The Little Joe Pad continues to impress me no end Elizabeth.

Hawke’s muscle development below his withers and through his back is fantastic.

Up and down some seriously steep and challenging terrain today following deer trails. Over logs, winding through trees. My riding is revolutionised. I feel incredibly safe, my riding is free, there are no rules and my legs are feeling and looking stronger.

My sitting trot is developing really well and my rising trot has turned in to a sliding rising trot. Moving with Hawke’s movement, instead of the old up n down.

I’ve never enjoyed riding as much as this. I feel as one with my horse. I’m not interested in proving anything to anyone, I’m totally satisfied to ride up in the hills experiencing the wilderness and bonding with Hawke.

Elizabeth, thank you!

Best wishes. What a wonderful product.

Utterly converted.

Jane

Sent whilst enjoying a nice cup of tea

Thanks – we love these for our therapeutic program, and use them every day! We keep adding them to our program so that more riders may use them at the same time (we do groups of 2 or 3 riders at a time – now I won’t have to schedule them around equipment shortages). Thanks for making such a great product that is comfortable for horse and rider, and durable!

I couldn’t be more pleased and delighted with it! It’s gorgeous and it is perfect. I appreciate so much the quality of your skills and workmanship that went into producing it. I introduced it to my
young fellow (his first saddle) yesterday and today I worked him through his exercises in it…he finds it easy to wear and comfortable. He looks very handsome in it. I look forward to the time when he is ready for me to climb aboard and then I can enjoy it too. Thank you so much for such a great job!

I have to tell you we LOVE the bareback pad, the halter and lead. In this cold Wisconsin weather your secure, safe pad is so helpful keeping warm! My pad NEVER slips or moves even when mounting. The bareback pad I have been hoping for! Thanks and I can’t wait to get one for my husband.

I am retraining a riding donkey that has had some bad experiences with humans. He was
very afraid of a solid saddle and my bareback pad didn’t give me the security I
needed to help him work through his fears. Enter the Little Joe bareback saddle!
Perfect. Fits him, fits me, gives enough protection from his spine, gives him
protection from my butt, allows stirrups in case we have a fast reaction to
something — so I feel more secure. Patrick Donkey and I thank you for this
incredibly well made piece of equipment!

I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!! I worried about slippage being as it is a bareback pad and they do have a reputation of rolling on the horse. But with the set up that I have, I have zero slippage or rolling. The black horse did a duck and dive on me at about 8 miles per hour. I remember seeing the ground and thinking it was sand so my landing would be soft. The horse did a 180 degree turn and stopped. I was still on top which was a miracle itself, I thought! I was amazed to find the Little Joe was still sitting center right where it was supposed to be. I know from past experience when this happened using a regular endurance saddle, I was off slicker than a button. I know your product has made me a much better rider. I’m a more confident rider. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your wonderful product.

It’s been a long time since I received my LittleJoe saddle and I have nothing but good things to say about it! This saddle forced me to get a cover for my traditional English saddle because it was getting so dusty! I have ridden with this on all of our horses and almost all of our rides. Including rough terrain mountain trails with stirrups and a breast collar, but it really wasn’t needed because the saddle didn’t move an inch! I have also galloped full speed with this and felt much, much more secure in it than I do with a saddle. My boy Moon has also never moved out so freely which is by far the biggest reward. Unhindered movement = comfortable horse in my experience. I have absolutely loved it and everyone that rides in it does too and makes me tell them all about it! These saddles are amazing, it’s practically the only saddle I use anymore and really the only saddle I need for what I do. Thank you so much! I love it!!!

I managed to ride today for the first time in my Little Joe saddle pad, I am over the moon with it. That’s the end of the hard slippery saddle for me. Got plenty of comments and questions from other riders on our yard. Thank you for your amazing product, I can’t wait to go riding again tomorrow.

I wanted to let you know the LJ is beyond my expectations. The trainer has been using it on all 3 of my boys and loves it and I started riding one of them, my formerly lame gaited Morgan 2 weeks ago, in the LJ.

It is so comfortable and secure – everything u said it would be. And the reins are lovely on my Dr Cook bitless bridle. I’ll order another LJ as soon as I can afford it.

Thank you so much for your design and great workmanship on the LJ.

