HISTORY OF THEFLEXIBLE Delrin® PANEL SADDLE - all TESTED and inUSE since 1986!The SystemsBy: Cathy Sheets TauerThe patent numbers, dates, along with specific details on the varioussystems were obtained during one-on-one interviews with Cathy from HillView Farms and other developers/owners on their own products. A noteon Patents:After a period of 16 years (depending upon when the patent claim wasfiled, when it was accepted, the country in which it was filed), apatent will expire allowing anyone within the market to copy itexactly. Also, if the owner of a current patent does not file a claimof infringement within the statute of limitations (6 years in USA) toprotect an existing patent, the patent then becomes an Abandoned Patent (prima-facie). Meaning that the owner of the patent relinquishesall claims henceforth, therefore making it available to the public. Asfor new patents based upon earlier designs, they can obtained if the newdesign change is greater than 20%.
So the point to remember is, allpatents have a limited life span and do not last forever.A registration mark ® and a copywrite © however, canlast over 50 years, but only if the renewal on the paper work ismaintained. On the other hand, a trademark TM simply meansthat the word or image is not able to be registered for the time beingas it is not unique enough to separate it from common terminology or ithas not yet become a household name associating it with a company orindividual. Law 101 in a nutshell.Delrin ® Panels are nowavailable for saddle makers worldwide to use on their saddles. Thismaterial was developed by the space program and is currently usedthroughout all aviation aircraft and also within the medical field.These Delrin sheets were the panels that were the heart and soul for thepatented saddle that the Original Ortho-Flex ® Saddle Companydeveloped. There are many companies that use the word FLEX in theirmarketing to sell their saddles. Please do not take them at their word.Make sure you are getting the 'Delrin' panel and not some facsimile of'flex', 'panel', 'rubber' or even rawhide, wood or plastic bars that arehinged on the fork and cantle. Remember a horse’s shoulders and backmove with every step and the 'flex' needs to move as quickly and asfreely in all directions as the animal’s shoulders and back do, whiledistributing the rider’s weight evenly.
Delrin material is such aproduct. It will not fatigue, misshape or wear out easily, and will lastover years of riding.
The way these sheets of Delrin are shaped, tieredand layered will make up your 'Panel'. One critical point to rememberwhen buying a saddle is that the basic saddletree itself must bestraight, and not hand made, where even the slightest variation willoccur. The machines that make these saddletrees are key in the functionof your saddle. To better illustrate the progress in technologyrepresented by various saddle makers, I’ve put together a retrospectivelook at the different types of flexible panels as they evolved startingin 1982 and those offered to date. We begin with the foundationtechnology, from the Original Ortho-Flex 1 System, whichsubsequently led to Systems II, III, IV, V, VI VII, VIII, IX, X and thevariations and extras.First: What isDelrin ®? Early in 1950 research director andchemists Frank C McGrew developed a tough and heat resistant material hecalled 'synthetic stone.'
During the years of development, whichinvolved a patent dispute, DuPont patented Delrin® in 1956. Delrin ®(Polyoxymethylene) is an acetal homopolymer resin that is a durablelightweight crystalline plastic, which uses a breakthrough instabilization technology. It has an excellent balance of desirableproperties that bridge the gap between metals and ordinary plastics.This Delrin ® which not only has memory (which allows it toreturn to it’s natural shape), but also has a unique combination ofstrength, stiffness, tensile strength, hardness, dimensional stability,toughness, fatigue resistance, solvent and fuel resistance, abrasionresistance, low wear, low friction, creep resistance under a wide rangeof temperature and humidity conditions, with high fatigue endurance,corrosion resistance and mechanical resilience. Due to these outstandingcharacteristics Delrin ® is popular for its versatility withina broad use of industry applications, such as automotive, aerospace,electrical and medical applications.IN THE BEGINNING:The System I or Mock I patent (6/26/1986-USA) was the originalsystem used when the Brown Performance Saddle Company started in 1982.Len Brown then incorporated his business and the Ortho-Flex Saddle Co.came into existence in 1986. This is the first and oldest systemdeveloped by the Original Ortho-Flex, and marked the beginning ofthe Ortho-Flex story.
