Chat
04-15-2018, 02:52 PM
Yeah, I don't think that pad would cut it. Wrong shape. I also wonder if the material would be too slick, causing the saddle to slide out of position. You also have to think about heat buildup under synthetic pads.
I have a Sopris Rookie saddle without the pad. It's very lightweight, and the new saddles all come with much lighter chest and butt straps. The old ones all came with felt, but felt is heavy and it grabs hair, so Charlie at Sopris started making the straps out of lightweight seatbelt-type material last year.
Aside from being very lightweight, the Sopris saddles will fit any goat provided his back is long enough. That's probably the thing I like most about the Sopris saddle--I have very few worries about fit. In fact, as you use the saddle it will actually crunch down and mold to your goat's back exactly. But if you switch to a different goat it will re-form to the new goat's back without sacrificing the integrity of the saddle. This is the style I use on Sputnik since he has a very wide, round back with almost no withers and a prominent dip behind his shoulders. Wooden saddles make him very uncomfortable, but we've never had a problem with the Sopris.
(Love how this "quick question" has become a lengthy discussion.
)
I have a Sopris Rookie saddle without the pad. It's very lightweight, and the new saddles all come with much lighter chest and butt straps. The old ones all came with felt, but felt is heavy and it grabs hair, so Charlie at Sopris started making the straps out of lightweight seatbelt-type material last year.
Aside from being very lightweight, the Sopris saddles will fit any goat provided his back is long enough. That's probably the thing I like most about the Sopris saddle--I have very few worries about fit. In fact, as you use the saddle it will actually crunch down and mold to your goat's back exactly. But if you switch to a different goat it will re-form to the new goat's back without sacrificing the integrity of the saddle. This is the style I use on Sputnik since he has a very wide, round back with almost no withers and a prominent dip behind his shoulders. Wooden saddles make him very uncomfortable, but we've never had a problem with the Sopris.
(Love how this "quick question" has become a lengthy discussion.
)