I purchased my Little Joe back in January; I was frustrated not finding a naturally fitting
saddle for multiple horses. I can honestly say I have never ridden in something so well made, durable, and comfortable in my life. My horses greatly appreciate the Little Joe for its close contact and lightness. I was concerned of it slipping on my mutton-withered horse, but I swear to all potential buyers that this saddle will never move!! I can put my 155 lbs in one stirrup when saddling or ride any spook without hesitation. These guys know how to make a remarkable saddle. Fellow riders ask me all the time what I am riding in, and because it can fit any horse I borrow it to them for a day or two to try. As a result I have two close friends who now own a Little Joe and love it!

Thanks guys! Keep making a wonderful product for all my riding friends!!

I absolutely love my bareback saddle. It is nearly 3 years old and still looks great! Has gone up
to 50 miles in a day (endurance ride in Texas), withstood lots of rainy days (including a 25 mile ride in 36 degree rain in Missouri), snowy days, sunny days and even mud splashing in the creek bed. I am constantly promoting the saddle to people and got friends to buy in Kansas as well as recently my neighbor here in Iowa.

My mum (pictured) is a total beginner and loves riding in the LittleJoe, she finds it far more comfortable than my stock saddle and it has ample security for her. Baz loves it as well, as it allows him free-er movement and isn’t nearly so heavy. I’ve even tried it on my shark fin withered thoroughbred and it felt so soft and squishy!

Thanks again for all your help, we get asked about or “beautiful bareback pad” all the time and we always recommend you guys.

I love my LittleJoe pad. Danny is much more relaxed and willing to move out. He will now lope without bucking.

The pad is very stable. I can mount from the ground, and it does not budge. It is very well made, everything is even and the stitching is beautiful. The blanket lies perfectly on his back, and is also very well made. Elizabeth and Mary are both wonderful to work with and very accommodating.

I wanted to send you a huge “Thank you!” from myself and Scooter for our new bareback saddle. He loved it, and as you have heard from others, moved much better in it than in his dressage saddle. A few minutes into my lesson, my trainer said, “I’m not going to be able to get you back into your dressage saddle, am I?”. 😉 When we went to canter, I was just going to do some short straight-aways to start, and I felt so comfortable that we just cantered forever… to include simple lead changes. I think my trainer is seriously thinking about ordering one for her beginner lessons.

Scooter used his back much better, and stayed up underneath himself rather than being on his front end. For an off-the-track Thoroughbred with huge amounts of impulsion, he was so comfortable to ride bareback. And I felt more secure when I took the stirrups off than I do in his dressage saddle without stirrups.

I think it is very comfortable and I prefer backing bareback as then you won’t ever get issues of badly fitted saddles or [the horses] muscling up and changing shape. I would be happy to jump in it [and] I would feel secure breaking a horse in one. I think they are great for babies and it teaches the rider to have a secure seat and leg as still basically bareback. Highly rate it!!! 🙂

I received my bareback pad on Friday and used it right away. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I felt so secure and I didn’t even use stirrups! My horse is Icelandics and that means he has no withers and he is round and it works great. I was so impressed with the quality and how comfortable I was. Thank you so much, it was worth the wait. I still can’t believe how well it is made. Thank you again for making such a great bareback pad!!

I’m very happy with my LittleJoe bareback saddle! I have used it about a dozen times now and it is sooooo comfy. I feel very balanced and secure with it (I’m 46 years old and I need comfy and secure as much as possible!!! 🙂
I used it so far for 2 different horses – one 16.2 Percheron/TB cross and a smaller 15.2 draft cross. I have done flat work, trail riding, and even small cross rails with it!

One of my friends has tried it already and fell in love with it as well!

i got my bareback saddle a few months ago and am in love!!! I ride my horse bareback everywhere and all the time, before I got my saddle there was the issue of pain in my knees and seat from not having any cushion on long rides. and of course the issue of almost sliding down my horses back on super steep inclines! I went on a trail ride yesterday for a couple of hours and it felt fantastic! I love everything about it, and i know my horse does as well 🙂 Thank you!!!!

I just love, love, love my little joe bareback pad. I have switched over from my favorite saddle exclusively, since receiving it for the last 4 months or so. I use a lift back pad under it for extra cushion on my 30 yr. old appaloosa! We have such a wonderful time and it stays in place with the neoprene girth that I use. I enjoy the connection I feel when riding as opposed to a saddle. It is so much more personal. I am truly happy with your product.

