Arab and part bred owners, everyone’s least favorite topic - saddles

[LadyGascoyne]

The lovely Mim, whose current growth spurt has left her in a shape that suggests she is 83% Arab and 17% llama, is rising five now.

She’s was backed in an ancient treed polo saddle because it weirdly fitted her at the time. Since then she’s been in barefoot saddles as she’s rapidly changed shape.

I’m looking at an Arabian Saddle Company saddle but this particular one is 17”. I am 5’8 so that works for me but I worry it’s going to be too long for her since her back end is effectively on top of her front end. And her girth groove is under her nose.

Any thoughts? What are yours in re treed saddles?

Summer pic because I don’t seem to have a winter one that shows her build properly:

 

[PapaverFollis]

Not helpful but there's no way I could have got my Anglo in a treed saddle unless I went fully bespoke. She was a very weird shape though. She did very nicely in the treeless (EE Vogue).

Would it be worth looking at some of the cob saddles? The wide and short backs are similar after all.

 

[JoannaC]

I've got an Arabian Saddle Company Saddle which was originally my old boy's and i'm now using it on my current mare having forked out for a brand new made to measure Harry Dabbs for her that now doesn't fit her! Hopefully the saddler will be able to widen it somehow as I waited until she was rising 8 to get it. All my saddles are 17" thought so would think you would be fine. I also have an Ideal Jessica which seems to fit all of them at some point. I'd just say don't spend too much before she's 8 as they just get wider and wider! If I get another one I think i'd go for a black country as that was what Georgie was in when i tried her and it was really comfortable.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Well not sure if it's much help but my old PBA had a Paul Jones GP, then a Derby House Samber WH, and then a Jeffries WH, which I still have even though it fits none of my horses lol!

 

[ester]

blonde one is bum high with a forwards groove (big barrel) and no shoulders.
She has a made to measure ideal vsd (it's on a different tree to normal) an ideal F2 affinity girth and when doing proper stuff a stephens antislip gel pad too. . .
This isn't the right answer is it

 

[CanteringCarrot]

So I have a PRE but where his withers ends, his rump begins ? he's been in a Fairfax Gareth that is technically a bit long bit he has no soreness. I'm waiting for my Sommer saddle that I ordered in August to finally be delivered...at some point...maybe. They have a lot of options and are adjustable, but not so accessible in the UK.

The Albion Fabrento also works for him.

I might eye a Kent and Masfers or Thorowgood for a young changing horse. Quality is decent and so is the price. Also have some level of easy adjustability.

I would think at 5'8 you'd at least need a 17.5 seat or a longer flap. Then again I don't know what it is like to be that tall. The issue is that if you use too small of a seat for the sake of the short back, they often get sore as your weight is naturally more concentrated at the back of the saddle.

Also depends on if the horse needs a hoop tree. Or doesn't now but does later. WOW saddles might be interesting too. They're not for me, but some love them and they've got tons of options.

Would possibly cosigner a Prolite or other shaped girth too.

There is another UK based name that often comes up when Arabs are mentioned, but I'm drawing a blank ?‍

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Absolutely nothing useful to add, but wowsers- what a beautiful creature!

 

[Identityincrisis]

My 95% Arab is in a saddle company but fitted using the Balance method. The saddle itself is on a flat tree suitable for cobs which seems to work well for him. He will be 7 in June and I'm waiting for him to 'pop', as my Anglo did at this age, as he is currently very petite and slight.

When he is older i will buy him a nicer saddle

 

[HashRouge]

I've been trying to get a fitter to come out with a couple of FlexEE saddles for me to try on my share horse since early December, but assorted bouts of self-isolation plus lockdown have conspired against us! However, we have a similar issue - he is purebred and 15.3hh so should in theory have plenty of room for a 17" saddle. But he's actually very short backed and it looks to my eye as though he has very little room for a saddle. He's currently ridden in an ancient Western saddle (I kid you not, it's 50 years old!) but it is not an amazing fit on him. I've considered a Barefoot saddle too - I think treeless is going to be the way forward with him. But I'll let you know re the FlexEE if I ever get someone out to try one on him!

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Thanks everyone!

I think I’ll take a punt and buy it, and if (when) it doesn’t fit, it can go on my wall of “saddles that don’t fit the Arab” that I’m building ?

When lockdown is over, my saddle fitter can then come and tell me what a horrible idea it was, and I’m sure she’ll enjoy that ?

 

[BallyJ]

I had an arab x welsh and struggled with a saddle - eventually found Patrick Wilkinson teenager GP - designed for the taller rider on shorter backed ponies!

 

[TPO]

My crabbet mare had a made to measure ideal WH saddle that transpired to be more or less the same as an off the peg Ideal.

