So, Lofter was going to send me something little, allright, I thought a nice postcard or something. Or a bottle of the local beer. Or a Mc Doubtful hamburger. (as we know it wouldn’t go off on the long journey) Or some brown foundation garment. Or a book on how to train your attack-cat.
No! It just arrived and is this Supercallifragillisticexpealidocious miniature saddle!
A bit too small for The Tarq, but I know who does fit it!!!!
It’s perfect in all details: double hanging-D rigging, saddlestrings, leather-covered stirrups, tiny string-cincha, flank-cincha, latigos, even the hobblestraps above the stirrups! Perfect!!! Even it’s construction is real handmade saddler-stuff!!! I can use it when I give clinics on saddles, but cannot take all the big stuff!.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! LOFTER!!!!
But Lofter, this is not really a little something!
The Tarq under the new saddle.
I don’t know, I think it’s not really a perfect fit. I think the back of the saddle is coming up a bit.
Clouddragon 
Wow, very nice! Poor Zora though! First being photographed in the bucket and now with a saddle! Umm Ibrahim
Zora has nothing to complain!She gets the best food, and extra helpings if she wants them, she gets groomed and brushed, and sundaymornings she jumps on my bed, and has her own personal amusement-program.
Very funny foto. LOL.. Poor Zora. She has to go through a lot of suffering, being in the bucket, now a saddle on her. 😀
WAW, you know i adore Tarq? Now you know anyway 😀
You are TOO funny! I like the way the saddle looks on Zora. It fits her really well. And maybe if you use it on Tarq, a midget would find it quite comfortable!
Shahrzad: I didn’t know! But now I do! 🙂
Susie: I think it is even too small for a midget. Besides; I wouldn’t lend it out, I like it too much!!!
I also think it definetely looks better on Zora.
Very beautiful saddle! But I feel for Zora 🙂 I just love that dog.
Why is everybody sorry for Zora? She bullies me, she takes over 1/3 of my car, she covers my house and clothes (all black) with beige hairs, she makes me do everything she wants, she tells me to take her out for walks, she demands cuddles every two hours (and gets them)
Zora is the most spoiled dog of the Netherlands!!!
I thought you’d like it… now I’m glad you do! 😀
Aafke,
What kind of saddle is that? It looks Western in it’s design, but looks much smaller than a Western saddle.
Abu Sinan, It is a perfect miniature version of a genuine westernsaddle. Up to the very construction itself!
It is actually quite a popular thing to do in America, byt you’ll not easily see such a superb one as Lofter has sent me!
You have a blog! I didn’t know!
I’m going to read it after I’ve finished my accounts! 🙂
Poor Zora…
I feel so sorry for her….
No actually it looks great on her. What a top gift from the Loft!!!
By the way Supercallifragillisticexpealidocious is a bad word, it is “Nasty Nithya’s” Blog name http://theinaneisis.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/erm-2/#comment-1363
Do you usually ride Western? I am more of a English rider because jumping is what I enjoy. Hard to jump with those Western stirrups so low, not to mention what that saddle horn can do to a guy on the way down!
AbuSinan, I don’t really ride western: I call it classical dressage. To distinguish from the perverted style you now see in the Grand Prix.
I also would like to do some endurance with the Tarq, I’m sure he would like that very much. I see dressage as the groundwork for everything you want to do with your horse. A horse has to learn to re-balance himself and use his back to carry the extra weight of the rider, and that is the reason for dressage.
I have a westernstyle saddle, because they are really very close to the old baroque saddles, and I also like to go for very long rides. I also have an ”english” dressage saddle for short rides, or excercise.
My saddle has no horn, as I don’t see why I should have one, and I think they are bloody dangerous 😀
Westernsaddles are defenitely no good for jumping, and not so good for the horse either, unless it is a low jump.
Check out posts under ”work” there is one about making my own saddle.
Tasmaniac: Supercallifraligistexpealidocious is © Mary Poppins! So everybody can use it as they like! 🙂
You are right about dressage, but it didnt keep me from complain to my coach Mike in Egland.
“No Mike, I do not want to work on flying changes today. No Mike, I do not want to work on half passes, and yes, my feet are lowered”.
What a cute little saddle! Aafke, you mentioned they were very popular – for what? Just for show, or is there a breed of extra tiny horses I haven’t heard about? haha, perfect size for Zora, she doesn’t look impressed at all, but that’s part and parcel of being a beloved pet (plus getting so spoiled) – must submit to silly posing in front of the camera with ridiculous accessories :))
Many years ago, on a hot summer day when I felt sorry for the horse I was riding, my teacher told me, “That’s his job. Everyone has a job to do. That’s how he earns his hay. He gives riding lessons.”
So, rather than feel sorry for Zora, I merely said to myself, “She’s just doing her job, serving Aafke’s whims.”
The saddle is so cute, especially on Zora!
I never rode Western, because I didn’t care for all that leather propping me up in a constriced seat. I loved the elegance of hunters and jumpers, so I learned hunt seat and jumping.
Now, though, I’m too old for all that tumbling over fences, so if I ever ride again, it will be strictly dressage.
Still a bad word due to it’s Nasty Nithya word association….
OMG, that’s outstanding! I am gonna ask my owner for a saddle like that too!. The stirrups may drag on the ground a bit with my short legs. I am sure I could have some custom adjustments.
Abu Sinan: I really like working on half-passes and whish the Tarq could do a flying change!
Aliyah: just as clutter! I’ll write a post one day of the ”terrible” life Zora leads!!!
arahm : and that is meant for you too: I’m the one catering to Zora’s whims! A westernsadlle doesnt need to be constricting. Mine certainly isn’t! I ride classical dressage, and I ride the same when I’m hacking, I need freedom to use my seat and legs!
You are welcome to ride the Tarq! He is very well behaved inside the riding area.
Tasmaniac: there are millions of bloggers, you had the bad luck of happening upon a crouchy one, with no sense of adventure. What of it?
Iiiit’s supercallifraligisticexpealidocious,
Supercallifraligisticexpealidocious isn’t it atrocious!
Supercallifraligisticexpealidocious
Supercallifraligisticexpealidocious!
Checkers: I’m sure your owner will be able to get one a size smaller! And it will look supercallifraligisticexpealidocious on you!
Excellent! I’m gonna be a dog-horse!
How sweet!
And yes; there are in fact miniature horses. Florida is one state in the US where there are many such horse farms and the miniature saddle would fit one “purrfectly.”
American Bedu
I have seen them ,there are actually different ”strains”, Falabella’s from south america, mini-ponies, and miniature horses. While they look very cute I’m afraid that the more extreem miniature breeds often suffer from deformations (you never see those) and early abortions. They are just too unnatural.
What is also very popular in America is miniature, miniature saddles for Breyer horses! I’d love to have a go at those! I never liked dolls, or barbies, but I had Breyer horses instead!
I can testify that whatever pet Aafke has is probably one of the most spoiled animals in the Netherlands, or the EU for that matter.
The saddle reeks of Total awesomeness Aafke, maybe we need to get a G.I. Joe to put on it, i’m sure you can fashion a some kind of cloack. Voila, instant mini, dark-rider!
Spoiled????? my pets?????
Naaaahhh
Good idea! A mini-me!!!
Do you know where I can get one of these saddles that Zora is wearing??? I LOVE IT and need one!!!
If you read the post you will see that it was a present. I believe there are people in America who make these saddles and sell them, I think they are quite expensive though. Maybe you should google ”miniature saddle”, or try e-bay.