HILL VIEW FARMS® LLC
"Proven Products for Horse and Rider"

Saddle Repair and Safety Check
 For all Flexible Panel Saddles
By: Cathy Sheets Tauer - B.S. Animal Science, E.S.M.T

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Call for questions or to place an order: 507-723-5937  Toll Free in US: 866-723-5937

When looking to purchase a flexible panel saddle there may be many reasons why the previous owner is selling it, or as a yearly maintenance check you must perform a safety check.   One reason for a saddle being sold is that it maybe is not performing correctly.  If the saddle was in a wreck or the saddle is well used, you may have either a cracked panel, broken rivets, worn mounts or  the Delrin itself is worn down and is not able to slide or move. If this is the case, you may be looking at $100 to $800.00 plus dollars to get the panels replaced. 

 Do you want to have your saddle safety inspected, cleaned, re-dyed, conditioned, oiled, waxed and shined?  Price for this service includes shipping in the continental USA. If repairs are required, we will call you with recommendations and costs. Price: $150.00.
 Send Saddle with your note and return address to:  Tauer Manufacturing 1535 WEST CENTRAL ST.- INDUSTRIAL PARK  - SPRINGFIELD, MN 56087
(Form to accompany saddle  &  Material cost with labor worksheet)

CLICK  FOR REPAIR CENTERS    What kind of saddle can be converted - To have the panels put on?  Click here.

For a video of a real life safety check click Here

So how can you tell?  Below are panels from an Ortho-Flex System II saddle (left photo) and panels from the System V American Saddles - American-flex saddle (right photo).  The Ortho-Flex saddle belonged to trainer and competitive rider who had put many hard years and hours on the saddle.  This customer did not purchase the saddle from Hill View Farms but came to us for help after experiencing trouble with his saddle. He said that the saddle began to shift to one side and did not move as it should.  After performing a safety check, which the saddle did not pass, we removed the panels and replaced them. Below is what worn Delrin panels and mounts will look like. (This customer NEVER performed any maintenance on his saddle - ever!).  The other photo is from another rider who bought the saddle used and her horse became sore in the loins.

I cut away the encased covering and removed the masking tape that Ortho-flex had initially used to hold the layers of Delrin in place when riveting the panels together.  These panels are a System II, the Delrin was hand cut and assembled; the mounts were cross threaded and worn as well, so they too had to be removed from the tree and replaced.    If you look you can see that the panel cannot move freely in the slot. The mount assembly unit was worn down into the Delrin, locking the panel in place, effectively making it a System I. The screw assembly had worn down the inside edge of the slot causing the panel to list crooked on the saddle tree, also wearing away the Delrin.

 System II panels with worn mounts and Delrin. This affects all systems that do not have a slide plate.

BELOW: Notice the close up of the panel and how the mount assembly wore down and became level with the first tier. 

 

RIGHT:  This worn area now has become a problem as shown on the photo to the right. The worn down panel has now allowed the mount to come through the panel becoming the source of pressure points. 

 

LEFT: This is how the panel should look with pressure applied; there IS NO bump.  The mount is properly functioning with the Delrin material.  If you PROPERLY maintain your saddle this should never occur..

               
 

BELOW: The System IX (9) has the protective metal wear plate for the Delrin, (left photo) but when improperly assembled (right photo) this becomes a quality control issue and as you can see, the thin metal plate snapped and buckled.

  

THE MOUNTS

Below are up-close visuals of both: the worn "rocker" mount (left photo) and a new mount (right photo).  See the difference. 

OLD 45° MOUNT            NEW 45° MOUNT  System 7, 7E and 9 mount

     A new SYSTEM X MOUNT:  The washer has a radius to match the insert allowing a ball and socket performance.  The slide plate is 3 times thicker than other plates delivering tolerance with outstanding wear. This, combined with the proper mounting & quality control inspections, ensures life-long performance.

RIVETS

In the below photo a panel has been un-covered that has a broken rear rivet.  The aluminum pop rivets that are used by saddle makers in assembling the panels are cheap, fast and easy to use.  Also Aluminum quickly develops work-hardening fatigue, which means that with flexing it will not take much to break these rivets.   When you have popped rivets the progressive loading that allows for weight distribution is compromised and no longer functions.

Aluminum rivets pop due to fatigue - System VII

While copper rivets are strong and don’t normally suffer from work fatigue, they can still break under certain circumstance as shown in photo above. The breakdown in this System II panel was caused by the slide opening being hollowed out with wear because it was unprotected.

With that said, here is a System II panel (above) that was assembled using the incorrect size of rivet.  This extremely small copper rivet was too small for the job and broke.  All of the parts used in assembling a saddle, requires that each part be up to the task of top performance.  NO SHORT CUTS are to be taken. 

