I found a Little Joe on Ebay :)

[snelson]

I found my first one there also. This one has been modified...she had some of the padding taken out on the thigh area for closer contact she says...but it's in great condition and I could afford it! Now when my daughter takes my LJ...I have another!!

[Trailpal]

yay! that's a good find, I just hope the missing padding doesn't affect the stability.

I have been using my LJ more lately - since I improved Tanner's topline, my old saddle has been pinching. I sold that saddle pretty quickly and have been using my LJ while waiting for my new saddle to arrive. It's amazing how much better he moves with nothing to pinch him - and my balance is getting better!

[snelson]

I thought the same thing Trailpal...but if I let my daughter use it...she is all of 105 lbs and will only use the LJ when we are in the arena, not on the trail, then it should be okay.

My filly has a real dislike for saddles, although if we are trail riding she could care less she just likes to be out of the arena, so I have been riding her in the LJ and she moves so much nicer. She hates anything touching her shoulders (even the saddle pad) and will not move them as freely with a saddle but with the LJ she actually uses her shoulders better and will collect very nicely without a lot of attitude

And the barn manager loves the LJ also and will use it regularly during the winter on the older horses.

[Idaho Linda]

With a good pad under it, go wherever you want. I rarely drag a saddle out anymore. I can ride all day in the mountains and my LJ never moves. Fuerza also dislikes having a saddle move forward and pinch her shoulders. If you ignore her polite requests to get off and fix it, she will do her best impression of a rodeo bronc (she has no future there, believe me.) As soon as you slide everything back where it belongs, she is back to her normal self.

I use a ProChoice neoprene girth. And I do not dismount using the stirrups after a ride. I suppose I could tighten up the girth enough to be able to do that, but I am not going there.

[snelson]

I got my new LJ today. I had to ask her to wait a week for her to send it since I was in Wyoming for a funeral. It is brand new...the billets do not have any marks on them at all. There is a little bit of white hair on the underneath but all the fabric is still new. The area where she had the padding taken out is really not even noticeable. I will try it out tomorrow and see how it feels. My barn manager says she is going to start checking EBay every day. I told her I just type Little Joe in the search, but I only get on there about every 3 or 4 months...just happened to be lucky enough to find both my LJ's there.