saddle review: Hidalgo Valencia II

We were sent a Hidalgo Valencia II by Natalie from Horse Connections. We used it for several weeks on a variety of horses which included Part Andalusians, Paso Finos, Peruvian Pasos and American Saddlebred horses.

Overall, we were very impressed with the saddle. Here is why....

The saddle came well wrapped and with all the attachments separately. Aside from the saddle, there were: the panels, a gullet cover and some knee blocks. All attach via velcro to the saddle. The picture below shows the saddle straight out of the box, with only the main panels attached (not visible). The leather piece o the right is the lining for the gullet, which was attached underneath the saddled and between the panels just after this picture was taken. The things on the back of the saddle are straps with clips and dees which hold up the stirrups when not in use.

The stirrup leathers re attached under the flaps. I much prefer this to leathers above the flaps, like with most conventional saddles, as there is much less likelihood of pinched legs, and it looks very neat. Unlike most saddles with flexible trees, the Hidalgo VII has safety bars.

The picture shows the long straps, which are made from decent, doubled up leather. The seat and the front and back of pommel and cantle are suede, but the knee pads are plain leather. The optional kneed blocks can be attached under the knee pads in a variety of positions. We didn't end up using them very much, but had a play around with them and found them to be very functional and easy to adjust.

The picture also shows the dees at the front for attachment of a breastplate.

Not visible are the U-shaped panels, which are attached by velcro to the bottom side of the saddle. They can be adjusted to suit different back shapes. They are well padded, soft, but firm enough. When fitting them to the saddle, it is of course necessary to first look at the width of channel which is desirable, and then ensure that the panels are placed parallel. Uneven panel placement could mean that the saddle and rider end up sitting crooked, and ultimately lead to back issues. However, it is very easy to line the panels up, and if need be, check with a ruler.

The seat is very comfortable. I understand it has latex under the cover. What I also liked about the seat is that it has a relatively narrow twist. Unlike some other flexible tree designs, I found that it allowed me to hang my legs straight down, which I find so important for a correct seat. The stirrup bar placement is also such that it encourages a good, balanced seat. The suede seat, combined with the deep seat encouraged by the shape gave a feeling of security. This was even greater when adding the knee blocks. We tried the saddle out on some fairly fast rides over uneven terrain, and on some very green horses, who put in the odd spook. We always felt quite secure in the Hidalgo.

On a horse, it looks like this:

The horse is a mare I bred, called Narrawin Morena. She is by a Peruvian Paso stallion and out of an American Saddlebred mare. She has a fairly normal (if a slightly long) back with a good wither. This picture illustrates well how, without any effort or tensions, I can sit in the saddle with a nice deep seat and long legs.

... to be continued....

gaited gene

There has been much speculation about a gene or genes which cause lateral and ambling gaits in horses. Recently, a study was done in Sweden and a paper published. The interesting thing is that their research, based on horses and mice, showed that a single gene is responsible.

If find that amazing. Certainly, there was never a doubt in my mind that "gaitedness" is genetic, but I always expected it to be a complex matter, with several genes involved, and maybe enhanced by certain types of conformation.

Anyway, I'm sure that this is just the beginning of more of such interesting discoveries.

why?

I can't begin to understand why it is so difficult for horse people to work together. Especially in the breeds small in numbers, people seem to be hellbent on doing things their way. They seem to do anything, any which way but get along, let alone cooperate... 

Now I totally understand the mental fortitude required to be enthusiastic about and push the barrow for a small and unknown breed of horses. The prerequisite is possibly to be a rugged individualist and to have a certain amount of stubbornness. But I sometimes wonder if those same personality traits drive people to be so unbelievably resistant to tolerance, communication and cooperation.

As I see it, nobody lives in isolation. For a small (in numbers) breed of horses, the involvement of more people is not just desirable, it is essential. Limited gene-pools and knowledge of breed specific training means that cooperation among a small lot of breeders and enthusiasts will benefit everyone. Not only the breed overall, but every individual involved.

Sadly though, I see over and over again that people are apparently unable to put aside their egos and personal agendas. I also know horse people who CAN and DO work together, for mutual benefit as well as betterment of their chosen breed. Such a pity that they are the exception rather than the rule.

