Breastplates. 5-point worth the money? Don't want to fall off again!

Kallibear

Kallibear

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Having fallen of twice in succesion due to the saddle slipping, I'm fed up of breaking myself (broken figner, smashed nose, blood all over the place) and terrifying the poor horse.

He's a superbly good boy normally but shied violently (and totally out of character) the other day. The saddle slipped round, I fell off and he got a huge fright (and trampled me, kicking me in the face). Managed to do exactly the same thing the next day
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(this time breaking my finger). I've since put riding on hold until a new saddle has been fitted (current one is a treeless as he's only young. All saddles are going to slide however, due to his shape) but I'm now parnoid about the saddle slipping, so a breastplate is in order (plus buying stuff makes me feel better
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)

Which would be best to help with saddle stability? The traditional hunter breastplate? The v-check elasticated type (similar to the endurance)? Or should I splash out a stupid amount of money and go for the 5-point? Are they really worth all the extra money?

Also - what size for a 15.1 what-looks-like-but-isn't welsh cob cross? Cob or full?

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The 5 points are very secure, and would help with saddle slipping. The others wouldnt as much IMHO. I know of a very good condition Jeffries 5point for sale if you'd be interested
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I don't know the answer to your question, however I love you horse
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50p and he's yours
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. Actually, he's not mine, I'm just breaking him for his lovely owner (he's turning 7 and only just started at the begining of the year), whilst my baby grows up enough to ride. He is rather handsome, and knows it
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Gypsycob - circular, and no withers (a very well muscled, stallion-like back) means a rolling saddle. He's wide, flat and whips round like a snake when spooked! Any saddle, regardless of how good a fit, is going to slide sideways under more extreme conditions (like me falling off the side). Give me a high withered TB any day!

KatB - what colour (has to be brown
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- new saddle and bridle are brown) and, more importantly, what price?
 
The other thing that might help is to change your girth. Don't know what you are using, but I swapped my thorowgood girth for a Professionals Choice one which is neoprene backed, and it has made a tremendous difference to the stability of my saddle. I didn't have a huge problem with the saddle slipping before, but I am notorious for not doing up my girth before SJing, and the neoprene is nice and grippy (but seems to slide where it needs to so no rubs).

That + 5 point breastplate = no movement!
 
He doesn't look like a good saddle should slip
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I use a five-point to great effect
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. The Dizzy one is, well dizzyfying at times and the extra grab points are much appreciated
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. It's also good when we disappear backend first down ditches (the ones by the side of the road, it's not a jumping issue lol): I don't think my saddle would slip, but it's nice having that back-up.
 
saddle slippage is a very big problem with treeless... a master saddler told me this recently. having had 2 bad experiences like yours, i would not sit on a treeless again. jeeez. poor you. ouch. poor horse for getting a fright, too.
a correctly-fitted treed saddle won't slip, simple. you don't have to have the girth done up like a vice, either. your lad is not a weird shape, i've seen/ridden cobs which had NO wither and were like fitting an oil barrel... and their saddles didn't slip! get him a treed saddle with a wide enough tree and ride in safety.
a 5-point breastplate won't stop the saddle slipping round, how could it?! it only stops the saddle slipping back, on very fit or herring-gutted horses really, or those with huge shoulder movement... but if the saddle's in the correct place, this shouldn't push the saddle back anyway! fwiw i've been xc on roundish horses without 5-point breastplates and never had the saddle slip round or move back. the chestnut in my siggy was "the widest event horse i've ever fitted" according to master saddler, but her saddles never moved.
 
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Also - what size for a 15.1 what-looks-like-but-isn't welsh cob cross? Cob or full?

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maybe a full size? I've found that they arn't to generous in size with my horse, my friend found that also. but im not sure if we're just being fussy.
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anyone else found this? its a full size and he's only 16.1 but its hard to get just right, too long here, too short there & so on & so forth.
 
Why don't you just use a non-slip back pad such as the Nunn Finer one? My friend events to 3* using this and no breastplate and the saddle doesn't move at all. You can get them from www.lesliesutcliffe.biz, they're under the 'On the horse' subsection & are £22.
 
A wellfitting saddle should not slip.

I too see no reason from the photo why his conformation predisposes him to it.

My young horse has a fitted saddle and one day I forgot to tighten the girth, and rode with it on the 1st hole, rode up and down very steep hills, and he was naughty, I had an elastic breastplate on traditional type though, and luckily for me saddle did not slip.

I would consider a new saddle fitter, sorry.
 
Thanks for in input.

I should add that his treeless saddle doesn't slip in normal circumstances, just when I'm hanging off the side
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He has no withers and completely round, all over, so there's nothing for a saddle to hold onto. Have a treed saddle on order for him, but I'd be frankly amazed if it doesn't slip at least slightly under more extreme conditions.

A breastplate is to make ME feel better mostly
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- something to grab onto to keep myself on, and to hold the saddle long enough to allow me to do so. One that is less inclined to slide round with the saddle.

He also has a huge shoulder movement, and we do a lot of rough terrain riding (steep hills) so, with a very short back that can only just fit a 17" and no more, the saddle has to stay forwards, hence a breatplate will be needed anyways.

I did briefly consider a nonslip numnah, and a different girth, but he has real issues with his hair being tugged round his belly and back and would most likely hate it. I had to play about for ages with the girth to find one he liked because of it (eventually went with a smooth padded leather one)
 
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