It is a relatively simple system, with one layerof Delrin in the panel. System I is capable of allowing enough room forshoulder rotation and fits a wide range of back types. However, it isnot fully capable of following the full range of motion along the back,(and can not sink or rise in the middle, for example) as the panels arenot fully independent of the saddletree.
It is therefore necessary withSystem I to pay attention to the type of tree relative to the type ofback, and is not as 'user-friendly' as the systems to follow. The SystemI saddle can be regarded as a flexible panel saddle, as opposed to aflexible panel system fully independent of the saddletree. The panelsare a single layer, with.093 of Delrin in the panel which attached tothe tree about 6' inwards from the ends of the bars and were 1 ½' longerthan the following System II. This created longer skirts (not good forshort backed or deep backed horses). The panels are mounted by means ofa wood screw with washer into the tree.
The system had a few advantages,being less expensive to build, and a little easier to mount the panels.This system was eventually replaced by System II because it did notallow the panels to flex downward in the middle with the horse’s back,and the panel stiffness had to be adjusted to compensate for theincreased rider’s weight. Tree shape was also critical for the system tofunction so custom fitting through tree changes was often necessary. TheSystem I was a vast improvement over the traditional saddle inweight-bearing area but required a tree shape not adaptable to all typesof riding.THE SUCCESSOR:The System II or Mock II Patent (8/15/1991-USA) began in 1990.The Original Ortho-Flex developed a breakthrough in the existingtechnology. System II offers a mounting system for the panels, whichallows the panels to conform to all three dimensions of motion dynamics,thus making possible an automatic fit, not only in the shoulderrotation, but also along the back.
The backs of the panels are mountedin a track that enables the entire panel to conform to a radical rangeof back contours. With the addition of this sliding mount at the rear,the panels actually push down and away from the center of the tree withforce that enables the entire panel to conform to a radical range ofbacks and most importantly, allows the panels to conform to the horse’sback profile while the horse is motion, completely independent of thetree. In System II the panels are moved away from the tree about 1/8' to3/8' on steel rocker spacer mountings. The construction of these panelsis 3 layers of Delrin at the mounting, where each one is successivelysmaller, creating what is termed as 'progressive loading' or aload-distribution on the entire surface. This makes pressure pointsvirtually impossible directly under these rocker spacers, and mountingthe front mounts 4.5 inches back from the front edge of the panel allowsfor scapula rotation. In addition to its other advantages, System II canrise or sink with the back and so became the flagship system for theOriginal Ortho-Flex Saddle Co.
Since the buyout of the OriginalOrtho-Flex Saddle Company by the Saddle Works Saddle Company, the SystemII mounting has been altered. The panels are now mounted 2.25 inches infrom the front of edge of the panel.
This modification has seriouslystiffened up the panels in the shoulder area.THE EXTRA: SystemIII In the quest for further progress, the OriginalOrtho-Flex developed this panel. It was designed to address fitting themost difficult horses to saddle; those with very pronounced shoulders,or mutton-withered and broad. That difficult conformation isoften exaggerated by a short back or croup-high conformation. It’s alsoseen some in warm-bloods.
(For history, the 'original' System III ispatented as part of system or mock II (2/18/1994 -USA), and was based onthree mountings, on either side of the saddle bars, allowing the panelto slide. But Ortho-Flex Saddle Company never built this system becauseit did not work. So there are no laws or patents to protect the currentSystem III. This system was then modified based on the System II with arefinement in the front part of the panel; it looks like a giant handwith five fingers. These fingers allow the panel to conform itself evenmore closely to the shape and motion of the shoulder, thus offering morefreedom of movement. Two results of this new construction is that it wasonly offered as an expensive option on some saddle models, and the useof rivets to stabilize the five fingers resulted in excessive stresswhich causes the fingers to either crack or break.THE ADJUSTABLE: System IV Pro-adjustable (tied into the extrasystem III patent) could be regarded as a high-tech breakthrough inflexible panel systems. The height of the panel mounting points can beadjusted quickly and easily with the use of an Allen wrench within aone-inch range, thus allowing the user to optimally balance the saddleand the rider, even on a horse with truly unusual conformationalchallenges.THE LICENSE:This license from the Original Ortho-Flex Saddle Co.
