Camp RP – 2005

July 15-17, 2005

Dear Friends of ReactorPanel:

Camp RP 2005 was a resounding success! As many of you may know, ReactorPanel Saddle Company periodically hosts a saddle fitting and product training seminar for our regional RPSC Fitting Agents. This year we welcomed two new fitters, worked with great case studies, and came out of the weekend with lots of great information.

During Camp RP’s three days, we got an overview of the full RP line of saddles and accessory products, including all the Toklat products we now distribute, learned new saddle fitting skills on three interesting case studies, exchanged valuable methodology, brushed up on company procedures, and generally had a heck of a good time.

If you’d like to hear some stories first hand from the fitters who attended, click here.

For an overview of Camp events, click here.

All and all, Camp RP fulfilled our expectations. Everyday we grow as a company and in our skills and Camp RP influences how we operate as a whole and day to day as Fitting Agents. And did I mention, it was really fun! After all, not everyone gets to go to work at the barn with eight interesting people and an innovative product that gives us the great pleasure and gratification of helping horses. Not bad for a day’s work (or three)—thank you Carmi and Lisa for your commitment to education, devotion to the horses, and the standards you maintain in your business practices. I think I can speak for the group when I say your excitement is infectious and we can’t wait to get out in the field and introduce people and their horses to ReactorPanel Saddles!

Hope to see you all next time!

STORIES

Marlene Moss’ Feedback

Hello all,

Well, this isn't going to come out as a discussion of each session, so I'm hoping others will pipe in with things I missed or that were more pertinent to them and the other horses we got to be involved with.

First, a general comment or two. All the sessions were extremely informative and important. Even a discussion about the most "dry" form provoked lively conversation with all contributing ideas and experiences.

There was not nearly enough time in the 3 days to come away feeling everything had been covered in depth (partially because it was difficult to keep us all focused on a single topic!). At one point I thought that maybe some of the form details didn't need to be discussed in person, in order to give more time for the hands on training.

But I did see the value in those discussions - and given my second favorite activity is talking, I couldn't really complain. But I do have a possible suggestion. I have participated in a couple online farrier seminars. All of the presentation materials (from 6 presenters) was provided to the moderator to make available via a website. Then everyone signed in through an application called PalTalk. It required speakers to listen and a microphone could be used by each person to speak, or we could enter questions or comments via a chat window. So it was very interactive, but controlled. My thought is that something like this could be done several days before a big training session to have some of the details out of the way.

Back to the session discussion. After an introductory session we had the opportunity to go to Carmi's barn to assess a couple horses that we would be later fitting. I volunteered to take the horse that seemed more similar to my experiences (fidgety!) but Carmi thought it wiser to expand my boundaries and I got to work with Lisa and a very large warmblood, Perry. Perry was a very nice looking horse with a whither about my eye level, quite different from the 14-15h arabs that I usually work with.

Taking tracings on Perry was interesting. He was moving around enough from flies that it was difficult to get consistent templates - and to really want to be knocked off a block as he moved! But with this motion and a very slight slope to the ground, we realized that very slight changes in his stance made dramatic differences in his shape. He could shift his weight slightly, without moving a foot, and have an impact on the shape of the tracing. The overall width was fairly consistent (once I got more proficient at working with a tall horse), but contours varied. After I came home, I noticed this with one of my horses as well.

Another side note - with working on multiple horses simultaneously, I think we might have lost some of what could be gathered from all of us working on and commenting on each horse individually, which is why I was trying to identify ways of getting more time for the hands on sessions. We did share results from each horse, but one thing I got thinking later is that I could benefit from a more in-depth discussion of sufficient, underdeveloped and atrophied musculature and other visual or palpable keys to look for.

