Macel Rafale SOM

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Macel Rafale SOM Jumping Saddle

Macel Rafale SOM Saddle

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Thinking to add a little pep to the usually boring saddle advertisings, we asked to our supermodel, Charpege, if she could figure different pauses showing the new Macel Rafale SOM jumping saddle through all possible angles. Charpege complied, adding, through creative moves a view of the saddle’s stability.

We knew that we will annoy the ones who are too afraid to ride anything more alive than a dead brain horse, but we decided that the dullness of a few should not chastise the artistic mind of others.

This picture illustrates the concept of the Macel Rafale SOM. The move looks almost like a “levade,” minus the flexion of the hocks. I personally don’t like the “levade” because the move induces excessive stress on the hocks. The impact position of the hocks is basically the standing position. The hocks are very well designed to flex storing elastic energy that they use for their following extension. They are not designed to support all the horse body weight while in a half flexion. This remark underlines our perception of dressage and the concept behind the Rafale SOM.

For us, dressage means education. Dressage is not about making the horse executing compulsories. Dressage is about educating and coordinating efficiently the horse’s physique for the athletic demand of the move. Jumping saddles are well designed of the jump but not for subtle flat work. The position of the stirrups bars more forward place the rider legs forward pushing the rider’s seat back. The subtle education of the horse back muscles demands instead a rider in perfect neutral balance and therefore no back to front shift of the rider’s weight. Equine main back muscles are set in mirror image directions and their precise orchestration demands no shift of the rider’s weight and subtle nuances in the tone of the rider’s back and abdominal muscles.

I asked to Patrick, who is the actual owner of Macel, if he could create a saddle based on the seat of the dressage Macel Samba, with the stirrup bars further back as they are on the samba, and yet design the panels for jumping and/or outside work. Patrick delivered and it is a success. The Rafale SOM permits serious flat work and is very comfortable in cross country riding and over the jump. Jean Luc Cornille

For more information on the Macel saddles

contact helyn@scienceofmotion.com