So if you are enthusiastic about YOUR breed of horse, please do some soul-searching. That, and some critical self-evaluation of your words and actions. Maybe, just maybe, there is a better way to get along with your fellow breeders and enthusiasts, and by giving a bit, you will gain a lot in the long run.

After all, having horses is a privilege and a joy, and it's about realizing a passion, which we share.

Carlos NS performing family duties for my nephew Will and his dad Tony

working mules

Mules are commonplace for work and pleasure riding in many parts of South America.

Here is a video clip from Brazil, showing how to do a neat tail knot on a mule. I wish my Portuguese was good enough to understand what he's saying. But it's interesting all the same. Enjoy!

And here is a video of someone's saddle and gear collection. I believe this is all gear for mules. Some beautiful stuff.

green broke

Pretty good advice right here, for when your young horse comes back from the breaker.

tiger eye

I had noticed that several of our Paso Fino horses have very interesting eyes. Distinctly amber or lighter.

Here is a picture of Zara (AuSome Zarzuela by Don Cristobal Mako out of La Tentacion Mako), taken by Yvonne in December 2010:

The next photo shows Guajira (AuSome Guajira by Don Cristobal Mako out of Guanatanamera de la Raza). She was with us to be started under saddle a few years ago, when Yvonne took this picture. Guajira is now in NZ.

We have couple of other mares with similar eyes. It has always struck me as unusual and interesting. By coincidence (I was flogging google for other information), I came across an article about "Tiger eye" on a NZ website. It describes how "A researcher in the US has received a grant to study the genetics of "tiger eye" in Paso Fino horses". Quite interesting.

It is mentioned that tiger eye has a recessive pattern of inheritance. I have too small a sample of horses to draw any useful conclusions in that respect, but my observations agree with this this. Zara's sire Cali had dark eyes, so did her dam. Her full sister also has normal eyes. Two halfs sister out of another mare, however, have the tiger eye, and you can also see it in their dam. Some eyes are not as obviously yellow, but rather more like a dark amber, but close up, it is still pretty distinct.

I will see if I can find more photos with interesting eyes.

RIP Jorge

It feels like the end of an era to me. I received the sad news over the weekend. My friend Jorge de Moya passed away.

His uncompromising search for excellence, his vast knowledge of the Paso Fino breed and thorough understanding of the mechanics of gaited horses became inspiration and guidance for me. We were both too stubborn and opinionated to agree on everything, but from spirited discussions came better understanding for me. I had the pleasure of working for Jorge and taking care of his OliVaylle horses for several years. We always remained friends even after our paths diverged. He was generous to a fault. He was in love with his horses and even when his riding years were over, he never lost his passion for them. Paso Finos were in his blood from his youth, being a native of Cuba. However, he was never breed blind, and was able to appreciate and admire a good horse of any breed or colour.

Many years ago, Jorge did some ground breaking research into the gaits of the Paso Fino, and produced a video called "What is my Gait?". Unfortunately, not many good copies of this remain. This video is the best I have seen to clear up some myths and misunderstandings about the four beat gait of Pasos (and other horses). It was the first time I heard the term "isochronal" in the context of gait. Yet, it perfectly describes the ideal we seek for in a gaited horse: an even-timed four beat gait. Neither lateral nor diagonal.

He was an accredited judge for Paso Finos and wrote several articles about the gaits. His particular passion were the Puerto Rican Paso Finos. I understand that he was instrumental in bringing Alicante to North America, and he, together with Betty Klein, bred Paso Fino horses with the famous "Mako" postfix for many years.

Jorge was the first person to bring Paso Finos to Australia. He bred horses under the "AuSome" prefix. Aside from Paso Finos, he had Peruvian Pasos, Andalusians and Australian Stockhorses. We were of a like mind when it came to mixing the blood of some of these breeds to produce superior gaited riding horses, and both OliVaylle and Narrawin went down that road.

Sadly, when Jorge became ill, the horses had to be sold. I was able to help place many of them. I also acquired some of his Paso Fino and Paso Creole horses, which are now integral part of our stud.

The last time I saw Jorge, we picked up a float full of his best horses. He was happy to see them go home with me, but I could see it was breaking his heart.


Rest in peace, Jorge.

I will promise I will keep taking Chewie out for rides while he's fit and well. While I can no longer tell you the funny stories about Chewie's adventures, I will certainly be thinking of you.