Later at the warehouse (oh I really wanted to go on a shopping spree), we got to view all the inventory items and sit on many saddle models which was helpful to me as I still hadn't identified my personal preferences. Learning how the templates are used was very informative. I would have liked (but could have taken at least another couple hours) was detailed discussion of what Carmi and Lisa are able to garner from pictures. I am not great at extrapolating 3 dimensions from 2 and since the tracings don't contain information about the mid back, I feel I need to get a better sense of how to translate back curvature and ribcage and loin shape to the various tree possibilities. We got to listen to Carmi talk to a customer and really feel her out for her commitment to improving her horse through various means aside from saddle fit - excellent! One important part of this session was to identify appropriate saddles to bring to the saddle fitting sessions with our test horses the following day.

That evening we got to watch Carmi and Lisa take turns doing the Saddle Fitting Lecture, which was of course interesting to see their techniques and to try to imagine what I would say if I were trying to do the lecture myself.

The following day we met the owners of our test horses, who had little to no exposure to ReactorPanel and one was in the market for a saddle and the other was not necessarily looking. Perry's owner (Bev) had been riding on borrowed saddles after someone told her that her tree was broken. So there wasn't a consistent history for either the horse or the rider (the horse did not show any signs of pain from a saddle) - and the rider didn't have a strong sense of what she needed to help her own ride. She was very open to learning about the saddles and if one could work for her, but she was clear in that she didn't want to have a long lecture, she wanted to see and feel what it all meant.

Fitting Perry was a very good experience for me - and I'm glad Carmi had me work on the horse that was so tall that I found out I need to use as many checks as possible and than my natural inclination to do as much fitting changes as possible on the horse was foolish. I could not easily use visual checks and I don't yet have the skill to manage saddle, disc and panel positions by feel! In reviewing this on the trip home I made notes with lots of exclamation points in the Fitting Guide so that I don't let my tendencies override better sense in the beginning.

We did have Bev do a test ride with the Impression Pad in the current borrowed saddle, so that we could see and show its fit in a visual way as well as evaluate Perry's motion and attitude. Perry moved well enough, but with little enthusiasm and didn't track up as well as expected. The saddle had a dramatic level of pressure as shown by the large clear spots in the IP.

Perry and Bev had a very positive ride in the first saddle - we got to see one of those grins where you know the rider is pleasantly surprised, even though she did have to work through a couple things that were different in feel between the saddle and changes in motion of the horse. Carmi was able to have her try a couple things that helped. But the horse was moving very nicely - suspension in the trot was clear and after a bit was tracking up better as well.

The saddle did move forward a bit (initially used billets 2 & 3) and we were going to switch to 1 & 3, but then decided to try another saddle, just to give Bev the feel of another model and to see how the curvature of that particular saddle worked with Perry (there was more to that thought as far as the shape of the tree, but it escaped me at the time and still does!) I missed most of the second ride as it did not last long enough for me to make it to the bathroom and back.

Perry, who had demonstrated himself to be quite the stoic and didn't actively complain about the previous saddle, seemed to have learned rather quickly that a saddle doesn't have to produce pain or pressure. The second saddle was not an ideal fit for him and he was able to communicate this clearly. Bev was very interested in trying the first saddle when she got back from vacation in a couple weeks. However Reagan found out that she was participating in a clinic at the barn the next day, so we arranged for Bev to ride in the RP, thinking that she was going to waste her time and money if she did not have a saddle that allowed her horse to move better.

We realized this was a risk - Bev had not had much time to familiarize herself with the saddle and the horse could continue to change making it difficult for her to be able to do what she was used to, plus the horse was definitely in a learning and experimenting phase himself. We were not able to see her ride, but we did get feedback that Bev wasn't as thrilled as she had been originally, even though Reagan had seen the horse moving well. As we discussed this, the conclusion was that Bev was comparing this ride to the comparison between the borrowed saddle and the first RP ride, and it wasn't as huge as expected. Although we didn't get a change to talk to Bev, I wouldn't be surprise if she doesn't get very serious about trying the RP after her vacation - especially if she does another ride in the borrowed saddle soon.

I'll end my discussions of the sessions there - although there was a lot more discussion of forms, marketing, saddle ordering etc that was very important (and provoked yet more lively input from all involved). I must say that the entire atmosphere with everyone involved was wonderful, everyone truly wanted to learn and the total commitment of Carmi and Lisa to both the horse and the rider was really enjoyable.