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE POPPED RIVETS?

It is very hard to know if your panel has popped rivets since it is either encased in a plastic zippered encasement or encased within a leather skirt of a saddle.  So you must look carefully.  Some outside signs of this are roaning hair, a saddle that lists to one side or is bottoming out.  Below (left) is a photo of wear to the underside of a saddle where the panel was flexed up and bottomed out on the underside of the saddle's tree.  You can see the wear through the leather and into the tree.  .

Other than popped rivet possibilities:  1. The zipper on the encasement could be hitting the underside of the saddle. 2. A crooked saddle tree. 3. Crooked panel mountings. 4. Panel inserts improperly placed or at incorrect depth. 5. The saddle tree is too straight for a horse’s back that is too “dippy” or sway backed. 6. A horse with one hip higher than the other. (Items 5. and 6. may be correctible with properly fit shims to prevent the panels from flexing too much and hitting or bottoming out on the saddle tree.) 

To know the saddle has a broken rivet look at the encasement (photo below right) to see if there is a bulge or if the rivet has broken through the encasement as shown. For panels that are encased in leather skirts you can use an awl or ice pick to get through the slot and under the leather to see if you can move the Delrin layers around. But, my advice is to call a qualified repair shop so they can inspect your panels and reset them to function properly if necessary.

                                                               
                     The wear to the under side of a saddle tree                                          A popped rivet that came through the encasement.

How do I perform a safety check on flexible panel system saddles? How often should I do this? You should perform a safety check twice a year. In the following procedures, you will be comparing one side of the saddle with the other. Turn your saddle over on its back. Take off any pads that the saddle may have on it.

1) 1) First look at your panel spacing: If you have a System I, II, III, V, VI - there should be at least 1 to 2 inches of space between the front panels (under the gullet area). If you have system VII, IX or X this spacing can be as little as a-half inch.

2) Next wiggle the panel on the front mounting, comparing the two sides. Do they wiggle the same? They should. Try pulling the panels away from the saddle. Do both move out the same? They should. During either of these tests, are the panels excessively loose? They should not be. Do the panels move freely during this procedure? They should.

3) Next check the back mounting pedestals. Do the same tests as for the front panels, but the rear panels should move more freely than the front, if your saddle has the System II, III, V, VI, or VII. The panel has a little slot that allows for this extra freedom. Is your panel moving freely in the slot? Can you pull on the center of your panel and see the panel sliding on the rear mount? The panels should slide freely.

4) If the panels are not adjusted correctly, that is, if one side is freer than the other, you will need to have your panels reset. I strongly (!!!!!!!) recommend that you send your saddle in to the nearest service representative to do this. If you decide to "fix" your saddle yourself and mess it up, you may void your warranty.  However, if you must do it yourself, here is how you go about it. With that in mind, for all saddles except the System IV, V, VII, IX and X panels, you need a large Phillips screwdriver. For the System IV, V, VII, IX, and X you will need the adjuster tool or an Allen wrench. Find the hole in the panel where the pedestal is located. Starting with the front mounts, carefully turn the screw out from the mount. If the saddle has the adjustable System IV, you need to turn the adjuster out 1/2 inch, then hold the mount with hex nut wrench or pliers while turning with the adjuster tool to break the locktight. Be careful not to damage the threads on the adjuster mount and do not lose any of the washers! (Please note that the washers on some of the saddles are beveled and the beveled side must be against the cone part of the saddles insert-mount). For the rear of the saddle, you must take great care to find the hole in the backer layer to unscrew the panel. You must slide your panel forward and back until you find the hole that your adjuster tool will fit into. If you do not do this carefully and very gently, you will break or crack your backer layer and will have a bigger problem than misadjusted panels. After your panels are loose, add a few drops of "Loctite Red ® " (located at any auto department; it bonds metal to metal). Then screw the panel back on with all washers in place, starting with the rear panels. Tighten firmly, as if you were to putting a lid on a jar to put back in your refrigerator, but not as tight as you would if you were shipping the jar. Once done, back the screw out one revolution for System I, II, III, and System VI. For the System V and VII, back the screw out ¾ of a revolution. Then put the panel on the front mounts, adding a few drops of "Loctite Red ®." Allow the glue to set for the time specified on the Loctite directions. For any other concerns please call and I will be happy to assist or direct you to those saddle makers that can repair the flexible panel system saddles.

5) Place your hand on the underside of the panel over the area where the panel is mounted to the tree, push with your fingers and palm of your hand. You SHOULD NOT feel any lump or bulge. If you do, do not ride your saddle and contact the nearest repair center.