Just got my new bridle and reins yesterday, and took them for a spin today. Cochise (my pinto TWH) and I agree, they’re simply divine. It was very humid today, and although he was dripping with sweat, I had no problem with slimy reins. I really don’t like wearing gloves when I ride, and this is the first time I didn’t have to in a while. He also took to the bridle instantly. No break-in issues.

I now see why it takes a little bit of extra time to receive your goodies. The craftmanship is AMAZING!!!!!! The intricate braiding and knotting is unbelievable, well worth the time and money. We were definitely stylin’ out on the trail today. My friend was quite jealous. I wouldn’t be surprised if you see an order from her soon!

Thanks for the great stuff! I will be bragging about my Little Joe tack to everybody!!

I bought the first LittleJoe 4 years ago. I love love love this LittleJoe! I am 56 years old and riding Tennessee Walkers in this pad. Great comfort, I stick to the pad like super glue. I feel much safer on this pad than any saddle!

We ride huge desert mountains, very rough country for miles, sometimes over 20 miles in this pad, 3-4 hours, and hop off feeling great! My horses definitely prefer these pads; I can tell by how good they are moving under me. My boys are about 1400 lbs each and about 16.2 hands, big by Tennessee standards! I can get them to gait steady for a few miles in this pad, and I believe it helps them keep their groove and a steady rack going. Smooth as butter ride. Great for older folks like my husband and me in our mid to late 50’s.

Thanks again! I will be teaching my niece on a LittleJoe.

After five years with my Little Joe, owning one for my personal use, two for my lesson program, and with another ten in the barn, I can honestly say I have done everything in my Little Joe, and without exception I can do it better than I can in a traditional saddle. The horses move better, I can feel their muscles better, and we communicate better, all of which leads to better rides. When I start young horses under saddle, there’s nothing to resist them so they are easier able to accept the concept of a saddle. When I start new riders, they feel the horse from the very beginning and it just becomes a standard part of riding to them. The Little Joe does none of the work of a good ride for the rider, causing the rider to have to strive to be perfect, which in turn leads to a higher quality of ride. So from every standpoint, the Little Joe makes things better. I personally have started young horses, taught new riders, fox hunted, shown Saddleseat, ridden jumper courses, schooled for dressage, ridden in dressage lessons, schooled two western horses and of course trail ridden up hills, over water and through ditches.

From myself, my students and most of all the horses of Serendipity, a BIG thank you to Elizabeth and Mary and the Little Joe!

I LOVE IT!! Its perfect!! My horse LOVED it! It was everything I had hoped it would be. I added english safety stirrups and a breast collar and it was fabulous! Best ride we’ve had. I could go on and on but I just wanted you guys to know how much I love it. I am way more confident riding with it than a traditional saddle and I can feel that I am riding better. I will be saving my pennies for a spare (to get all my friends addicted). 😉
Thank you, thank you, thank you

I have a clydesdale X quarter horse appaloosa. She is only 15hh but wide as a barrel with an extremely wide and flat wither, so I have had incredible problems trying to find a saddle which would fit without rolling around on her back. I’ve tried extra wide gullet, all purpose, stock, military, western–all with the same bad result. But finally with your bareback saddle I can ride her without have to adjust the saddle every time we have a change of pace! [It] feels like riding on a cushion and has great grip for the rider with the brushed leather seat. Many thanks for such a great product.

I must say it is FABULOUS. . . . This mare has withers shaped like a shark’s tail and a long sway back. She came back from a so called trainer this spring with vertebra visible on her back where a saddle would rub and a roached back. An expensive custom made saddle or ride bareback were my choices. Your pad is so comfortable and keeps me from sliding forward onto her withers.

Thank you for making such a great product.

I just wanted to say thank you for my amazing saddle. Jareth is very comfy and both my 4 and 2 year old enjoy riding in it. I’m looking forward to trying it on my Welsh cob.

I shall be recommending it to everyone I know!

I purchased one of your saddles on the recommendation of friends. I had back surgery 2 years ago, and really enjoy the comfort and (most of all) feeling of security when riding now. But the biggest thing of all is that my mare no longer chews the tying rail when being saddled. I had such a hard time finding a saddle that fit her… she got so sore and sour about saddling that I quit riding because she could only go bareback, and I did not feel safe with my back.

