18th rib - how do you get round it if you have a shortcoupled horse?

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Christmas Crumpet

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Further to post earlier about 18th rib I was wondering what you are supposed to do if you have a very short coupled horse and any saddle over 16" is too long. Most adults do have a seat size over 16" and would have to have a longer seat which might impinge on 18th rib. What do you do then?!!!

Just bored at work and curious!!
 
you have to have a saddle that fits the back - that may mean you have a saddle without a gusset which would reduce the length of the saddle by a couple of inches, you have a saddle with half panels and then extended flaps over so you as a rider can have the length from hip to knee or you take up dressage and never shorten your leg. Or you have a drastic course in liposuction and cope. The saddle cannot go beyond teh 18th rib as that would then affect the loin and the movement from behind and would push the saddle forward and then impinge on the shoulder
 
Crikey - what kind of saddles are they? Who makes them? Never heard of them!! What do gussetless saddles look like? Are they just completely flat underneath?

I'm quite interested to know about this because when having my saddle fitted last year on my pretty short coupled horse the saddler said there has to be a compromise somewhere if you are too big for your horse (seatwise).

I'm only 5'4" with a 16.3 big build TB who is short coupled who suprisingly enough is off for 6 months with back problems...
 
I had this problem with a TB i bred - total nightmare, went through saddlers like wild fire - who either suggested it was impossible or suggested trying to make a saddle with 16inch tree with 17 inch seat!

Anyway after a couple of years found an excellent master saddler who found two makes that would fit (neither cheap!!) which do not have "skirts" These were Amerigo and Jaguar. I went for the Jaguar and have not had a problem

If you are in the north I can give you the saddlers name
 
Mines a Jaguar too for a horse with the same problem. I was told by saddler I had to have that type of saddle as in Amerigo, passier, Jaguar, Albion now do one too. Sorry all expensive ones. Ive had mine 6 yrs now and touch wood, my horse has never had a problem although I dont find it the best saddle to ride in, I just have to put up with it.
 
This is a really common problem with lots of horses, big and small. I think people are shocked when they buy a big horse who isn't short coupled ,and then find it can only take a 17'' saddle max. The saddle has to fit the horse though, so the rider has to make the compromise.

Lots of saddle companies will make saddles with larger flaps on a small seat, to accomdate the riders leg or, some will put a larger seat on small pannels- I know wow saddles do this. Also, brands vary anyway, so a 17' Saddle Company might be 1'' shorter in the pannals than a 17'' Wintec.
 
It was me who posted the 18th rib post! These replies help me too. What is the gussett on the saddle and how does not having one help shorten the saddle?

Can anyone post pictures of these saddles from underneath to show what these saddles look like or any internet sites you can suggest to look at these saddles? I feel a second mortgage coming on with these saddles!!

Seems like quite a few of us have the problem of short backed horses!
 
I have three 16 & 1/2 inch treed saddles with 17 inch adult seats as i ride ponies, i am only 5ft 3 but need the bigger seat to be truly comfy. One is an Ideal VSD, one a GFS Event and the other an Ideal Jump saddle, one bought from a friend the others from my local saddler who looks out for adult pony saddles especially for me and lets me know as soon as anything comes in.

The Saddle Co also do adult pony saddles which suit short backed horses equally as well as ponies.

Both GFS and Ideal are very generous seat sizes compared to the tree and they don't impinge at all on the working of the saddles or the horses backs.
 
You can get 16'' saddles with with large seats, I've got one, I'm 5'6 and its easily big enough for me, just that flaps are a bit short.

I know the problem though, my lad is very short coupled, he can't take anything over a 17'' and he's 16.2, big shoulders and a short back, I've given up at the moment while he's turned away for a bit, then I shall start the big hunt for another saddle after Christmas I think, VSD, something to allow room for his shoulders.
 
A gusset in the panel is a elipsoide wedge of leather that makes the panels deeper. It makes the panels protrude over the end of the seat, making them longer than the tree. It's great for dstributing the riders weight over a large an area as possible, and allows more room for adjustment for flocking, but does make the saddle 'longer'

This is my jessisa ideal showing the gusset:

gusset.jpg


gusset2.jpg


And a gussetless saddle (polo saddle in this case)
gusetlesssaddle.jpg


The panels follow the tree shape and curve up and off the horses back before the end of the tree. It makes the surface bearing area smaller, but means a bigger seat size can be used.

I can't think of any cheaper saddles that are gussetless. And most of the more expensive brands are designed for TB's and similar - one of the points of a gusseted saddle is that they make the saddle 'flatter' and therefore more suitable for flat wide native types (i.e the short backed pains in the ass like mine!)
 
Shorter panels can be put on WOW seats and they also do a range of seats which would give enough room to a rider even though they have to buy a small one. Not cheap, but a lifetime solution due to their adaptability. I have size two seats for me and size one panels for my short backed horse. You sound like you would be fine in a size one seat with a size zero panel. You could buy off eBay but size zero panels are very uncommon.
 
ps Ride Western? if you look at Western saddles, of course, there is no problem whatsoever with horses taking weight after the last rib. The problem is that Euro style saddles that are "too long" end immediately after the last rib, not well behind it, and create a pressure point every time the rider tips their weight back at all.
 
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ps Ride Western? if you look at Western saddles, of course, there is no problem whatsoever with horses taking weight after the last rib.

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Just would like to make a little comment here. Not sure if your comment above was serious or not, and no wish to offend, but that statement is not true at all.
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There are western saddles that are not too long. And I NEVER fit beyond the last rib - without exception. I see so many horses who have had a too-long western saddle and they have been very sore in the lumbar region, which is fixed when a shorter saddle is used.
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