6) The mountings on the saddles are steel; on the advanced systems - hardened steel. In both cases you need to keep them rust free so use WD-40 as a solvent very sparingly and only for this purpose. You also will need to need to oil your mounts and washers (the washers that slide and work against the Delrin panels need to be lubricated). Use 3-In-One Household Oil. As a second option, you can also use white lithium grease sold in spray cans with a straw, but you will need to use this heavily. Drip this well into and around the mounts located directly under the saddle tree and above the topside of the panel. Do this monthly

7) If your saddle has been in a wreck, and you hear clicking and cracking, your Delrin panels may be cracked or the rivets used in the building process on System II, III, V, VI and VII may be broken. Again, contact your dealer for the nearest service representative.

8) As time passes and your saddle becomes very used you may hear a clicking from under the mounts. This sound may be the mount and washer assembly. The clicking is that "joint" catching on the washers. The washers may be dirty or rusty. If this is the case you can use WD-40 to remove the rust. Then OIL with 3-In-One Household Oil. If you can still hear the clicking and you have put on between 7,000  and 13,000 miles or for the advanced systems double that amount, you may find that your mounts are worn and need replacing. For a video of a real life safety check click Here  

For conversions or upgrades to the SYSTEM X you must have the dimensions shown below on your saddle.

  
(For English saddles the measurement from the front edge of the bar back needs to be 3 inches)

PLEASE NOTE that the System X development meshed the panels with a specifically designed SADDLE TREE.  As you do not have the SYSTEM X tree, the panels will be functional on your saddle, but perhaps not to the perfection achieved with the System X tree. Many trees are not faired, do not have the rocker needed or the bars are too straight or too thick.  The Saddle TREE will ultimately effect the end performance of the System X panels.  However, these panels ARE far superior to any of the preexisting panels..

 

 

 

 

 Hill View Farms® LLC  CAN NOT guarantee the panels function on any conversion, upgrade or rebuild saddle.

 

 

Here is another example of a saddle tree not correctly made for System IX panels.  The fender strap and the bar of the saddle put excessive pressure on the mule’s back causing a dry spot.  We had to put washer spacers in both the front and back under the insert to move the panel away from the tree so that the panel could move freely.  Now the mule has an even sweat pattern. (We also had to re-set the front insert, to properly space the front mounts as they were improperly set too wide, locking in the mules shoulders.)

Now we have a complete sweat pattern and happy mule owners.

 

The photos below show how panels that are NOT correctly put on can sore a horse’s withers.  Just because you are getting a "flex" panel does not mean that it will fit!  The saddle TREE must be designed for the panel to function properly and then the FLEX PANEL must be put on correctly! In the case below the panels were put on too far forward and set too far apart causing the horses withers to become locked up in the gullet of the saddle.  The horse was also asymmetrical causing one side to become more injured than the other.

 

The photo below shows what can happen when the rear end of the tree is not designed for proper panel function. In fact, bottoming out in the rear is more common than in the center bar section. You can see this by the compression marks on the underside of the saddle tree caused by bottoming out on the top of the panel.  We will need to grind down the tree and also put in spacers. This is another example of a tree that is NOT designed for proper panel function.

this tree was not properly designed for this particular panel to work. 

You will get dry spots, hair rubbing off, etc.  Your horse may not be sore-sore but will eventually have issues. 

How can you know before your horse gets sore what the early signs are?  In the photos right and below are the results of the follow-up on testing the saddle for fit.  The saddle here is a system VII that has bottomed out - it does not have any suspension and thus created hot spots on the horse's coat. 

Take off the pad - in this case take the saddle sox off the saddle. Put the saddle on the horse's back and cinch it down - but not too tightly.  Look at the panel clearance in relation to the tree itself. You should have complete air space of at least 3/8 inch all over between the tree of the saddle and the panel itself. (This allows the panels to have suspension.)  Then have a friend of your weight mount up.  Have them lean forward - then back so that you can slide your hand under the panel in the front rear and center.  Feel for the tight areas. Do this for both sides.  Make a mental note of tight areas. 

Remember there should not be any pressure points, but even pressure all along the panel, as you do have your hand under a weight of 125 pounds or more. Also keep in mind that when your horse has his leg forward or back, this will cause the panel to have more or less pressure as the panels are moving with the horse.  So you must make your comparisons from side to side with the horse's feet lined up the same.  You can also walk with your horse as your hand is under the panel and feel just how it feels as the horse is in motion.

