance under pommel were very common causes of saddle fit problems.

Interestingly, a limited number of horses exhibiting bad scans were refit with an adjustable Specialized Saddle. 87% of horses with unacceptable pressure changed to good scans, after being retested with a western Specialized Saddle and pad.

For more info of the relationship of padding to saddle fit see the article Pad Paradox on our web site HERE. More details of this study will be posted on the web site soon…

MEET OUR PEOPLE

	Blake Potter (shown here on FLF’s Arab stallion “Ari”) – Blake is the office manager at Specialized Saddles. Blake processes all orders and handles quality control, shipping and receiving. Blake also is a lifelong horseman. He has competed in endurance, jumping and eventing.

	Tracy Kaden – Tracy is an important part of the Specialized Saddles team. Not only is she David’s wife but she manages prototype testing including durability and comfort for women. Tracy also runs Flight Leader Farm Endurance Training Center.

	David Kaden – David Kaden is one of the few saddle makers who is still active as a rider and competitor. Every detail in the Specialized Saddle is conceived in the field for enhanced comfort for horse and rider. David’s mission is as simple as it is ambitious; to eliminate sore backs for all riding horses by spreading the use and availability of Specialized Saddles throughout the world.

Thanks for your business!