Drop panels on saddle co. saddles (also in SY)

Firewell

Firewell

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I have a saddle company saddle that was made for my horse back in June.

My horse has a huge bottom and is croup high, so all saddles want to sit forward on her scapular, this saddle is slightly better than others I have tried but it has always sat a little low on her withers and now that the flocking has beded down, it is literally on her withers.
We cant make it narrower because it pinches.

Im having the fitter out every 2/3 weeks and we are adjusting it millimeters at a time and adding flocking to get a better fit but its not working! We've also tried pads underneath the saddle so she can muscle up into the saddle but thats not working, my horse is round and doesnt have bad muscle wastage in the first place.
Shes got a prolite pad underneath it at the mo, which has lifted it off her withers slightly buts its starting to not work again now (2 weeks after fitter last came!).
The saddle company are now saying that she needs a drop panel which is going to cost more money *sigh*. My fitter has never know a horse to need a drop panel before so she couldnt really explain it.
How does it work? Im worried that the saddle just simply doesnt fit, despite all the work myself and my fitter are putting in to get it to fit and im worried a drop panel will be more money and the saddle still wont fit.
Any Ideas? Also do you think I should keep paying out for these changes when they said I would have a saddle that fits and it doesnt?

Thanks
 
Its hard to say without seeing the horse and the saddle but I use drop panels on horses with high withers - it is intended to give the horse sufficient wither clearance.

I would be cautious about adding extra flocking though ... is this by the fitter or the factory? And what colour is the flocking? I have seen several saddles that have been fiddled about with and all they did was create pressure points.
 
I'm having similar issues with SC saddles at the mo. I had two, an event and a GP, the event had a drop panel and the GP didnt. I got rid of the GP as its was needing constant adjustment and seemed to widen itself regardless of adjustments/flocking/horse shape etc. I put this down to the shape of my mare - high withered TB - and decided to use my drop panelled event on her (it was being used on my gelding but kept sinking on his back too) Event saddle has been adjusted twice but is now too wide again and I am fed up with it. I love the saddle, its comfy, lightweight and keeps me secure jumping etc, but I'm sick of having it adjusted. My fitter, another fitter I know and the Saddle Co themselves all say its just the flocking but we have been measuring the external width of the saddle, not the width between the flocking, and its has widened over an inch.

My friend has one on her Highland, she found the drop panels actually fitted him better and she hasnt had to have it adjusted in over a year of having it, it fits perfectly regardless. However he is a berrel on legs and the saddle is fitted to about as wide as it could go so the fitter thinks thats why she hasn't had any problems with it....

I bought a Thorowgood T4 High Wither saddle to use on my gelding after the SC one, it has drop panels and a cut back head and it fits lovely.
 
I have to say, I have never had any experience of the saddle widening by itself nor have I seen it with any of the ones I have fitted or refitted.

If anything, I would expect the tree to spring back after adjustment rather than widen itself - this is especially true where you widen it several sizes in one fitting (I once had to adjust a saddle 3 sizes and had to leave it in the clamp for over an hour to ensure that the tree didnt spring back). Really interesting to hear that you have experienced the opposite. does it widen when the rider is on board and then go back when the rider is out of the saddle?
 
I am having problems with a Saddle Co. saddle too - the gullet has stretched so that the weight of the rider sits on the horse's spine. I have been asked for £45 for the store to come and look at the saddle! This saddle has a cloth underneath, and according to another saddler, its just not strong enough to retain its shape. The store that sold me the saddle says its because my horse changes shape a lot due to being in a riding school (?), so this saddle is not suitable - they sold me the saddle knowing the horse is used in a riding school...aaaaaaargh!
confused.gif
 
That is a very bizarre explanation. Please pm me with details of the store if you dont mind.

Did they fit the saddle for you to begin with or did you just buy it from them?
 
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