Then have your friend dismount and take off the saddle.  Flip the saddle over and on the panels, see photo below, mark the tight spots with cornstarch.  Set the saddle back on the horse and see if the corn starch spots line up with the ruffled or white hair on your horses back.  IF it does correlate to the areas of concern on your horse's back then you need to look at why and if it can be fixed.  (In the case below - the panels were hitting the tree - causing heat and some hair thinning.) We can do several things to get the saddle's suspension back..  We can shim, we can grind down the tree to allow sufficient panel clearance, we can put rear spacers in to move the panel away from the saddle tree. 

If the cornstarch marks on the saddle do not line up with any areas of concern, check your saddlebags, cinch or anything at all that may have been used in conjunction with the saddle that could have caused the white hair or galling.  Also check your saddle pad for unusual wear or debris as this too can cause skin irritations.

 

 

 

Below is another example of what to look out for..  11/08

TRICIA WITTENBRAKER from Welch, MN came to see us to purchase a saddle.  She brought two other saddles for us to look at.  She had sent the saddle pictured below to a repair shop to have it safety checked.  The saddle was fine, however the owners of the shop told her, the rigging needed to be changed. (Oftentimes, to make money, repair shops will do unnecessary repairs – as in this case).  Tricia did not have an issue with her old rigging and DID NOT want this done but trusted the repair shop’s judgment that she needed this cross fire rigging.  (BY THE WAY, this is NOT a proper cross fire / center rigging as it is done completely WRONG). 

 This (photo below) is NOT the way to attach rigging. This not only destabilized the saddle but also put Tricia at great risk as you will see below.

Rigging needs to hold down the back of the saddle. Putting rigging on this way caused this saddle to flip up, bounce and catapult Trisha forward.  The saddle also flopped from side to side and made her feel as if she was going to fall off.  Also, rigging should not be attached where the fender is hung and wood screws instead of metal screws should be used in a wood tree. Photo below shows how the bulk from the screws and rigging caused Trisha’s leg pain when riding.

More errors in the repair job on this saddle below:
(One set was from each side of the saddle)

When using nylon:  ALL ENDS NEED to be cauterized or MELTED SHUT.  This will prevent the nylon from fraying. Also when putting nylon on the Dee's, it should be SEWN on. You can see in the photo with the pink arrow where the nylon not only wasn’t sewn on, but was only attached with one screw on one side (the other screw missed the nylon). The photo with the red arrow shows where the frayed nylon was all that was holding the rigging since the screws didn’t even go through the backside of the thin leather strap. The nylon again had no screw holding it on one side and the other side was THREADS away from ripping completely loose.  CAN YOU IMAGINE what would have happen if those threads had given way while Trisha was riding?

This type of work is what gives Panel saddles and repair shops in general a bad name.

Sometimes saddle makers/builders/trainers/clinicians and saddle pad sales persons say that these panel saddles put you too high off of the horse.  Not true. 
Below is an example of what happened in one such instance. The customer was talked into converting a system I panel saddle into a conventional saddle –as she would be able to feel her horse more. After the panels were removed and flocking put on it was the complete opposite, as she told me that she "felt like she was riding on an elephant" as she was so high up and in fact made the saddle *far worse than it was before,* as now she could not ride in it at all.

We removed the flocking and measured it.  It is nearly 3 inches thick. 
 
We measured our panels and added the spacing allowance for the tip of the insert that will go into the saddle tree.  Measures out at 1.25 inches. 

Below is Barb’s saddle complete with the new close contact System X panels. No more Elephant riding for her

Keep an open mind and don't believe everything someone tells you.  Check it out for yourself.

Hill View Farms® LLC  CAN NOT guarantee the panels function on any conversion, upgrade or rebuild saddle.

As we did not make the saddle tree or do the sewing on the example above, we cannot be responsible for the work of others. When we work on saddles, we fix them as we fix our own and each saddle is inspected and signed off on twice to insure that a mistake was not made on our end.

Can I do repairs myself?  Yes, but if the saddle is under warranty this is not recommended as it may void the warranty. However, if you have a saddle that is out of warranty and you would like to attempt to upgrade your  system you can order the panels including hardware and do it your self. (Order Form).  

Call - do not email, for details.  No Returns accepted on panels and make note that the panels will only perform as well as the tree that they are mounted on.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN SADDLES AND PANEL SADDLES - PURCHASE THE ALL ABOUT SADDLING VIDEO:  TWO HOURS OF INFORMATION THAT WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT SADDLES AND HORSES ALIKE.   Item # BK-DVD - Price $ 19.95

Repair centers.  
If you have a saddle that does not pass the safety check, PLEASE do not try to repair the saddle yourself, but contact:
 

(Remember to check all work when your saddle comes back as mistakes can be made) 

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