I am finally sharing the long awaited Ansur Carlton impression pad tests...
The facts...
- 2010 Ansur Carlton, older panels, NOT the trauma panels
- rider is myself (approximately 5'2 and 140 lbs)
- Walk, trot, canter
- EDIX merino DR 8 pocket pad
- felt inlays, 3 mesh and felt/thick 3 mesh layered
- Top of the picture is front of the saddle, left panel is left side of saddle, right panel is right side of saddle.
The second picture shows the impression pad when we rode with it between the saddle and the saddle pad. This is the best way I can measure the weight distribution capabilities of the saddle itself. You can see quite a bit of pressure at the front of the saddle and the back of the saddle with apparent bridging in the middle.
The third picture is the impression pad after a ride with it between the horse and the saddle pad, which gives us an idea of how the saddle and saddle pad are working together. This is with felt inlays and shimming. The fourth picture is also under the saddle pad but with thick 3 mesh and felt shims. You can still see a lot of pressure at the front of the saddle and at the back with apparent briding in between despite my attempts to shim to limit bridging. In the fourth picture we limited the bridging, but still had significant pressure under the pommel and under the cantle.
I strive to be transparent in all that I do and vow to do my best here as well. This is the first treeless saddle that I was not able to get to test well. I tried a cotton backed pad, a merino pad, felt inlays, 3 mesh inlays and layered inlays (which were the key for the TCS and the Sensation). I tried many different shimming set ups to try to keep the front of the saddle from collapsing, to stop the bridging, etc and have not found a solution. There was a significant improvement in the way Uno went in it with 3 mesh and certain shimming set ups, but the impression test never improved to the point that I felt satisfied with it.
I am using Cassy Saddle Impression Pads.
#treelesssaddlefit #treelesssaddles #treelessjumpingsaddle #treelesssaddlefitting #treelesssaddlefittee
