Conventional saddles only .....

[dollylanedales]

I have had the entry form for the Superhorse competition organised by the bridleways association I am in.

Basically, you compete in 6 classes, including road safety, equitation, show jumping, handy pony, and safe tack and turnout.
Its only novice level, so would be ideal for my ponies, or Tilly.

Having read the tack safe tack and turnout class - it says it is judged on the safe condition fit and turnout of CONVENTIONAL (written in capitals!) saddlery. Are they insinuating my treeless saddles are not safe, do not fit, and are not fit to be seen in?!!!

Seeing as all my saddles are treeless and not classed as conventional, it looks like we cannot take part.

There again, I would think my saddles would be ok in the other classes.

[Debbie]

That's incredibly rude and closeminded. Just because the treeless are not 'conventional' does not mean they are unsafe.

[jacquidales]

Are they allowed to do that Mair? Surely if BD allows certain treeless and it is acceptable for showing also, its both rude and short sighted.

That's one organisation I wouldn't bother to join then.

[anna85]

Perhaps it just means the judge is not familiar with treeless saddles and therefore couldn't judge the safe fit?? I wouldn't have a clue as we've only ever dealt with treed saddles.

[admin]

I'd certainly try Tilly's saddle as it's not very obvious from a distance - you could just lie.

In fact I'd turn up with all your ponies in their saddles and ask them to point out what is "unsafe" about any of them.

Anyway - who's to define what is conventional. For your ponies treeless is conventional, if you rode western then a western saddle would be conventional.

Silly rule!

[anna85]

I've been thinking about this even more and I suspect it means the more unconvential as in non-english saddlery, so western, endurance that sort of thing. They have to draw a line somewhere and tbh i would be very suprised if someone did do T&T in western but probably someones done it before and it proves very hard to judge when you've got so many different types so they've put a rule in. Personally I'd just give them a ring and clarify.

[harveydales]

Give them a ring Mair. Anna could be right in what she has said. Or maybe it's an insurance/H&S thing which needs clarifiying. As Jacqui says, BD allow certain treeless saddles so it is probably a similar thing.

[suew]

They might not have a tree but I would class them as conventional tack.

Unconventional to me would be things like western saddles, parelli bareback pads. They were probably covering themselves.

[shaklana]

you can probably substitute "traditional english style" for "conventional" so a mondial, ansur or sbs should be ok, freeform or torsion type probably not. i have a traditional egyptian saddle - i guess this counts as unconventional!

[julie]

does it mean saddles or perhaps bridles which are often not necessarily safe

[bruce]

I thought the same as Anna to be honest, meaning nothing western or similar. I would give them a ring to define 'Conventional'.

[julie]

what I mean is that people ride in parelli headcollars etc which are not always safe for that particular horse! Quite common in our area!