Anyone with narrow or medium width equines...

FinkleyAlex

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Please recommend me a saddle before I lose the plot
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My 15 yo PBA used to wear a Wintec 500 in narrow-medium but it was found to be slightly on the narrow side for him. We bought him a second hand medium width Cliff Barnsby GP (they are meant to run on the small side) and the fit at the front near his withers is great but I've found that the base of the gullet touches the base of his withers (this is after 2 diff saddlers have fitted the saddle and not picked up on it) so I need to get a new saddle. I had an Ideal WH saddle but the medium was too wide for him and he hated it so I sold it.

If anyone could recommend a make of saddle that can fit a just-under-medium sized PBA? I'd prefer a saddle I can show in so I'm particular interested in show or WH saddle recommendations but I'm also open to getting a GP again, thanks!
 
Have a look at the Ideal range again, try a narrow fit and see how you get on. My girl is a narrow TB but she is not all that narrow really! One saddler website says Ideal are no good for highwithered narrow horses but it fits my girl perfectly and she would definatly let me know if it didn't!

Also have a good look at where you are positioning the saddle. Lots of people (myself included although cured now!) site them too far forward. Make a point of sliding it back until it stops (back and down pressure). Have a look at yourself riding in pictures, are you sitting in the middle of his back, on his shoulders etc etc. An inch or two will really make a differance. Good Luck.
 
Ideal, Black Country, Barnsby, etc.

All good saddles, the main thing is to buy something with drop panel and full gusset, this should hopefully allow you to go for a medium.

What has your master saddler suggested?
 
I have had three saddlers fit saddles to him all of which I have bought, and then found they don't really fit. I don't know whether I'm an easy target to con into buying a different saddle but so far I've been sold an Ideal that was far too wide for him (even I could see that and got the saddler back twice who reflocked it and it was still too wide!) and been sold the CB that touches his back although they didn't check that when they fitted him! I think I might have to go down the made to measure route
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