Saddle prototype

[Moorefieldc]

I'm not a fan of adjustable bolts either for the same reasons Stringinit pointed out. If the bolt were able to adjust on a ratchet system that could only be released on purpose with a specific tool, then it would be a lot more dependable. Adjustments would only have to be made once at home and never messed with again unless you need to readjust the saddle for a different goat.

One of the things I don't like about metal bars (sideboards as Moorefieldc calls them) is that they are totally flat. A saddle should have a little bit of curvature to it in my opinion. Otherwise it tends to bridge. This isn't such a problem with very classically built Swiss breeds with straight, narrow backs; but any goat with a bit of width to his body is going to also have some amount of dip to his back. With more people adding Boer and Kiko blood to their packgoats (and in my case Nubian), we're seeing fewer goats with the classic Swiss shape. A good pad that is thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges might alleviate this problem, but I don't know if anyone does that.

I've thought about bending the front edge up, atleast to help clear the shoulders and help them not rub. but adding a slight curve to the side boards could be easy enough to do.