Adjustable gullet saddles - thoughts please?

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Becki1802

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Well I'm not having much luck at the moment...
My youngster injured himself so tried to bring my 12 yo horse back into work (he'd been on loan and not done much since) but it seems he has a bad back and instructor fears the saddle is hurting (& so do I).

I'm quite peeved as I'd paid £1200 for his saddle brand new, professionally fitted and it has been checked twice by 2 different saddlers. He desperately needs a new saddle but also concerned due to muscle wastage he will probably change shape again. He has back lady coming on Friday but the saddler hasn't returned my call.

Also when youngster is better he needs a new saddle as has totally changed shape.

So I was thinking the 'cheap' solution might be an adjustable gullet saddle but wondered what your thoughts are on these? I'd still have a saddler fit and adjust it but might save me buying several new saddles over the next few months.

Saw this and thought it might work on my high withered boy:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thorowgood-T6-Black-17-5-High-Wither-Dressage-saddle-with-changeable-gullet-/251092876340?pt=UK_Horse_Wear_Equipment&hash=item3a764d3c34#ht_506wt_1030
 
Love my changeable gullets, especially on my welsh who changes shape from winter to summer.

It really helped with our exracer too as every month for the first three months we had to have it changed because he was changing.....couldnt have do that in a normal saddle.
X
 
As adjustable gullet saddles go, the thorowgood is alright (had a wintec and HATED it). Just bear in mind that just because the gullet can be changed, the tree cannot and may not fit your horse, same goes for the shape of the saddle. Good idea having the saddler to come out again to fit if you do buy.
 
A decent adjustable saddles is a godsend for changing horses but it needs to be the right one. A change of gullet only changes the front width, not the tree or panels. Sounds obvious but it's depressing how many people assume a changeable gullet fits anything :(

He's 12yrs old now so his back shape is unlikely to change but he will prob get wider or narrower (as he looses weight or gains muscle) so if you get a model that suits his back really well, a changable gullet would be perfect to accomidate that.

The different models for thorowgood are a good place to start but it doesn't always follow that a highwither model suits a high withered horse: I know a shark-fin TB with a cob saddle: he needs the flat tree they have. \

The new wintec model (NOT the old 500 version) are also good saddles to try.
 
Umbongo said:
Just bear in mind that just because the gullet can be changed, the tree cannot and may not fit your horse, same goes for the shape of the saddle.
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This is my fear... it might not be a solution, might be a bloody waste of money... which is running short with everything going wrong at once! :(
 
Thanks guys... sounds like I'd better wait for the saddler and discuss adjustables with her then rather than randomly bidding on a saddle that might be a shocking fit!!!

I should add I'm going to be trying a different saddler after the disaster with my last saddle!!!
 
Umbongo said:
(had a wintec and HATED it).
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The old style adjustable wintecs are a menance and must be causing so many poor horses pain :( The tree's a stupid shape and the panels aren't much better and, worse, they were marketed to 'fit anything'

The new wintec (one with the shaped knee rolls) are a complety different saddle (new panels and tree) and fit many horses really well,
 
Kallibear said:
The different models for thorowgood are a good place to start but it doesn't always follow that a highwither model suits a high withered horse: I know a shark-fin TB with a cob saddle: he needs the flat tree they have.
Click to expand...

Same, friend had a shark fin appaloosa and he was fitted with a cob thorowgood with a wide gullet! Fitted him perfectly but you wouldn't have thought so! OP does your saddler carry any adjustable saddles they can fit?
 
Umbongo said:
Same, friend had a shark fin appaloosa and he was fitted with a cob thorowgood with a wide gullet! Fitted him perfectly but you wouldn't have thought so! OP does your saddler carry any adjustable saddles they can fit?
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According to my friend and their website, the new saddler does. I'll try and call her again tomorrow and talk it over!

Feeling a little bit sore and ripped off by my old saddler - grrrr!!! Why for every decent horsey professional are there about 10 crooks?!
 
I am surprised by some of your comments on wintecs. Granted I hated the original dressage (500 series I think) but currently have a gp, not sure which model, but not a new one! And it's lovely, amazingly fitted a cob in an xwide gullet, and my warmblood in a medium, and had a highly recommended saddler out to check... It is only a temporary saddle until my warmblood stops changing, but also have a Bates on my adult which I love.....
 
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competitiondiva said:
I am surprised by some of your comments on wintecs. Granted I hated the original dressage (500 series I think) but currently have a gp, not sure which model, but not a new one! And it's lovely, amazingly fitted a cob in an xwide gullet, and my warmblood in a medium, and had a highly recommended saddler out to check... It is only a temporary saddle until my warmblood stops changing, but also have a Bates on my adult which I love.....
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My faith in saddle fitters (and owners) plummet when I read comments like that. :( I've heard it so many times and still see so many badly fitted wintec 500's. Many 'fitted' by a saddler :(

Especially since the 500 models are all exactly the same tree and panels but with different flaps. :rolleyes:
 
A couple of links to a great blog:

http://saddlefitter.blogspot.com/2009/11/from-tree-up-sub-topic-adjustable-trees.html#more

http://saddlefitter.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/changeable-gullets-details.html

As others have said, the tree and panel shape and depth must be right for the horse, and even then, the horse may change in ways that siply changing the gullet doesn't help. I (and some other fitters) happily adjust ordinary beech laminate trees a handful of times - if you go for a leather bench made saddle you have many more options for fitting - more variety for a start as there are many fewer styles of synthetic adjustable trees, more brands, and the chance to have a saddle made to a slightly different spec if needed for the horse. My most common change in spec is a different depth rear gusset in the panel to lift or lower the cantle to balance the saddle.
 
sbloom said:
A couple of links to a great blog:

http://saddlefitter.blogspot.com/2009/11/from-tree-up-sub-topic-adjustable-trees.html#more

http://saddlefitter.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/changeable-gullets-details.html

As others have said, the tree and panel shape and depth must be right for the horse, and even then, the horse may change in ways that siply changing the gullet doesn't help. I (and some other fitters) happily adjust ordinary beech laminate trees a handful of times - if you go for a leather bench made saddle you have many more options for fitting - more variety for a start as there are many fewer styles of synthetic adjustable trees, more brands, and the chance to have a saddle made to a slightly different spec if needed for the horse. My most common change in spec is a different depth rear gusset in the panel to lift or lower the cantle to balance the saddle.
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Hi sbloom, thank you for a very knowledgable reply. I've still not heard from the saddler to make an appointment. I notice you are in Somerset? Do you still fit? If so where? I am happy to travel to a decent saddler - been looking at Nutwell in Exeter?! I just don't really know what the right thing to do is - I am still reeling that my other saddle is such a bad fit!!!!
 
I normally ride in a leather, but when I bought my new boy as he is chubby I thought an adjustable saddle would be best, as he will (hopefully) loose weight and gain muscle.

I bought a wintec and didnt ride in it at all until the saddler had been out and fitted/ checked it. (had to wait 3 weeks!) but I like it, will get the saddler out again once he looses some weight and hopefully go down a gullet size :)
 
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