As I have a rather limited riding background (little in the way of formal lessons and only distance/trail riding as a discipline) I was very keen to get higher level information about my riding skills (which in the long run will help me be able to help a customer). I spent about 3 minutes on a horse at the clinic whose rider had and RP which I wanted to sit in. I think I got more useful information in those few minutes from Carmi about actually working with a horse than in the sum total of sporadic lessons over my life. Later we arranged for me to stay with Lisa so I could ride several models on one of her horses which was a little more similar to horses that I was used to. Well, similar in breed and size at least. It was a great experience and I believe we did determine what saddle will make sense for my riding and personal conformation.

Thanks to both Lisa and Carmi for their hospitality. This was a great experience and I'm willing to come back for more as long as my frequent flyer miles hold out! I would also like to pass on an invitation to anyone passing through or wanting to visit Colorado - I have room, several extra horses and miles of gorgeous trails to share! It was great meeting and talking with you all!

Marlene

Mollie Krumlaw’s Experience

Hidy Ho....

It was wonderful meeting all of you and getting know each of you a bit. I've always enjoyed working with anyone who understands the concepts and importance of good saddle fit and it's over all effect on the horse's performance as an athlete, not to mention his comfort level. So imagine the fun of working with several of you at once.

Each of us has a significantly different background and I'm sure each came away wanting more of some topics/sessions and less of others. From "my" perspective I came back with some great information on fitting very difficult horses (Serafinia and the pony), though these horses are rare, it was a very valuable tool for me to step outside the box and look at alternatives. I also really found it fun to watch Perry before RP and after. "I" would consider Perry more of a "text book" type case. Nice horse, poor fitting saddle, above average rider. This was the first time I was actually able to sit back and watch a sensitive horse with a poor fitting saddle move one minute, and go to a nicely fitting saddle the next and have it make that much of a difference. I would love to have that on a DVD to show for discussion. When I'm riding I can feel the changes in the horse, but seeing and watching it happen was really a lot of fun. As Carmi says..."goose bumps."

The other important issue "I" came back with was the feeling we need to focus on simplifying the fitting process. Looking at 1/4" of paper with instructions to fit a new saddle can be more than a little daunting to a new customer. I'm sure to many this experience can be a lot like getting a new bicycle for Christmas and having it arrive in a box with "some assembly required." I have some thoughts on this but need to try them out and see if they work. This may come from writing one too many SOP's for ISO and the FDA, and I may be alone in this feeling. If so I'll let it go, but I think perception and ease of use can go a long way to expanding the market.

Just my thoughts...everyone have a wonderful weekend!

Take care,

Mollie

OVERVIEW OF EVENTS

Day One:

We started our three day training with an overview of ReactorPanel’s history, training procedures, agent manual, and customer forms. Then, it was off to the barn where we split into fitting teams and conducted the initial assessment of our case studies.

First on our list was Serafina, a 13 year old thoroughbred hunter/jumper mare known to be a bit hot and very tense presented more than a few fitting challenges. With a high sloping whither, a slight sway back, bleached hair on either side of the whither and directly under the seat, and a fair amount of atrophied muscles we had our work cut out for us.

Next was Perry, a twelve year old typical warmblood with a broad flat back who had reached an impasse in schooling dressage at second level. Though less challenging to assess and initially fit, Perry proved an interesting case as we moved to pressure testing and the rider’s first ride in a ReactorPanel.

Last was Chico, a 28 year old pinto trail horse with a heart of gold and a lot of miles on his aging back. With a significant sway to his back, he taught us a lot about just how adjustable ReactorPanel’s really are.

With measurements in hand, we headed off to the warehouse to view the complete RP product line, select saddles for our three case studies, and were lucky enough to have the opportunity to audit a phone fitting.