I bought another ideal GP for her (cant remember the model) and it fitted well too

 

[Hackback]

I also have a 'wall of saddles that don't fit the Arab'. Not much help, but I ended up with a Solution and now an Ansur (would have gone for the Ansur straight away but they're like hens teeth). I wanted a traditional looking saddle but treed ones just don't seem to work for us. I have a very good Solution fitter check and balance the saddle a couple of times a year, much cheaper to adjust the shims in the pad than have a saddle adjusted (or buy a new one!) and even the smallest adjustments make a difference to how he goes and how comfortable I feel so I guess my horse must be some kind of shape shifter and also very sensitive (typical Arab in other words).

Mim is beautiful ?

 

[Steerpike]

I use various Strada saddles and some specific endurance saddles on my Arabs and have done many miles in them!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Well, if the price is right I'd go for it. If I like the saddle enough and it doesn't fit the horse, I just hang on to it. If not, I resell and either profit (small) or break even. So it might not be a huge risk or could be of use now or later.

I've also kicked myself in the arse for passing on a used saddle or two that was then later impossible to find.

 

[BlackRider]

My pure bred was in a medium saddle when I got him at 6, he then carried on expanding (needing more saddles) until he was 11 and was in an XXW...

He didn't get on with the Solution Saddles, but liked the barefoot. I also had a Flexee which we both liked.

 

[planete]

I had a series of saddles for my Lipi X Arab over the years, some made to measure, until I got a Strada. I never had to worry about his saddle again.

 

[Flame_]

My arab's in a 17 inch Lovatt & Ricketts (who make Arabian Saddle Company saddles and I don't think the models and trees are any different, though I'm happy to be corrected). I got if off ebay as a punt, it fit like a glove and has done the job ever since for about four and a half years! My last arab who was only 14.2 couldn't take a 17 inch though, he was in a 16.5 inch treed saddle then a reactor panel. It's definitely worth you giving that a try

 

[sbloom]

I would think at 5'8 you'd at least need a 17.5 seat or a longer flap. Then again I don't know what it is like to be that tall. The issue is that if you use too small of a seat for the sake of the short back, they often get sore as your weight is naturally more concentrated at the back of the saddle.

It's not quite that simple - taller riders may make a saddle more likely to sink at the back, short, heavy riders are more likely to compress the front. In most instances a fitter should be able to compensate, even if it requires shims etc (obviously not ideal if it's a new saddle on a healthy horse, but to correct an existing fit, or short term saddle). There is a limit of course. I very very rarely fit beyond the back rib, sometimes not even to the back rib as, unless they've been going happily and issue free in a too-long saddle then you just can't judge if a horse can cope with a longer saddle.

I would nearly always recommend to go as flat and short in the seat as possible, but especially on short backs and especially with Arabs and other horses that may have a wide ribcage evern if their width fitting doesn't seem to be that wide, or their withers that flat.

So often there's a little shape to the back but the wither isn't that big, and I see people reaching for curvy treed saddles too often. IMO it's not the way to go, the rails (the bit between seat bones and stirrup bars, give or take) will be the wrong shape, and often isn't even a shape that allows a high withered horse to move freely.

When lockdown is over, my saddle fitter can then come and tell me what a horrible idea it was, and I’m sure she’ll enjoy that ?

I'm offering remote fittings by photo and video for my customers, is it something she would offer?

 

[LadyGascoyne]

It's not quite that simple - taller riders may make a saddle more likely to sink at the back, short, heavy riders are more likely to compress the front. In most instances a fitter should be able to compensate, even if it requires shims etc (obviously not ideal if it's a new saddle on a healthy horse, but to correct an existing fit, or short term saddle). There is a limit of course. I very very rarely fit beyond the back rib, sometimes not even to the back rib as, unless they've been going happily and issue free in a too-long saddle then you just can't judge if a horse can cope with a longer saddle.

I would nearly always recommend to go as flat and short in the seat as possible, but especially on short backs and especially with Arabs and other horses that may have a wide ribcage evern if their width fitting doesn't seem to be that wide, or their withers that flat.

So often there's a little shape to the back but the wither isn't that big, and I see people reaching for curvy treed saddles too often. IMO it's not the way to go, the rails (the bit between seat bones and stirrup bars, give or take) will be the wrong shape, and often isn't even a shape that allows a high withered horse to move freely.



I'm offering remote fittings by photo and video for my customers, is it something she would offer?

I’ll ask her - great idea!

 

[huskydamage]

Well not sure if it's much help but my old PBA had a Paul Jones GP, then a Derby House Samber WH, and then a Jeffries WH, which I still have even though it fits none of my horses lol!

I have a paul Jones gp on my anglo, shes very happy in it. Its very comfortable too and I never thought I would like anything as much as my ancient barnsby gp!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I have a paul Jones gp on my anglo, shes very happy in it. Its very comfortable too and I never thought I would like anything as much as my ancient barnsby gp!

We bought ours as a total bargain! Was a lovely saddle only sold it when I decided to specialise to showing only.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Both my Arabs have 17" seat saddles and are xx wide, one has a Lavinia Mitchell saddle with shims and he has to have an anatomical girth, the other one has a Lavinia Mitchell saddle and a Herritage saddle I have used a black country saddle on him as well.

Your horse looks like she would benefit from an anatomical girth as well