Following on from my saddle fitting woes - Solution Saddles - Short Backed Horse?

sjp1

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So really - my lad shouldn't be that hard to fit. He has an asymetric shoulder - dips behind his scapula caused by a too heavy rider with a too narrow saddle. Had him for six months. Had four treatments done for him by a very good osteo. He has gone from 'don't touch me or I will bite you and don't think about grooming me' to be happy being groomed. Had to be sedated to get shoes off, can now pick up all four feet and trim myself - am hoping he will enlarge that trust so I don't have to trim myself - its really hard work and he has really hard hooves! The issue is the fact he has 17 inches of space to put a saddle on between his scapula and his last rib. This is proving a nightmare. What is wide in one style of saddle from the same maker is completely different to another and what is a 17 inch seat when it comes to panels is completely different again - and this is even in one saddle manufacturer.

So am looking at Solution saddles. Who has had a short backed horse who has had a successful outcome with Smart Solution saddles? My lad has a wither, muscle wastage behind the scapula due to too narrow a saddle, that we could sort with most saddles I guess with padding - but it is the short back that is the problem. I am a 10/12 dress size rider and am around 5'6 height, so not tiny! And it most treed saddles I cannot wedge my backside into a 16.5 inch saddle!! I know there are treed saddles out there with upswept panels - but it all seems so smoke and mirrors to me really - I have no idea what tree they are on, I can't get any information from anyone and it is really no wonder there are so many horses out there that are in pain - it seems that most saddle manufacturers really don't want you to understand so they can keep selling those saddles!

Can anyone throw any light on Solution saddles for a short backed horse - negative or positive all gratefully received!
 

Wheels

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I only have positive things to say about solutions. My young horse didnt necessarily have dips or damaged muscle but he certainly didnt have much of a trapezius muscle and whilst you couldn't say he was hollow behind the wither he wasn't very full either. He pushed all saddles back with the movement of his shoulders. We had a well fitting saddle which was fitted very slightly too wide to allow for shims in the hope that his topline would improve but it didnt. He would always hollow a bit in trot and drag his feet out hacking, didnt bascule particularly well over fences but generally rode well.

My trainer had an older solution so I asked if we could try it and he instantly came up more through the wither and stopped toe dragging.

That intrigued me enough to start looking for a 2nd hand one. I got some help from one of their fitters who helped me source one and fit it via pics / vids, she even convinced the seller to let me have a short trial.

6 months later and his muscle tone was absolutely transformed. His topline changed so much that I had to change the saddle for one with thinner panels. (Again with help from the fitter) the horse now consistently trots without toe dragging and makes a lovely shape over a fence now that he has freedom to do so.
 
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sjp1

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I only have positive things to say about solutions. My young horse didnt necessarily have dips or damaged muscle but he certainly didnt have much of a trapezius muscle and whilst you couldn't say he was hollow behind the wither he wasn't very full either. He pushed all saddles back with the movement of his shoulders. We had a well fitting saddle which was fitted very slightly too wide to allow for shims in the hope that his topline would improve but it didnt. He would always hollow a bit in trot and drag his feet out hacking, didnt bascule particularly well over fences but generally rode well.

My trainer had an older solution so I asked if we could try it and he instantly came up more through the wither and stopped toe dragging.

That intrigued me enough to start looking for a 2nd hand one. I got some help from one of their fitters who helped me source one and fit it via pics / vids, she even convinced the seller to let me have a short trial.

6 months later and his muscle tone was absolutely transformed. His topline changed so much that I had to change the saddle for one with thinner panels. (Again with help from the fitter) the horse now consistently trots without toe dragging and makes a lovely shape over a fence now that he has freedom to do so.
Which model did get?
 

Pearlsasinger

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Solution saddles are sized to fit the rider, so long as you can sit in the right place on the horse without causing injury, your saddle will fit the horse because there is no tree. My 16hh Draft mare was much more short-backed than either of the Clydesdales or the ID that I had previously, she was built like an over-sized Shetland pony but her saddle was better for her than any other that we used - and we had 4 before the Solution.
 

YorksG

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My very araby Appy came to me with a very horrid 16 1/2" saddle, we then had a Saddle Company one and a jeffries 17". They were ok for er, not so much for me! Similar build to you (with long thighs) Got a Solution Saddle, fitted us both and she went the best ever in it :) now using it on a much longer Appy.
 

Julia0803

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Out of interest, do any of you knowledgeable people know what size I’d need for a very lanky teenage boy... has just topped 6’4... very very skinny no bum at all just miles of bony leg!

