# Parelli saddle placement??



## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Why don't you post something a little more positive? If the cinch was tight the saddle would not have slipped even if it was a little further back than most of us do. Unless Pat Parelli tightened the cinch he's not to blame.


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## FlitterBug (May 28, 2009)

I think you are pointing the finger at the wrong culprit here. The parelli saddles themselves, although very well made, are modeled very close to the Balance Saddles, which are also very nice. The difference with the saddles is that the Parellis came up with this crazy "point of balance theory" where the point of balance is far behind where it would be in any other type of riding. The saddles put the rider in more of a recliner position.

I have taken saddle fit classes and classes on the equine body, saddle placement should be behind the scapula to prevent the saddle from blocking the motion. That is not just a Parelli thing. 

I have a mare that has a completely round wither area, if anyone rides her with less than perfect balance, the saddle will move to the rider, its not the saddles fault, not the horse's fault, its a conformational challenge. 

I think in the case that you mentioned, I would blame the accident more on the rider's lack of balance, as I have personally not seen many decent riders come out of the program. I have ridden a few times to dismount and see plenty of daylight through my girth, yet the ride never had any difficulty with staying centered. Its just a matter of riding the horse rather than riding the saddle.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Well... We get threads on this forum all the time about all different saddles sliding all around. Should we blame all makers? lol! Could be lots of reasons: didn't tighten the girth, doesn't fit the horse well, bad pad, anything. I don't think it's Parelli-specific thing.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

All saddles need to be placed behind the scapula - otherwise they are on wrong, simple as that. As Flitterbug said, any horse with no wither and a barrel will be roly no matter how tight you dot he girth - Pepper, the little appy we have, is like that - You just have to ride centered.


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## RadHenry09 (Mar 22, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> Why don't you post something a little more positive? If the cinch was tight the saddle would not have slipped even if it was a little further back than most of us do. Unless Pat Parelli tightened the cinch he's not to blame.


 
I agree:-|


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Wow, the only time I can remember ever having my saddle pulled that off center, there was about a 1000 pound steer on the other end of a rope LOL. I am curious now and I would like to see a picture of where they indicate you should place a saddle if it is different from what the rest of us do.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

I had my saddle slip completely sideways. The cinch was tight, I saddled her and my instructor always checks before I mount . The horse was annoyed about being asked for a lope and did this funky, twisty maneuver while going into a lope that my riding instructor said she'd never, ever seen a horse do before and fwoop, off to the side I went! 

Can't blame Parelli for that, I've never even seen how he says one should saddle their horse.


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

HorsesAreForever said:


> I was reading a post on a different forum about the parelli saddle placement.. and how her saddle completely slipped to the side causing her to almost get trampled..... The girth was tightened as well. So it got me thinking.. how SAFE is it to place your saddle that far back???? I know its so they can have a full range of movement in their shoulders... but if the saddle fit CORRECTLY wouldnt they have that anyways...?
> 
> Ill find a picture of what im talking about sooner or later! lol


 Gosh, you really like to start Parelli bashing threads. It is as if you have found the perfect way to ensure your thread (and by default, you) get lots of attention. I thought you have done Parelli and found benefits to it? So much for the courage of your convictions. 

Sorry if this is antagonistic but I think your thread was meant to be.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

People seem to think that if your saddle rolls, you are not a good rider, not riding balanced, etc. but honestly, after trying lots of different saddles and trying to find one to fit my Mustang, the horse's conformation plays a BIG roll in how secure your saddle is. 

Round backed horses are notoriously hard to fit a saddle securely on, and you really have to have a well fitting saddle to feel your saddle is secure on one. 

On the other extreme is my Foxtrotter mare. Because she has a good set of withers, I can throw just about any saddle on her and it will be secure. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a good fit on her, but she has withers that will hold almost any saddle. I am frequently checking the cinch when I ride my Mustang, but I can ride with a really loose cinch on the Foxtrotter.

But no matter what the conformation of the horse, a well fitting saddle will be more secure than a poor fitting one.

I find flex trees to be less secure than regular trees.

I don't know exactly what Parelli recommends for saddle placement, but I DO think that the farther back a saddle is, the more likely it is to roll.

I guess what I am saying is, before we all start to jump to conclusions that someone is a poor rider because the saddle rolls, you have to take into account the conformation of the horse, the fit of the saddle, and the circumstances of the accident. 

I have had a saddle roll with me twice in my 16 years or so of riding. I consider myself a decent rider. But sometimes "life happens," especially when riding out on the trail. It doesn't mean necessarily someone is a poor rider. Your horse's conformation and fit of the saddle can make a major difference in how you ride out a spook or buck.

I guess I sort of got off topic, but frequently when people speak of saddles rolling and such, the first response often is "well they must not have good balance because I can ride with a loose cinch." If you think it can't happen to you because you are a good rider and doing everything right, then you just haven't met the right circumstances yet!


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

> People seem to think that if your saddle rolls, you are not a good rider, not riding balanced, etc. but honestly, after trying lots of different saddles and trying to find one to fit my Mustang, the horse's conformation plays a BIG roll in how secure your saddle is.


I hope you don't think I said this! There will always be roly-poly horses - We have one. His midsection is like a barrel, and any saddle, no matter how well-fitting, rolls around on him. I actually hate riding him because of it! My point is that on these types of horses, you need to ride centered and balanced - if not, you will make the rolling worse. I have ridden MG and sporting on this pony, which is leaning off to the ground, and not had the saddle slip, because I know how to position my body to help it out.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

PS. This is also why I feel naked if I ride without a breastcollar. I will sing the virtues of a breastcollar to anyone who will listen, because I think if I had not been using a breastcollar when my saddles rolled with me, I might have been trampled and badly injured. At the very least, it protects your saddle from rolling under the horse and getting damaged. 