From there it was back to Carmi’s house for an informal dinner and an evening presentation of ReactorPanel’s Educational Saddle Fitting Seminar. Carmi and Lisa each presented part of the Seminar to demonstrate how easy it is to adapt the seminar to each Fitting Agent’s personal presentation style. Full of delicious food and information it was off to bed to prepare for the next day.

Day Two:

We started day two by addressing questions from day one and with an overview of how to handle the sales process and customer interaction. Then it was off to the barn where we separated back into fitting teams and started our hands-on training with our three case studies.

Serafina and Perry were first on the agenda. Carmi headed up Serafina’s team and Lisa headed up Perry’s team. Each team did a thorough evaluation of their horses and set up their existing saddles for 20 minute pressure testing with the Port Lewis Impression Pad.

Because of Serafina’s dramatic fit issues, we kept a close watch on her and pulled her in halfway into the test after she expressed her discomfort with a bronc-worthy buck! Stiff, tense and clearly displaying a soundness issue behind, it was no surprise when we pulled the pad and saw two very distinct clear patches on either side of her withers and under each of the rider’s seat bones. After only 10 minutes, the Port Lewis Pad impressions clearly matched the lightened hair on her back and points of atrophied muscle.

The surprise of our day came when we examined Perry’s Port Lewis Pad at the end of his twenty minute test. During the test, Perry was tense and resisted lifting his back and engaging his haunch but otherwise went about his job. It wasn’t until we pulled the saddle that we realized how much pressure Perry was enduring. The Port Lewis Pad was absolutely clear with no gel at all between the plastic directly underneath the entire length of the saddle’s panels [see picture]. A bit shocked, we all commended Perry for his stoicism and went back to the barn to fit both he and Serafina with ReactorPanels.

With close supervision and instruction from Carmi and Lisa, each team placed their panels. Carmi shared the technique of using foam inserts between the panel and tree to help fill bridges in the panel’s contact with the horse and Lisa shared her technique of lining up the panels disc to disc to ensure symmetry in their placing. In turn, each of the attending fitting agents and fitters-in-training shared their insights and tricks of the trade.

After much adjustment, Carmi was still dissatisfied with the fit on Serafina. So Carmi went to get her ‘magic saddle’, so named because of its miraculous ability to fit any horse. An old Esprit H/J model she’s ridden in for years, it held true to its name and fit all of Serafina’s many challenges.

Then it was off to the ring for a test ride.

Immediately Serafina was more relaxed. She even dropped her head and carried a long low frame. However, at the end of the day, her team and owner determined that it was best to address her soundness issues before moving forward. Though she appeared much more comfortable in the RP, she clearly had some hind end discomfort that needed professional attention.

Perry was the more dramatic of the two in his reactions to the RP. As soon as he stepped in the ring, he began to engage at the walk, round his back, become supple and significantly more forward with significantly less encouragement. His rider acknowledged the improvement with a big wide smile! Her only challenge was riding the greater suspension and bounce in his stride at the sitting trot. At the end of the day, not a bad problem to have when your second level horse goes from tense and backward to light and forward and with a little practice, she quickly learned to ride the new movement.

To help minimize the bounce, Perry’s fitting team switched to a different model saddle. Though not as great a fit as the first, it fit well enough for a test ride---or so we thought. As soon as Perry took a step, it was clear our stoic horse had developed more refined taste. He immediately began ringing his tail, tossing his head, resisting the leg. With no further adieu, his team pulled his saddle and called it a day.

We wrapped up our day at the barn with Chico, our 28 year old pinto with a sway back. He became a great model for methods of adjusting panel placement to accommodate a short back. We each had an opportunity to fiddle with placement and evaluate fit.

Saturday’s formal activities ended with a brief discussion about our current and planned marketing activities and methods for handling various customer questions and situations. Then off for a great dinner at Filipos [see picture], a local Italian restaurant and favorite for all of the local attendees.

Day Three:

Day three was right back to business with a review of day two and discussions about the saddle ordering process, agent tools, territory development, and the RP forms and agent contracts. By early afternoon, our formal meeting and training was complete and we were able to enjoy a dressage clinic at the barn.