(We took on a 17.1 warmblood in really poor condition in April, his weight has come on now, and now trying to put on muscle and topline. I had the saddle he came with checked, and was told it was ok for him, but doesn’t fit my son well at all, his legs just go on and on. The current saddle is a wintec gp 2000 pro with a narrow gullet in. When he came it had a sheep skin half pad underneath as was still too wide. He’s now wearing it with a thinner prolite pad, as it was getting tight with the thicker sheepskin, but it’s too wide without. We will look to buy them a new saddle soon but as ginormahorse is changing shape, and hopefully will get wider we haven’t yet).

Just thinking ahead for options. Thanks!
 

sbloom

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I think you commented about the channel being too narrow on the semiflex (it might not have been you, sorry if so!), the channel on the Solution is again very narrow, I know lots of people love them but I can't get past this and the fact the panels are so firm.
 

Tiddlypom

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The channels shown on in the pics of the Solution saddles listed for sale on eBay do indeed look very narrow to me, too. This puts me right off them. The width of the channel and the symmetry of the panels are the first things I look at in a saddle. Many s/h saddle adverts (for any brand, not just Solution) don’t even show any pics of the underside.
 
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bubsqueaks

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OP not your question on this post I know but following your dilemma have you considered an AH saddle.
We have a tricky cob with short back, wide, little wither, & have found a secondhand AH 17" on upswept panel perfect solution.
With gussets she would need a 16.5" but as its upswept it means can opt for 17" with larger seat.
There's a brilliant facebook page "used native pony & cob saddles for sale in uk" they often have secondhand AH saddles - Im sure there is a specialist AH fitter local to Devon & they are happy to come out to advise which model to go for.
We have also found as its a Sports GP it has been good for both dressage & jumping.
 

Wheels

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I think you commented about the channel being too narrow on the semiflex (it might not have been you, sorry if so!), the channel on the Solution is again very narrow, I know lots of people love them but I can't get past this and the fact the panels are so firm.

The channel on mine is not narrow. I have seen pics of some for sale where the channel does look narrow but they do splay out a little once the rider sits on. Of course some horses need wider than others and there are different widths of channels on different types and ages of saddles. The panels on my saddle are a little firmer than in a flocked saddle but the saddle moves with the horses back, the panels do not need to protect the horse from a rigid wood and metal tree.

I do agree about the pic of the pony though, I personally wouldn't fit one that long on a small pony
 

Julia0803

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Thank you.

I think he’d be a 6... although at 10.5 st they don’t actually have a box for him!

Worth bearing in mind for the near future.
 

sbloom

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The saddle in the photo IS on the shoulder, whether that's an issue I don't know, I would have thought it would be, but it sure would be if treed. Back in the right place then if treed it would definitely be too long, with treeless it depends on the design I guess.
 

Jellymoon

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I have a short backed mare who I was really struggling to get a saddle to fit. She’s bum high with not much whither and everything went forwards. I’m 5ft 9, so 16.5 didn’t suit me either.
After 4 tree’d saddles (incl AH with upswept panels, which was the best of the tree’d ones tbf, but the mare still hated it) I gave a Solution a trial and the difference in the horse was amazing. She stopped bucking, and stopped trying to bite me when I tack up!
Theee years on, and she still loves her Solution (I have the Smart Pro jump) and we do everything in it - SJ, XC, hunting. I like them so much, I use them on all my horses now and the ponies. I have two styles, the Smart Pro Jump and the Smart Native Jump, and they go on all four of my horses, with different pads underneath. I believe a lot of research and trialling has gone into them, and there have been several styles of Solution over the years, they are not exactly a new product. I therefore trust they know what they’re doing with the width of the gullet and the firmness of the panels. Certainly, my horses have lovely evenly muscled backs, no rubs or pressure points. However, I do follow the rules of fitting them to the letter, according to my fitters instructions, and I make sure she visits regularly, as you would a tree’d saddle.

And yes, they are fitted differently to a treed saddle, they do go over the shoulder more as they are designed so that the scapula can slide underneath it, and you can have them longer than you would a tree’d saddle. A fitter will explain it better than I can, but it’s because there is no rigidity in it, it’s fully flexible. You do need a proper Solution fitter to balance them with pads.

As with anything a bit different, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Nothing to lose by doing the two week free trial.
 

Pearlsasinger

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The channel on mine is not narrow. I have seen pics of some for sale where the channel does look narrow but they do splay out a little once the rider sits on. Of course some horses need wider than others and there are different widths of channels on different types and ages of saddles. The panels on my saddle are a little firmer than in a flocked saddle but the saddle moves with the horses back, the panels do not need to protect the horse from a rigid wood and metal tree.