Once again… THANK YOU for such a wonderful product. We will be getting a second one in the near future for my mother (68) as she is threatening to take mine!

I have a 5 gaited Icelandic horse which can make saddle fitting something of a problem without his very short back and mutton withers. I used a very heavy Icelandic saddle made for him some time ago and after an accident when I broke both my arms/shoulders I can no longer carry it on occasions. I wanted something lightweight and comfortable for both of us and after discovering saddle pads kept thinking this might be viable solution. I did a lot of research and for reasons of safety and comfort (good looks a bonus) chose a Little Joe. The night after I placed my order all my tack was stolen making my decision doubly important.

The team at Little Joe were fantastic and within 3 weeks my beautiful saddle pad and blanket arrived. I bought an English dressage girth and safety stirrups and tacked up. He looked amazing, as a palomino with a buckskin pad he turns heads. Hopped on from a very high mounting block so as not to disturb the placing and off we went. I cannot thank you enough! His head was up, he was on the bit and full of fun and I was so comfortable and safe that I laughed out loud from sheer joy. I am riding better already and he is obviously happier. The stirrups do not take my weight but aid my balance especially as we are now going further and tackling obstacles along the way. When a friend and owner of an ex racehorse asked if “my pony” could keep up with her my reply was “just try him” ! This is my new motto and I owe a debt of gratitude to the designers and manufacturers at Lttle Joe who have made this possible for the first time in 3 years of owning him.

The first few times I rode in my LittleJoe, I wasn’t so sure I liked it. But I kept coming back to it every few rides. Finally I took the stirrups off, and went for a trail ride. That was the ticket! I’ve used my saddle once in the past 6 months. And I cut the ride short because it was uncomfortable and my horse’s gaits were awful. He is free moving and smooth in the LittleJoe, and he’s more stilted and bouncy with the saddle. I have no use for saddles anymore. The LittleJoe is the only saddle for me, and my horse!

Hi there, I just purchased the Bareback Saddle and just wanted to let you know that I love it. I have a regular suede top, fleece bottom pad and wanted something that would allow me to use a regular dressage girth. I love your pad because it’s the first pad I’ve tried that truly conforms to the shape of the horse’s back and doesn’t put pressure on my TB’s shark-fin withers. All the other features on the pad makes it just about perfect. Your saddle is very comfortable for my horse and myself and I thank you for this great product!

I owe you a huge thank you!!!!! This bridle is the best!! Everyone who sees it says “wow! that is beautiful” Sorry it took so long to say thanks. I have been too busy riding since I found Little Joe.

The Little Joe bareback saddle arrived a few months ago, and I cannot tell you
enough how amazing it is! I bought the saddle as a last resort because every
other saddle I tried hurt my knees. I went on a five mile trail ride with the
Little Joe, and normally at the point a mile or so in where my knees would begin
to hurt, I had no pain! The whole ride was pain free, something I hadn’t felt in
a while! It was also my half-Arabian Apollo’s first big trail ride, and even
though he acted up around other horses, jumped a stream and teleported four feet off the trail because of a dog showing up suddenly, I didn’t move an inch! I
felt completely secure.

If I never ride in another saddle ever again, it will be too soon! Thank you so
much for making it possible for me to really enjoy riding again!!!

I just wanted to say the Little Joe arrived today and it is beautiful! We’ve been lucky to have been loaned one by a friend so we already know how wonderful it is to ride in – it’s the only way I can ride “bareback” any more, and my daughter loves it.

I thought you might like to see the videos from this past weekend’s Open Barn presentations, all done in the Little Joe, except for the Western one, for which I needed some authenticity. They are at

www.youtube.com/matselleste

if you want to have a look.

I bought your Bareback pad last year and I’ve been using it for a year. My horse got sick and I started riding a horse in the barn that nobody rides because he bucks. I wondered if it was a saddle issue, so I tried my bareback saddle/pad on him. He loves it and he doesn’t buck. I feel secure in it and don’t use stirrups. He’s a draft cross so he’s very round and as long as my girth is tight it doesn’t slip when I mount. I love the pad.

I just wanted to tell you how much I LOVE my bareback saddle (I think my horse likes it too)! I’ve had several people at my barn try it and it’s getting rave reviews. One of my barn friends that is having difficulty fitting her horse with a saddle is going to try my bareback pad as well.

Just wanted you to let you know how excited I am about your product!

