Dressage saddle conundrum!

Auslander

Auslander

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Any bright ideas?

Alf has changed shape quite a lot since he retired, and saddler yesterday said that his Albion Platinum Ultima doesn't fit him any more. He has always been very well muscled over his topline, requiring saddles with flat trees. Now that he's eased off, it's clear that he has curves which need to be taken into account. He also has a high,long wither. My saddler apecialises in Amerigo and Equipe, so her main area of expertise is with those brands. She has suggested that an 18in +2(wide) Amerigo Cortina or Cervia would be perfect for him, IF I can find an older version which is cost effective!

Don't want to spend 1000's, as he isn't really in proper work, but he does need to be comfy. Has to be a dressage saddle, as that's what himself is used to, and he doesn't like GP/Jump/VSD - I think the feeling of the flaps bothers him.

Can anyone think of any alternatives to the above, with a similar profile? Saddler said that one of the Albions has a more curvy profile, but couldn't remember which model. Jaguar would be too "shapey".
 
Mine has that kind of back profile, with a big 'ol wither that seems to extend half way along his spine, and what I found to suit him was an Ideal tonisiah (i think that's how it's spelt). Its not a particularly deep seat for the rider, but I find it comfy enough

ETA: photo of the wither to compare:
u42dcY9.jpg
 
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I had thought about Ideals - the Tonisha is def worth investigating!

This is what his back looks like at the moment. Obviously, he HAD to be plastered in mud for the only decent side profile pic that I have!

40139984_10157386902030730_6202905984948502528_n.jpg
 
I'd second an Albion; they fit my old guy who has a similar wither profile (nice of Alf to keep the area in question nice and clean for his pic).
 
What happens to his back in movement? I would imagine that when he is on the move he is still able to engage his core and lift his back, even if it is not quite as much as previously.

You don't want to go for something too curvy that no longer allows the lift. Might be an idea to video him on the lunge and look at some stills of his back profile
 
Wheels said:
What happens to his back in movement? I would imagine that when he is on the move he is still able to engage his core and lift his back, even if it is not quite as much as previously.

You don't want to go for something too curvy that no longer allows the lift. Might be an idea to video him on the lunge and look at some stills of his back profile
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He can definitely still lift and engage! Agree re too curvy - that's why we've discounted several. He needs something in between really!
 
Yeah, that's actually the reason I went rather round the houses with saddles - since his back is actually quite flat were it not for the wither, and a wither that size needs a lot of muscle to make it fit with a back that only has a normal amount of muscle on.

The other one that I found was pretty good was a prestige Helen (but they didn't fit the reasonable price criteria :p)
 
DabDab said:
Yeah, that's actually the reason I went rather round the houses with saddles - since his back is actually quite flat were it not for the wither, and a wither that size needs a lot of muscle to make it fit with a back that only has a normal amount of muscle on.

The other one that I found was pretty good was a prestige Helen (but they didn't fit the reasonable price criteria :p)
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I accidentally looked at the Prestige Helen this morning whilst looking into Wheels' suggestion of an older Prestige. Gulp!
Someone said "Cant you ride him bareback?". I laughed immoderately - I could, but I am not stupid enough to try it ever again!
 
Apparently, the temporary plan - which was to put some small shims at the back of his Albion, does not meet with his approval. I just had to get off him, because I thought he'd either broken his pelvis, or he was about to collapse and die underneath me. Just before I called the vet, I thought I'd take the prolite pad off, just in case. Normal service instantly resumed!
 
Hubby's 20yo ID mare has a huge pointy wither that has lost a lot of muscle behind it since she stopped being worked in the school a year ago. Our saddler said she needed a saddle with a deeper gusset, and fitted her with a Kent & Masters which fitted the bill perfectly as regards fit.

Just thought I'd mention in case... They do dressage saddles as well as GP/jump.

Fiona
 
Since he's going to continue to change as he ages, woud it be sensible to get one with changeable gullets? I'd go straight for a WOW myself. I'm just fitting one to a friend's horse with a very similar shape to DD's, such a looong shoulder!!
 
I REALLY wanted a WOW, and actually the fitter had it sitting beautifully on him - from a theoretical fit point of view it was probably the best. But horse is a twit and decided he didn't like it. He was better with it when I was on board, but on the lunge he just did his daft, stressed scuttle thing. I don't know whether it was maybe a bit of sensory overload for him as he does like everything to be very quiet....

I loved riding in it though
 
ycbm said:
Since he's going to continue to change as he ages, woud it be sensible to get one with changeable gullets? I'd go straight for a WOW myself. I'm just fitting one to a friend's horse with a very similar shape to DD's, such a looong shoulder!!
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His Albion has an adjustable headplate, and I'm open-minded about other adjustable models, although he's always going to be a wide.It's the tree shape that needs to change at the moment.
 