Ortho-flex Serial Number Generator
Was sold to'Rocking R' who then changed their name to Timberline, which was sold toK-B Saddle Shop - who kept the name, SK Saddle, Watson Brothers Saddles(former Rocking R) for a time sold out to Ozark Mountain Saddles whosince terminated relations with Richard Watson and the Saddle Ranch.This system is a hybrid of Ortho-Flex Systems I and II. These saddlecompanies do not feature the System II mounting method but do offer thetrack system at the back of the panel. Like System I, they are alsobuilt on a single layer of Delrin, but thicker (1.25 vs the.093)allowing for rider support. The saddletree selection is crucial to thepanel/tree configuration and the choice of thicker Delrin enables thissystem to perform nicely. The panels are also capable of some flexing inthe middle, although not to the degree that the higher systems offer.This saddle construction, like the System I, is more like a saddle witha flexible panel, than a real system. Due to the adjustable rigging, thesaddle can be positioned to compensate for this difference most of thetime and can be fitted relatively well to a wide range of back types.THE VARIATIONS:The Ultra Flex, Oakfield, Ultra-Flex Vario, Ultra-Flex Adjuster, ReactorPanel Saddle and lastly the Free & Easy Saddles all have a multi-layereddelrin panel, and some have removable and or adjustable mounting spotsto adjust for the limitations in the panel and tree design in regards tofitting the horses shoulder and back.
Great skill and knowledge isrequired to achieve a good fit, due to the fact that these panels aretruly not self-adjusting.MODIFIED EXTRA &VARIATION: System VI or Mock 6, and the later SystemVIII or Mock 8 by the Ortho-flex Saddle Works Company. This system hastaken the rivets out of the fingers of the Original Ortho-FlexSystem III and replaced this design with a flower petal pattern in boththe front and sometimes rear of the panel- resembling a 7-leaf clover.This pattern was first conceived in the Free and Easy saddle and thencopied by the Ortho-Flex Saddle Works Company, which bought the originalOrtho-Flex Saddle Co. And the rights to use the 'Ortho-Flex' ® trademarkname, (as Len brown did not stop making saddles because he did notbelieve in the system, he simply lost his company due to poormanagement). This design is also added to the rear of the panel, andoffered on select saddle models as an upgraded feature.
This design canbe used alone in a single layer delrin or is used conjunction with amulti-layer panel. So regardless how many names of 'systems' come fromthis single design is it all the same concept, just sliced up to make itappear as if there is more.THE ULTIMATE: System V American Saddles-Grb (Patent in Germany only3/9/2001-Europe # EP1292316A2): Represents another step forward inflexible panel construction. This new construction that improves uponprinciples seen in its predecessors and offers solutions to problemsoccasionally associated with other systems. Due to the uniqueness ofthis system and its high performance, it is currently patented, andcopies no other. The front of the panel is made of three layers, with 15separate fingers (and no rivets holding them together) in the firstlayer, which is mounted 5' from the front edge of the panel, providingan even softer fit in the shoulder, allowing complete freedom in itsrotation. This construction extends to the area of the withers so evenextremely high and wide withers are afforded complete freedom. This isthen covered by the second layer with six fingers, overlapping the firstand enabling an automatic and equal distribution of weight along theentire length of the panel, including the middle section, thuspreventing the so-called 'bridge-fit'.
After that comes a third layerwith no fingers. Every layer is smaller than the layer before.Construction was also changed in the rear. This design has also threemulti-layer construction; the second layer resembles that of two fingersflowing towards the center of the panel, to insure optimal weightdistribution–including the middle section. This special design, usingvarious sizes and thickness of Delrin, has been computer-calculated andcurved, insuring that this system gives optimal distribution of weightalong the entire length of the panel, both inside and out. Now even whenyour horse is in motion, bending and flexing, regardless of your horse’sshoulder width, height, holes and dips behind the shoulder and back, youand he will be able to move in supreme comfort and freedom. The mountsand hardware used is of steel and the rivets used in the layering of theDelrin sheets are of aluminum. They call their saddle lineAmerican-Flex.THE TECHNOLOGYCONTINUES: System VII (based on System V), American Saddlescontinued their quest for perfection.
