Adult saddles for wide short backed horses.

Sukistokes2

Sukistokes2

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i have a 14hh traditional cob, he is very short backed. I have been using a Heather Moffett treeless and my Chiro vet is suggesting that it is too long and causing him an issue. I need at least a 17". I can ride 16.5 but it's not comfortable for me. What saddles are out there which can carry a larger seat on smaller panels and still give good weight distribution.? I will of course be chatting to Sbloom but I really want to know the range of what is out there before I end up selling my horse as being unsuitable.
As you can tell I am feeling very fragile about this as I have raised this boy from a wild yearling and I really want it to work, if at all possible. So please constructive advice please, any thing else please don't share. :)
 
Wow saddles.

I have the same issue with my young horse, she is very very short in the back and can just take a 17".
I have a big bum and 17" is just a bit too small, so I have a size 2 seat (17.5"/18") on size 1 panels (17") - I have seen Albion advertise a saddle with shorter panels for the short backed horse but I have no personal experience of them, only the Wow's.
 
I think I'm going to have this issue too as I'm 5'8 and my mare (16hh!) looks like she's most comfy with a 16.5" - which my dressage is. Thankfully, the way it's built makes it comfy for me somehow, I think it has longer flaps. Not sure how easily I'll fit into a gp though but WOW or something like that might be an option as you can have a larger seat on short panels.
 
I just went through saddle buying with my short-backed, flat-backed Lipi-X mare! :) Thigh measurements suggest I need an 18", her back suggests she needs a 16". Since I was looking for a dressage saddle, expecting to ride long, I could go shorter than 18", which is fortunate! It was suggested that I look at HM, Ideal Rebecca (gives a bit more leeway than a deeper seat, apparently), or a custom build. It turned out the HM in 16" is a lovely fit for her, and I love it too. Have you considered going shorter in the HM, or is that impossible for you?
 
hi Suki!
i've got a treeless Trekker from germany, it's totally adjustable in the seat size and gullet and they come in 2 sizes for the panels, 45 standard or 42 short,( you have to ask for them) it's a short saddle anyway and based on an endurance style, maybe not your thing but i have seen them on loads of cobs, there's some great shots of them and info on this https://www.facebook.com/Trekker.Saddles
i have one for Shadow and he has the shortest back ever and a big barrel and it's great. xxxxxxx
 
I have a Black Country GP saddle; it fitted my first cob, who very flat withered, wide and was short in the back and my second, oversized cob, who was a little longer, but still typically cob shaped. I can't remember whether it's a 16.5 or 17" saddle. The saddler brought about 30 saddles with him and the Black Country was 1 of only 2 that fitted Jason, but it was many years ago and there's a lot more choice available now.

Hope you find one that suits you both.
 
Thank you, this is just what I needed lots of ideas so that I at least have some starting points. I don't want to pin all my hopes on native saddles and then they can't help! I suppose I could loose weight!
 
Worth dropping a note to sbloom on here... it's something she deals with quite frequently.

ETS realise you're already doing that.

Good luck, I had similar situation with a 13.3 Welsh C... (this was before I came across sbloom's saddles).
I have ridiculously long thighs. I was fortunate in that he could carry a 17" and we found a Jeffries Adler VSD worked as a good compromise.
 
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