Samantha James & Carson

“About a year ago, I fell madly in love with Carson, a 7-year-old Haflinger. He had been cast aside due to severe behavioral issues. He was grotesquely obese, kept isolated in a paddock, and used his weight to nip, push, and bully everyone around him. But I saw a softness in his eyes that melted my heart, so I did what any horse girl would do....I bought him.

I had no idea the mountain we’d have to climb. Carson was in constant, chronic pain. He suffered from bilateral pedal osteitis and a mysterious right-hind lameness. He had a severely loaded right shoulder, making a traditional saddle nearly impossible. It was like fitting a "rain barrel with legs" and became very frustrating and discouraging. I spent thousands of dollars on different saddles, watching my miserable horse grow more frustrated. I was at my wits' end, wondering how I could exercise him to save his life without causing him more agony. Carson's "bad attitude" finally made perfect sense: he was just hurting.
Everything changed when a saddle fitter introduced me to EQ Saddle Science. I was highly skeptical of the EQFlex panel concept at first, but our very first ride blew me away. The saddle met Carson exactly where he was, with the brilliant ability to adapt and change with his body.

With our EQ saddle, we started slow, but quickly started to see improvements. Today, Carson is the absolute superstar I always knew he was. He is the happiest, friendliest, most polite boy, and his behavioral issues are completely gone. What used to be a painful, reluctant stroll is now a case of the "zoomies" on the trails. His old refusal to canter has transformed into a joyful ask to gallop through open fields, to which I gladly oblige.

Carson and I will never be on the show circuit—we are just a girl and her horse who live for hours of pure trail riding bliss. Yet, the team at EQ Saddle treated us like we were training for the Olympic dressage team. Their customer service is truly insurmountable. They gave me the tool I needed to literally save my horse's life, and for that, we are forever grateful.”