Research tests made possible anaddition: the panel has more cuts (feathering in the top area along thespinal processes of the withers) and has a more rounded front. This madeit more comfortable for those horses who have extremely high razorwithers, and also for horses who have broad and wide withers. It willeven fit those horses with 'heart-shaped' backs where you can roll amarble down their spine. Overwhelming success during the 2002 confirmedwhat computer scans recommended. Both horses and riders are thrilledwith the panel’s success.COMBINATIONS: System VIII or Mock 8Saddle Works Ortho-Flex has combined the single layer System I with thefinger cuts of the System III and by cutting short the front of thepanel in come versions, all done in order to address the issue ofexcessive pressure at the mounting points in the saddle.
This reallydoes not qualify as new system but modifies preexisting ones. However,they are calling this combination System VIII, which still requiresgreat care in fitting, due to the horses shape and selection of thecorrect saddle tree in order to achieve an acceptable fit.A NEW DEVELOPMENT: System IX. In 2005 after35 years of combined experience in repairing all of the earlier systemsof saddles Eldorado Saddle and Tack along with Hill View Farms came upwith a better panel design.
Added to the rear mounts are stainless steelslides, making the panels virtually maintenance free. This feature isadded to the already proven System VII panel. However, the rivets are ofcopper for better strength and performance than the aluminum used in theSystem V and VII, and the mounts are of steel. So radical was theimprovement in 2005 on performance of the preexisting System VII, thatthe 7E easy slide (as it was referred to during the experimentalyear of testing ) needs to be in a category by itself, thus theSystem IX (9) was created. Eldorado Saddle and Tack calls this line bya variety of names, Amera-Flex, Ameri-flex, 7E, Easy Slide and EldoradosaddlesEVOLUTION:System X.During the year 2007, when the Delrin panels alone were maximizingperformance in earlier systems, several small but significantinnovations made big changes in the overall panel performance,durability and fit. Based on the System VII design and the slide plateof the System IX, the System X has taken the features of these and madethe best design yet.
Orthoflex Brazos
Several small changes together have made a majordifference. However this system must have a saddletree that is equal indesign function for the panels to perform exquisitely. The first ofseveral changes to the panels are the rivets.
Gone are the copper andaluminum that were once used in the layering assembly of the panels.New are the stainless steel and nickel alloy rivets that eliminate thework-hardening fatigue (the amount of flexing a metal can takebefore it breaks) seen with earlier systems (this fatigue results inpressure points on the horse). Another improvement is the new pivotmechanism - again eliminating premature ware. With the advancements inmachining we can get a true ball-in-socket action. By using differentradii on the insert and the washer, this ball-in-socket joint performswith pure fluidity, providing maximum panel movement with closercontact. With this new assembly the clicking and popping noise onceheard during the break in period of earlier systems has been virtuallyeliminated. Another hindrance in panel flexibility has been the backerand foam layer of padding used on the underside of all earlier systems.This padding is what cushions the semi-rigid Delrin material, as wellas, the mechanical hardware used in the assembly process, from directcontact with the horses back as well as eliminating the pressure ridgesthat occurred when inferior materials or assembly is used.
The improvedbacking is fingered to match the finger cuts in the Delrin panel itself. Having this padding match the fingers allows for the littlesubtleties on a horse's or mule's shoulder, back and witherconformation– especially if he has an unusual or highly pronouncedshoulder / scapula. On earlier systems the panels tended to fall intothe dip or hollow behind the shoulder, creating excessive pressure fromthe over all rigidness of the front of the panel - especially in thewestern saddles.