Fiona said:
Hubby's 20yo ID mare has a huge pointy wither that has lost a lot of muscle behind it since she stopped being worked in the school a year ago. Our saddler said she needed a saddle with a deeper gusset, and fitted her with a Kent & Masters which fitted the bill perfectly as regards fit.

Just thought I'd mention in case... They do dressage saddles as well as GP/jump.

Fiona
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Also worth a look - thanks!
 
Thinking outside the box here.

What about a footprint panel type saddle? A free n easy or reactorpanel?

I have a FnE dressage that fitted an ID X who was a very odd shape. It equally fits a more normal horse because of the way it it fitted and adjusted.
 
Britestar said:
Thinking outside the box here.

What about a footprint panel type saddle? A free n easy or reactorpanel?

I have a FnE dressage that fitted an ID X who was a very odd shape. It equally fits a more normal horse because of the way it it fitted and adjusted.
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He can be very opinionated about anything that doesn't feel "normal" to him - treeless resulted in him hitting the "eject"button, as does trying to ride him bareback. I'm not averse to thinking outside the box, but he is! He's very very sensitive and reactive!
 
Auslander said:
His Albion has an adjustable headplate, and I'm open-minded about other adjustable models, although he's always going to be a wide.It's the tree shape that needs to change at the moment.
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This is what I love about air flock. Provided the tree isn't a complete misfit, air evens out the pressure all over the surface, and will adjust for a tree that doesn't match the curve of the back. Some horses do react badly though, either to the air moving or the airbag overlap . I've not come across one, but I know they exist.

Could you get away with a Korrector pad with the existing tree?
 
ycbm said:
Could you get away with a Korrector pad with the existing tree?
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That's what I was hoping, but...

Auslander said:
Apparently, the temporary plan - which was to put some small shims at the back of his Albion, does not meet with his approval. I just had to get off him, because I thought he'd either broken his pelvis, or he was about to collapse and die underneath me. Just before I called the vet, I thought I'd take the prolite pad off, just in case. Normal service instantly resumed!
Click to expand...
 
Farma said:
My first thought would be an ideal, and you can get some lovely ones second hand for reasonable cost.
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I'm looking at Ideals - a friend of mine is in the process of starting up a saddle hire company - she buys to order, then rents the saddle, so she's going to pick up a Susannah (which he has had before), and a Tonisha (recommended on here), so we can see whether his Lordship approves!
 
Does his lordship approve of dead sheep? I've a half sheepskin lined Mattes 4 pocket correction numnah on my mare, assymetrically shimmed to suit her wonkiness, and it works very well. The shims are thinnish soft felt things that you can build up subtlety in layers to tweak a fitting, rather than the thick foam shims that Nuumed et al use.
 
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Tiddlypom said:
Does his lordship approve of dead sheep? I've a half sheepskin lined Mattes 4 pocket correction numnah on my mare, assymetrically shimmed to suit her wonkiness, and it works very well. The shims are thinnish soft felt things that you can build up subtlety in layers to tweak a fitting, rather than the thick foam shims that Nuumed et al use.
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He likes dead sheep - but it makes the poxy saddle too tight at the front! I think his objection was down to changing the angle of that particular saddle, so I'm resigned to a new one!
 
Have you had a look at semiflex's? Kay Humphries from Norton and Newby specialises in/ makes them. She is an absolute genius and my hypersensitive youngster will only go in her saddles. Kay has been so so good about coming out and adjusting it everytime she changes shape.

Kay's based in Oxfordshire and covers Berkshire too.
 
My instinct is that, under where the saddle should be, he's quite flat. If you come back behind the shoulder blade then the wither isn't THAT high at that point. I wonder if maybe the panel on the Albion was too flat and not so much the tree, just an alternative perspective. I would try some flatter trees in as small a seat size as you can get away with so you can keep it back off the shoulder.
 
sbloom said:
My instinct is that, under where the saddle should be, he's quite flat. If you come back behind the shoulder blade then the wither isn't THAT high at that point. I wonder if maybe the panel on the Albion was too flat and not so much the tree, just an alternative perspective. I would try some flatter trees in as small a seat size as you can get away with so you can keep it back off the shoulder.
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That makes sense to me -he is quite flat. The problem is the panel sitting too "close" on his back, if that makes sense - he can't bring his back up as there's nowhere for it to go. I do have the saddle as far back as I can get it - but it's an 18, and he's quite short backed.
 
Coming a bit late to this thread but Ive got an Albion slk dressage 17.5 I think it is, was mw but had it changed to w when madam was in full work. Got that due to it having a more curved tree. No idea if that is what Alf needs but it def was sold on the basis it suits a more curved back rather than the flatter treed ones. It’s not been used since.
 
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