n I am writing in response to your article "Saddle Fit for the 21st Century" by Amy C. Barton for Danny Kroetch. I must admit that this article has so disturbed me that I am writing my first letter to an editor in my life. Usually I just shrug off articles written under the pretense of journalism which in essence are paid infomercials for the product or agenda of the featured entity, but this one I can not walk away from.
I am appalled by the number or extent of the
misinformation, exaggerations and generalizations represented by Amy Barton or should I say Danny Kroetch. To counter-point all the issues I have with the "facts" and broad statements presented in the article would require more pages than the original article. I will defend the "traditional English wooden tree" since the statements made are too outrageous to be ignored. I have been in the saddle manufacturing and fitting industry for over 20 years and I find that many of the statements in this article to be untrue, exaggerated and/or too generalized. We currently manufacture a wooden tree in England that is anything but typical. Our tree is fully adjustable, extremely stable and comes with a life time warranty. It is able to be adjusted fully to match any horse, symmetrical or asymmetrical. We have helped recover hundreds of horses from career ending back issues by working with the rider, trainer and veterinarians utilizing our "adjustable" saddles, all with English wooden trees. We have worked very hard with our knowledgeable and experienced English saddle maker to produce a tree that is computer generated to ensure symmetry and consistency as well as integrity over time with competitive use. That is why we can give a life-time warranty. We differ in the opinion of your article as to how to address asymmetry in a horse, although we agree with the final premise that the final solution requires correct contact with the horse’s back. But I digress. What I really want to impress on you as
the editor is that you do a disservice to your readers when you present an article that is obviously one-sided and supports the agenda of an advertiser. What has happened to journalistic integrity in this country? I am personally tired of it at every level of media. This article should have been labeled as an advertisement. If your intention was to educate the reader, then you are responsible for fully researching the topic and considering multiple sources for your facts. Shame on Warmbloods Today. I expected better. Gigi Hanover, Verhan Saddlery, Morriston, FL
n You are certainly to be congratulated on your very well-laid out and beautifully conceived magazine. This last issue contained a feature article in it that is certainly near and dear to our heart—the very important topic of saddle fitting. Even more interesting, it was gratifying to see one of our former associates Danny Kroetch to be the
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