This winter I became an horse owner for the first time in 25 years, but I was having an impossible time finding a saddle that fit my horse. I decided to give the Little Joe a try, and I intended to use stirrups. I’d been riding bareback out of necessity for about a month before it arrived–I was doing fine for over 40, and felt pretty secure. But I didn’t know what secure meant! This morning, I cantered along a twisting turning path in the woods for the first time since going to bareback, and I actually felt more secure than I had with the English saddle I’d been using. It was like my butt stuck to his back, and I was really balancing on the horse and riding him instead of feeling like I was balancing on a greased pole to save my life. Wow–it was like I was 17 again and riding in harmony with my horse just like I did back then when I rode as naturally as I breathed. Now I think that stirrups will just get in the way and I won’t use them. I felt more secure than I did in the leather saddle, and a ton more secure than just bareback–I was cantering and doing everything bareback, but not in a really relaxed way. Now I’m relaxed, steady, and stable, and my horse is responding to that confidence beautifully. Thanks Little Joe! The month-long wait was not only worth it, but gave me a base-line to judge just how great this product is!

“WOW” is all I could think of when I open the package today containing the headstall and reins from your company! Whew!!! It is fabulous! I have NEVER seen any headstall or reins like the one I received today. I expected something very nice….however, you SURPASSED any expectations I had in my mind. The workmanship is outstanding and excellent, excellent quality. The colors, and beading, matched my horse blanket perfectly! Love the horse hair tassels! You can be sure I will be telling everyone about your products and the outstanding craftmanship, and superior customer service!

THANK YOU!!!

I purchased my Little Joe saddle in a last ditch effort to make my Arab/ASB mare stop being so tense. I was sure at least part of her horrid attitude was saddle fit, but it didn’t change no matter what size tree I tried with her. I rode her bareback for months, just to stay alive. My very first ride with her in the Little Joe, I could feel a huge difference. It was like she said to me, “Finally you got it right!’

This is my Country Pleasure Champion Arab mare, Matselleste, in the Little Joe

Originally intended for use only with her, just for fun I tried the saddle on some of my other horses. In the first week that I had it, I put it on eight horses, ranging from my rolly polly dressage mare, a bony TB jumper, my Saddleseat horses, and my hot hot hot ASB jumper. In each and every ride, I felt closer to my horses and I felt like they were giving me more than ever before. I also felt, once I figured out how to adjust my stirrups correctly, that I was riding ten times better. I could not believe how secure I felt, how much interaction I had with the horses, and the instant augmentation of movement in horses that I hadn’t felt, to this point, had saddle fitting problems.

It has been four months now and I have only ridden in a treed saddle on three occasions! If I have my way, I will never sit these seat bones on a tree again! My dressage instructor got all the way through my lesson, commenting on how nicely my leg stayed put (my problem area!) before I gleefully pointed out that I wasn’t in a “real” saddle! In a race with some of my students, my Arab mare got very excited and decided that every good race needs a hearty buck – and I never moved. I have jumped courses to 3′, galloped uneven terrain, and put on a Saddleseat demonstration in this saddle. I intend to ride all of next years Hunter Paces in this saddle. I have sat six of my students in this saddle, and three of them have asked for one for Christmas!

The universal statement of my barn, horses and humans alike, is this: while the saddle is at first harder to ride well in, because it doesn’t set you into place, if you are interested in being a better rider, this saddle guarantees you that with a little work and determination, you will be by far a better rider than you ever could be in any kind of treed saddle!

Victoria Adkins and the horses and riders at Serendipity Stables, NC

Since I’ve been riding in the LJ saddle, my balance in the saddle has improved greatly! The last time I rode, the horse teleported! Normally, this would unbalance me, not unseat me. This time, it did neither!

I’ve been using the same LJ saddle on 3 horses and it fits all of them well. They are all shaped differently, too! I have the tall, elegant Morgan that is high withered, yet fairly wide. The tall low withered tank and the short, slim across the girth, strangely gaited, belly on legs. They all seem to like it, too!

I could never (and I tried repeatedly) get the Morgan to canter in the 4 years I’ve had her. Since I’ve been riding her with the LJ, she has asked to canter! She doesn’t run at the sight of the LJ saddle, either!

