A saddle WWYD

[Sail_away]

I had my horse’s physio out the other day for a routine check and she found she was tight pretty much all across the saddle area. Horse in question is sharp and tense by nature, so I’m sure that contributed, but I’m still not happy with it. Physio suggested a saddle fitter asap and thought that although the fit wasn’t bad, she could need more room through the channel. It’s a Fairfax classic XC, she had a CC jump saddle, I think a CWD or similar, with her old owner at the start of the year and wasn’t particularly happy in that either. I rode her bareback today and she did seem more willing to lift her back, despite not liking me moving around on her (she’s very sensitive in general).
So that’s the background. Now there’s the what do I do - there’s a (good) saddle fitter shortage around here, I don’t want to use my usual fitter as she’s adamant it fits well, I’ve tried contacting a small saddle brand with a focus on biomechanics but no space until late June. I don’t want to ride in my current saddle for that long, but equally not bareback!
So... yeah, any suggestions of saddle brands, or saddle fitters, would be very welcome. We’re in Surrey, near Kent, but next month I’m moving up to Hereford, so suggestions around that area would work too.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Physio suggested a saddle fitter asap and thought that although the fit wasn’t bad, she could need more room through the channel. It’s a Fairfax classic XC

That's interesting. My mare has a wide back bone, and the saddle fitter recommended a Fairfax classic (in my case a GPD) because it has a wide channel. Horse is very happy in it, she was in an Ideal event before.

My chiro vet was present at the fitting (works closely with saddle fitter). She too is happy with the fit of the saddle.

So not saying that your physio is wrong, but that is curious.

 

[Sail_away]

That's interesting. My mare has a wide back bone, and the saddle fitter recommended a Fairfax classic (in my case a GPD) because it has a wide channel. Horse is very happy in it, she was in an Ideal event before.

My chiro vet was present at the fitting (works closely with saddle fitter). She too is happy with the fit of the saddle.

So not saying that your physio is wrong, but that is curious.

Perhaps the XC has a different fit? I definitely wouldn’t say mine has a wide channel, it looks pretty average and when it’s on her you can see where there could be more room.

 

[sbloom]

A wide channel isn't the same as wide, flat rails - very few (any?) changeable headplate saddles have the equivalent of wide, flat rails. Channel width is for spinal process width which I know is your focus (and can help a little with fitting a very wide ribcage but there is such a thing as too wide) and rails are for fitting the flat back - front to back, or side to side, or both. SO often if the channel is needed, so are better rail shapes. Narrow, curved rails can cause issues (and so many French saddles have these sorts of rails) -