These small differences have made so dramatic animprovement in the overall function of the panels by eliminating thedreaded ware out of the attachment points of panel to tree which in timecould possibly create uneven pressure. With the time, dedication andfield testing starting in 1986 we are proud to introduce this newsystem. System X will very unlikely be knocked off as the technicalinputs are high and the return on investment is low. Thus no room fortraditional marketing avenues and the reason why we post JUST HOW thesesaddles are made on the web site. System X delivers a performancedifference, much like, if you had been playing the piano with mittensand then graduated to gloves.
System X is offered by Hill View Farmsfor retail and wholesale sales.Companies out ofbusiness or re-marketing: 2012:Rocking R, Watson Brothers Saddles, Ozark Mountain Saddles and SaddleRanch are all out of business. Eldorado Saddle & Tack (Amera-Flex,Ameri-flex, 7E, Easy Slide and Eldorado saddles) and American-FlexSaddles of Germany are now made by D-K Saddlery - who are using photo'sof the Evolutionary saddle's fit on horses backs to sell their brand.Unfortunately, there are many other saddle companies doing the samething of misleading their customers. Do your homework and askquestions of the company to confirm the legitimacy of the products theyproduce. The act of copying another's photo's and writing is the act ofa desperate person/company.
As for the person/company who's work wascopied, sadly it is a form of flattery.Ortho-Flex Flex Bar System.The New Ortho-Flex Gen II made by National Bridle. In 2000 Len Brownreleased Ortho-Flex andAcie Johnson bought the company, changed the name to, The Ortho-FlexSaddle Works and moved to Arkansas.
In 2013 he sold the company toChase Dodd who moved it from Arkansas to Tennessee and brought back theold name of the company 'Ortho-Flex' and changed some of the terminologyused to describe the panels from Mock to Systems. In May of 2013, theChase Dodd family sold the company to Winners Circle (David Thomas) andwho is a parent company to a multi faceted organization that serves theequine community. David Thomas, turned over Ortho-Flex to itssubsidiary, National Bridle (Bobbie Beach) located in Lewisburg, TN -the name has since been changed back to Ortho-Flex.
After greatdeliberation and looking at traditional marketing avenues, usingexisting materials from other saddle brands, they are conforming to atraditional build on one of the rubber type of Flex Trees. This willallow for a fast and very profitable build in order to produce hundredsof saddles a year. Gone are the panels. So traditional saddle fittingpractices must take place by using pads to address the horses shape asthey age and change shape.What is next to come? You can bet that I’llkeep you posted. Speaking of which, I have had inquiriesregarding special saddles pads - as many companies are now producingthem.
These pads have a white semi-rigid product in them that looks andperforms similar to Delrin. The plastic material is NOT Delrin but aflexible type of plastic - 'like the kind you can nail through' (youcannot do this with Delrin) as told to me by Len Brown, developer of oneof these types of pads called the corrector. There is another pad,which I prefer, made by the CSI pad company that contains theFlex-Plate. This plate is the exact design as the system 5 panel.All of these saddle pads perform similar to an independent panel, freeof the saddletree and work in conjunction with your current rigid treesaddle to aid in its performance and fit. However you MUST already havea saddle that fits your horse fairly well.
These pads – which mayrequire shims to achieve an acceptable fit –without question will helpan ill-fitting saddle. I have personally worked with these padsand they do have a place within the saddling industry, especially forthose who have spent thousands on a custom tree saddle - made for theirhorse, only to find that the saddle really does not fit. As with anyexpensive pad, you must have the option to return it for a refund (ifwithin the time frame offered and in a clean condition) if the productdoes not meet with the manufactures claims.A new twist on panels: 'The LivingTree saddle'. Uses a rigid tree, a carbon fiber shell over styro-foam,with panels filled with carbon fiber tubs. Some interestingpoints, removable fenders and adjustable seat size. New itemon market and not thoroughly field tested. But make no mistake,this is a PANEL SADDLE.Remember toalways get a trial period to test ride a saddle before getting trappedinto product that will not serve the purpose you intended.If you cannot get this service, then you do not need theproduct.
Remember it is YOUR money and the manufacturers ’ claims toperformance.Workingalways on the horses ’ behalf. Cathy© 2001- 2018Web Master - Cathy Sheets Tauer.