Albion K2 saddles- too long for small horses?

[seabsicuit2]

Just wondering if anyone has had the same experiences as my Physio says that the standard 17 inch Albion K2 is too long in it's length for a range of standard sized thoroughbreds from 15.2 - 16 hands. A friend however continued to use the saddle on his horse ( saddle fitted by a master saddler/ qualified saddle fitter) and his horse has a continually sore back where the end of the saddle panels sits.
So the Physio could well be right.

Just wondered if others had experienced this too with their Albions?

Basically I'm just gutted that I can't have a K2 on my thoroughbreds unless I can find a 2 nd hand 16 inch one & then that might not fit my legs!

It does seem strange that the 17 inch is too long in the panels for a medium sized horse?

 

[Scarlett]

Not a K2 but I had a similar experience with the Legend - the K2 predecessor - it was just to much saddle for the 15.2s, the panels sat too far back and too far out for them both. I also tried a Kontrol in a 17.5 and found it quite long too. Got rid of it as it was just too much saddle for a little TB and it was still to short in the flap for me. I just find them big and heavy and have been put of them because of this.

 

[seabsicuit2]

Scarlett that's just exactly my experiences of Albions before the K2's came along- Albions would have been the last type of saddle I would have bought for my horses but the K2 is gorgeous & my TB's appeared to be going really well in them until my Physio told me to stop using them.. Even the K2 is still big and heavy like the other Albions I guess. What jump saddles do you have for yours now?

 

[Scarlett]

Mine were the same - they went well in the saddles but I did wonder how long it would last for due to the panel length and weight. We still have a Legend as a spare saddle on the yard and I'm amazed by the size of it every time I pick it up, tbh it only fits the bigger horses and we don't have many of them here!

I have an Equipe Synergy which I love for P - its little and light, I'm secure and she is happy. I also picked up a Barnsby Whitaker cheaply - think it was the model before the Milton - its a CC saddle and a little heavier but again small proportions and fits everything it goes near, and I do mean everything, all shapes and sizes. Got a Milton I picked up for silly money on Ebay arriving tomorrow too

If you want to try any just shout, I only need one saddle at the mo as 2 of mine have sick notes!

 

[seabsicuit2]

Scarlett that would be amazing thank you so much for your offer!!
If that would be ok then I would love to try one!

 

[Scarlett]

Like I said the Milton will be here tomorrow so gimme a shout and we can arrange something. I have a friends Bransby Aurora Hunter Jumper saddle here too

 

[measles]

We have an 18" K2 Jump and it is the only saddle truly long enough for son's thigh. That said it fits the length of the back of all of the horses we have had it on, from 16hh upwards.

We also have a Barnsby Whitaker and agree much smaller proportions which for us isn't good news.

 

[JLav]

I have a 17.5 K2 on a 15.1hh Welsh/Anglo Arab and it's absolutely fine and has never given her any problems at all in the 4 years she's had it.

 

[Prince&Porper]

I have my K2 Jump on a 16hh and it a whopping 18" with a horse that wears just a 6ft rug!! Checked by a very respected mater saddler whos says it is fine

 

[BeckyD]

I had a 17inch K2 GP on a 16hh TB that my saddler said had an unusually short back for his size, and the saddle fitted fine. Funnily enough he got a bad back whenever he was out of work (he was very weak in his back due to hind suspensories problem), but it got better when he was in ridden work and the saddle fitted him beautifully (verified by chiro, physio and equine touch lady! - only because he had so many other problems with his back that everyone wanted to check saddle). I was told however that a 17.5" would be too long for him.

 

[sbloom]

It varies SO much. The panels on our saddles are relatively short but on my books I have a 13.3 Icelandic that takes I think a 6' rug who can only take our smallest model in a 15", and a 14.2 Highland that takes an 18" in a slightly larger model! It is useful though to know where to find that last rib and to track it up to where it meets the longissimus dorsi muscle - you can easiy feel the last rib lower down and then follow it up. The saddle must not be beyond the diagonal line that you track up, folllowing the line of the rib. I see a lot of saddles that are too long where they have been bought for the rider's comfort and not the horse's.

 

[MagicMelon]

Dont know about Albions but I could find any saddles to fit my horse when I was looking - the saddle he had (Kings) and had been fitted to him turned out to be too long in the seat as he is a very compact type. In the end I had to get a WOW saddle as then I got a 16" seat but 17" panels for me.

 

[sbloom]

Dont know about Albions but I could find any saddles to fit my horse when I was looking - the saddle he had (Kings) and had been fitted to him turned out to be too long in the seat as he is a very compact type. In the end I had to get a WOW saddle as then I got a 16" seat but 17" panels for me.

The panels are the bit underneath (I know lots of people think the flaps are the panels) so you probably have a 17" tree for you and 16" panels for him . We do a similar thing, as do many bench made saddle companies, and can extend the cantle making the seat bigger for the rider.