Saddles: How many does one family need?

As my mom was growing up she spent summers on the ranch helping to put the hay up every year. She drove the scatter rake. As payment for her hard work one year her grandpa bought her a saddle. We've been collecting saddles ever since.

The saddle in this photo is special to me because it was my first english saddle, and I think it's still the most comfortable saddle I've owned. I don't know if I'll ever be able to part with it because there are so many memories associated with it, some good, some not so good.

It was this saddle I took to my first show, on a little pony named Clem. Another pony, named Charlotte threw me out of this saddle and I got my first concussion. See, lots of memories.

Right now, I have a Berney saddle for jumping. It's black and I love it. I recently got a new dressage saddle because I'd grown out of my old one. My new dressage saddle is a Kieffer Wein Excellent....absolutely the best dressage saddle ever. I also have a western saddle for trail riding and desert camps. Once or twice a year our trainer takes a group of us to a desert camp. Sometimes it's in the desert, sometimes the mountains. We trail ride and jump logs, and camp for about 5 days. It's always so much fun, (except for the year we all got the stomach flu!)

Mom also has a saddle collection she treasures. She has saddles that fit Pharaoh, because he's an Arabian and has to have his own saddles, and a Kieffer as well that she uses when she rides Keiki. Then, we have "guest saddles" in case we invite someone to ride with us. Anyone up for a ride?

Every now and then dad shakes his head and asks how many saddles we own. We just smile and ask him if he wants to ride with us that day.