A properly fitting breastcollar will keep your saddle from rolling completely under the horse, with or without you in it! :shock:


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

^ Ah yes, I always ride with a breastplate unless the competition doesn't allow it. So many handy uses :]


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

wild_spot said:


> I hope you don't think I said this! There will always be roly-poly horses - We have one. His midsection is like a barrel, and any saddle, no matter how well-fitting, rolls around on him. I actually hate riding him because of it! My point is that on these types of horses, you need to ride centered and balanced - if not, you will make the rolling worse. I have ridden MG and sporting on this pony, which is leaning off to the ground, and not had the saddle slip, because I know how to position my body to help it out.


Oh no, I just mean in general. I know there was another post on a similar topic (maybe the use of breastcollars) and when I mentioned saddles rolling it seems it was implied that if you ride properly it would not be a problem! But when you go outside an arena, you never know what you can encounter or how the horse will react to it. So that was just a general feeling I wanted to get off my chest, lol!


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

Although they can still get a good roll on with one! 

One of my team members at a MG comp - She had one of those crappy elastic girths and bent down to pop the balloon - ROLLLLLLLL!


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

wild_spot said:


> Although they can still get a good roll on with one!
> 
> One of my team members at a MG comp - She had one of those crappy elastic girths and bent down to pop the balloon - ROLLLLLLLL!


And luckily it was just an inconvenience and not a bad wreck. I think you are much more likely to have a bad wreck without a breastcollar because your saddle can roll completely under. It's kind of like a seatbelt for your saddle.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

^ Definately. I refuse to use an elastice girth and I always ride with a breastplate. haven't lost a saddle yet :]


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## HorsesAreForever (Nov 9, 2007)

Okay you guys took my post the wrong way completely. 

I was asking about the saddle PLACEMENT, and weather or not its safe, not the parelli saddle its self. Nor here to bash parelli. If that was teh case I wouldnt do some of the program myself....

The only reason I made this post is because I never heard of teh saddle needing to be place SO far back TILL i started parelli and they even say they place there saddle a lot further back then "normals". So I was just curious. I know the girl was using a rope cinch and a western saddle and I dont think it was a parelli saddle.

I was trying to get the correct information, cause I've been putting my saddle like right inbetween where I was taught to place a saddle, and where parelli peope suggest you put your saddle.


Also its not my fault my last post on that video was turned into a bashing thread, theres never much hope for those threads so I just decided to let it takes it course without getting in the middle. Same with the promo type video post I made titled "beautiful" Was compeletly turned around on me so dont think IM the one out to bash parelli.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

smrobs said:


> Wow, the only time I can remember ever having my saddle pulled that off center, there was about a 1000 pound steer on the other end of a rope LOL. I am curious now and I would like to see a picture of where they indicate you should place a saddle if it is different from what the rest of us do.


I was told the treeless saddles are really easy to slide off (by several people using them), so you REALLY have to be centered and balanced when riding. I never tried one though.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

HorsesAreForever said:


> .
> 
> I was asking about the saddle PLACEMENT, and weather or not its safe, not the parelli saddle its self. Nor here to bash parelli. If that was teh case I wouldnt do some of the program myself....
> 
> The only reason I made this post is because I never heard of teh saddle needing to be place SO far back TILL i started parelli and they even say they place there saddle a lot further back then "normals". So I was just curious. I know the girl was using a rope cinch and a western saddle and I dont think it was a parelli saddle.


Please provide us with a photo or diagram or whatever to show us what you are talking about? I have no idea where Parelli says to put a saddle.


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## HorsesAreForever (Nov 9, 2007)

Im trying my best to get a picture. Ill go on a search again.


This post was honestly just out of curiousty


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## HorsesAreForever (Nov 9, 2007)

The only diagrams I could find were on the parelli savvy club and you would have to be a member.


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## HorsesAreForever (Nov 9, 2007)

Sorry for th triple post

I know that your suppose to lift up the leg and feel where the scapula ends and put the stirrup bar behind that, so they can get full range of movement in their shoulder. If that helps at all. 

What if the horse has a huge range of movement..


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

HorsesAreForever said:


> The only diagrams I could find were on the parelli savvy club and you would have to be a member.


You can not right click and copy the image?


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## HorsesAreForever (Nov 9, 2007)

Im pretty sure id get in trouble for that.
:-\


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Just to help you out, HAF, I went on a search and found what I am assuming is the correct picture on the website for their saddles.
























I hope those are the right pictures. If they don't work, here is the link to where I found them.
Welcome to Parelli Saddles

As for the postition, it seems pretty correct as for where I place mine. Maybe she had a very ill fitting saddle, didn't have the cinch tight enough, or got on wrong.


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## HorsesAreForever (Nov 9, 2007)

That looks like the right one. 

Okay thanks for clearing that up. Because when ever I've seen parelli horses tacked up the saddle seems to far back and the front is lifted way to far up with the theraflex pad. That could just be people with the wrong information. Thanks again.


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## kiwigirl (Sep 30, 2009)

Yesterday was the first time my saddle has ever come close to rolling off my horses back when I tried to mount. The fact that a couple of GF's and myself rode down to the local pub for a pub lunch and by the time we had finished our 'liquid lunch' Phoenix had grown to about 17hh, might have had something to do with it! :lol:


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## HorsesAreForever (Nov 9, 2007)

hahahah ^^^^


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