I rode in the LJ today without stirrups, and I felt totally secure. I walked, trotted, foxtrotted-and are you ready for this??-loped!!!!! My butt never once left that saddle-the suede was very sticky and really made me feel just super secure.
I never once felt like I was losing my balance or might fall. I felt great! And it’s SO thick and comfortable.

I was trying out the bareback saddle today working at a steady trot and Dobbin spooked big time at some animal lurking in the bushes. . . . It was by the far the biggest spook I’ve had while on him and he can really explode sometimes. Didn’t even think for a moment that your saddle would slip and it didn’t!!! My trusty dressage saddle would have slipped big time, without a doubt. Actually, my seat stayed exactly where it was supposed to the entire time, too.

I have both a LJ and a very expensive Ansur treeless saddle. . . . They ride in a remarkably similiar manner. The biggest difference, about $1500. The LJ is a little softer which makes it very comfortable mile after mile. (And that isn’t a bad thing at all.) Of course, one looks like a bareback pad and the other looks like a dressage saddle….but your seat won’t notice much of a difference.

You can sit anywhere you want on the LJ, so if you want more of a chair seat, you just slide back a little. If you want your feet more under you, then scoot forward. It is remarkably comfortable and secure. Both saddles are extremely comfortable for the horse. I ride my Ansur during the summer when the weather is dependably nice. I ride my LJ the rest of the year. Both saddles stay put equally well in the North Idaho mountains around my home.

If you are looking for a treeless saddle that is very comfortable for horse and rider, I would suggest that you save yourself a lot of money and make your first one a LJ. It is a great saddle at a great price–and fully guaranteed.

I love mine, love mine, LOVE mine!!!
I will not ride in anything else.

I think we went about 5-6 miles in all — about 1-1/2 hours. I have never felt so comfy in my life! And secure too! Myth did a couple of his famous sideways plants, and I never felt unbalanced at all – stuck like glue. We mostly walked, but I did a little trotting — still felt good — maybe next time we’ll canter a bit!

DH rode Tessa in an old FQHB western saddle that we have. Well, DH’s legs got too sore about a mile from home, and he had to get off and walk. Not mine! I am pain free! And I think Myth liked it too.

I appreciated the high quality and rugged sturdiness of your bareback pad. I have used other bareback pads but they always seemed very flimsy to me. I like the closer contact it gives over my saddle and actually think that TJ likes it better also because we can each tell what the other is thinking more clearly.

[My horse] moves nicely in it. She’s got a much freer, more extended trot than she’s ever had with a treed saddle. Anyway, it was pretty comfy to sit in. I felt her nicely, but it felt kind of like there was a pillow between my butt and her back. I had a little bit of trouble with posting, but got the hang of it after a while. I can vouch that it doesn’t slip. It didn’t roll when I mounted nor did it move when I was riding. It felt secure and sturdy.I think this is what I’ll use for youngsters [young horses, not young people] for their first saddle experience.

I think I’ve finally found a saddle that doesn’t cause her pain. When I first asked her to trot, she threw her head up and was really choppy, though without the saddle hitting me in the butt, it was MUCH easier to ride! The second time I asked her to trot, she didn’t throw her head in the air! Too cool! After that, she was much more relaxed and I could feel her loosen up. She might even start gaiting, once I work with her in it. I could definitely feel her shoulders moving freely.

The saddle stuck with her and didn’t slide at all, even after she released tension after I girthed her up and rode around. I didn’t get the feeling that it would slip, unless I got WAY off balance….She was also more responsive to me, because she could feel me move around on her back. She also didn’t feel nearly as uptight as she usually does.

Ever since I got [the LittleJoe bareback saddle], I have not ridden in any other saddle. This saddle is secure enough that I am cantering more in it that I did in my English saddle.

I love this saddle. It keeps you so warm. [My horse] moves more freely with this saddle. He can move his shoulders more. This saddle is just as secure has my English saddle.

A few weeks ago, A. (hubby’s riding instructor) wanted to try the bareback saddle. I tacked up Mokey and she really liked it. They cantered a lot. Amy said she was very secure. Mokey is a BIG horse, I would say at least 16 hands. Amy is not a big person, but she mounted from the ground and the saddle never moved. I always use a mounting block myself, but there wasn’t one around, so Amy just hopped on Mokey. I held my breath, not sure if the saddle would move or not. It didn’t at all. I was impressed. Amy was surprised how the saddle felt. She rides Western. She said this was very comfortable.