I do agree about the pic of the pony though, I personally wouldn't fit one that long on a small pony


The shims form the channel and lift the saddle off the spine. It is not the same as a treed saddle at all.
 

Pearlsasinger

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I have a short backed mare who I was really struggling to get a saddle to fit. She’s bum high with not much whither and everything went forwards. I’m 5ft 9, so 16.5 didn’t suit me either.
After 4 tree’d saddles (incl AH with upswept panels, which was the best of the tree’d ones tbf, but the mare still hated it) I gave a Solution a trial and the difference in the horse was amazing. She stopped bucking, and stopped trying to bite me when I tack up!
Theee years on, and she still loves her Solution (I have the Smart Pro jump) and we do everything in it - SJ, XC, hunting. I like them so much, I use them on all my horses now and the ponies. I have two styles, the Smart Pro Jump and the Smart Native Jump, and they go on all four of my horses, with different pads underneath. I believe a lot of research and trialling has gone into them, and there have been several styles of Solution over the years, they are not exactly a new product. I therefore trust they know what they’re doing with the width of the gullet and the firmness of the panels. Certainly, my horses have lovely evenly muscled backs, no rubs or pressure points. However, I do follow the rules of fitting them to the letter, according to my fitters instructions, and I make sure she visits regularly, as you would a tree’d saddle.

And yes, they are fitted differently to a treed saddle, they do go over the shoulder more as they are designed so that the scapula can slide underneath it, and you can have them longer than you would a tree’d saddle. A fitter will explain it better than I can, but it’s because there is no rigidity in it, it’s fully flexible. You do need a proper Solution fitter to balance them with pads.

As with anything a bit different, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Nothing to lose by doing the two week free trial.


My Draft mare had had 4 different saddles in 4 years, including the one she brought with her. Every one of them hindered her massive shoulder to some extent. I borrowed a friend's treeless saddles (can't remember the makes), the mare loved one and hated the other, because it had a 'hinge' at the wither which was too tight for her. She absolutely loved the Solution and went better in it than anything else and her muscle wastage righted itself over a few months.
 

Jellymoon

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My Draft mare had had 4 different saddles in 4 years, including the one she brought with her. Every one of them hindered her massive shoulder to some extent. I borrowed a friend's treeless saddles (can't remember the makes), the mare loved one and hated the other, because it had a 'hinge' at the wither which was too tight for her. She absolutely loved the Solution and went better in it than anything else and her muscle wastage righted itself over a few months.

Yes, same. I’m quite old school and a bit pretentious and I like jumping, really wanted one of those lovely designer Italian saddles with fancy trimmings and shiny leather, mare wasn’t having any of it. Ended up with this weird, bulky looking thing, was a bit embarrassed at first, now I couldn’t care less. She LOVES it. And I feel absolutely fine in it, no issues XC or SJ, just feels normal now.
 

Pearlsasinger

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Yes, same. I’m quite old school and a bit pretentious and I like jumping, really wanted one of those lovely designer Italian saddles with fancy trimmings and shiny leather, mare wasn’t having any of it. Ended up with this weird, bulky looking thing, was a bit embarrassed at first, now I couldn’t care less. She LOVES it. And I feel absolutely fine in it, no issues XC or SJ, just feels normal now.

Yes, I found it comfortable too. For years, I had felt as though I was riding with one stirrup longer than the other, as soon as she was shimmed up properly, I felt level again!
 

Tiddlypom

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The shims form the channel and lift the saddle off the spine. It is not the same as a treed saddle at all.
So are Solutions always supposed to be used with shims and padding, and never put directly on the horse’s back?

I’ve always been intrigued by new ideas, but Solutions, like Wows, are real marmite saddles even amongst those whose have tried them. There seem to be as many folk who declare that their horse hates them as there are that likes them.
 

ozpoz

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Shims if needed - mine doesn't, and a horse who has good musculature may not need them. They might be used to balance a rider too. that is why you need a trained fitter, as you would with other makes where the concept is different, like Wow. You will still need to have the fit and balance checked regularly. I agree the small pony doesn't look aesthetically pleasing but there is no rigid tree points or rigid anything else to impinge on the movement.
 

spugs

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I have a short backed Tb, long wither who’s dipped in over the withers due to no muscle. I’m very tall so need as much saddle as possible but he can only take 16.5 max! I’ve ended up with an ideal impala jump saddle. It takes up my knees due to bein a jump but isn’t so forward cut that it interferes with his shoulder, it’s a 17” seat on 16.5” panels and it has Tb panels which are wider so sort out the withers which the cantel is also good for as its cut back.
 
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