Help! My Horse is ACTUALLY Impossible to Find A Saddle For - Any Ideas??!!

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PercyMum

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Ok, so this is a bit of a long post (and I put in New Lounge too!) but I really hope someone can recommend me a saddle/Saddle Fitter!

The Ginger Ninja has had (in 6 years) a total of 17 saddles. Yep, you read that right. Every single one of them fitted by a qualified saddler. We have had Wintecs (3 different types), Barnsby, Ideal, Heather Moffat, Black Country and 2 made-to-measure saddles, one from Martin Wilkinson, and a whole host in between. None fitted for very long, and GN made it very clear he didn’t like them by chucking me off.

Now to be fair, he has had KSS, a really nasty hock injury and a suspensory go through all of this. To this end, he is now my very much loved happy hacker and general pratting about horse and has a super life (well, I’d like to think). He is pain-free and turned out 24hrs to endure no stiff or sore bits. But we still don’t have a saddle that fits. He is currently in a Wintec CC that clearly doesn’t fit but he seems happy in it and jumps, schools etc without any problems. Interestingly, he never has had a problem with the Wintecs, only leather saddles but the Wintecs clearly do not fit him unless there are riser pads. The current one sits too low at the front but I cannot use a smaller gullet as it is then WAY too tight over the wither. I have no idea what is going on with it!!

It is really bugging me that he doesn’t have a saddle that fits. He has medium-sized withers and is very short backed, despite being 17hh, with a reasonable shoulder. I have Nathanial Underwood to saddle my other horse and I think he is great but I don’t want to spend £1200 on a saddle for a horse that is essentially a pet. That said, if I cannot find an alternative, that is what I will do (I am soooo never going to be rich…). Can anyone recommend a decent alternative? I’m open to any suggestions!!!

Thanks in advance :p
 
I would try a dressage saddle, they are alot easier to fit, sit well behind the shoulder, put you in balance and I hack in mine all the time, as well as actual dressage, GP and jumps are so hard to fit to arkward horses!
 
snopuma said:
I would try a dressage saddle, they are alot easier to fit, sit well behind the shoulder, put you in balance and I hack in mine all the time, as well as actual dressage, GP and jumps are so hard to fit to arkward horses!
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aaah, I never thought about that. Would a Working Hunter saddle do the trick too? I think they are designed to do a little bit of jumping in? I have never had one so I am not sure...
 
I have also a 'nearly' impossible to find saddle shaped horse, average withers, huge shoulders, short back & croup high, after trying & failing with many saddles (she has gone from xw to a mw!) my fabulous saddler found me a 2nd hand (still expensive but defo worth it) Nathaniel Underwood event saddle. Fits a treat, comfy as hell & doesn't slide forward as long as I use non slip saddlecloths & non elasticated girth :-) I have also found it took her till 9 years old to get established withers (shes wb x tb x id) Not much help, sorry I know, just my personal experience!
 
chestnutmarelover said:
I have also a 'nearly' impossible to find saddle shaped horse, average withers, huge shoulders, short back & croup high, after trying & failing with many saddles (she has gone from xw to a mw!) my fabulous saddler found me a 2nd hand (still expensive but defo worth it) Nathaniel Underwood event saddle. Fits a treat, comfy as hell & doesn't slide forward as long as I use non slip saddlecloths & non elasticated girth :-) I have also found it took her till 9 years old to get established withers (shes wb x tb x id) Not much help, sorry I know, just my personal experience!
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Other donkey has 2 Nathanial Underwood saddles - I love them! But you're right in that they are pricey, and was hoping to avoid forking out for another one! I have tried a heather Moffat treeless saddle and he did his usual 'fine for 2 weeks then hated it' routine. The Wintec is the only one that has survived his wrath and its fits so badly i have no idea why he likes it!!! ARRRRGHHHH!!!!!!!!!
 
The Saddle Company saddles are fairly wide through the gullet and have big weight bearing surface. Quite a few friends have them on 'wide' natives and I use them on my full irish draught and I get enough clearance. I suppose a lot will depend on where along the gullet the scar tissue is.
 
Britestar said:
Have you tried a prolite wither pad under his wintec? This works perfectly for my skinny lad.
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Thanks- he has a Prolitepad pad already and it's made things better but not quite there! Feel like I'm being really awkward and I'm really not! Just really want a saddle that fits him properly!
 
How about a reactorpanel type saddle or an orthoflex or free n easy? Not cheap but then I imagine you're at the end of your tether and willing to consider anything to be able to ride properly.
 
My pony was impossible to fit a saddle for and ended up with horrid big white patches and muscle waste on a saddle which seemed to fit perfectly! (had master saddlers out etc and were confused) saddles kept moving and pressing, bought different saddles and had to keep returning, in the end we settled for the closest thing and put a sheepskin nummnah underneath and this worked very well for her, very comfortable and no more slipping / moving. I know many people could say you don't need a sheepskin nummnah if the saddle fits correctly- but none did so this solution worked for me.

just to add if you dont want to spend £1000s, why not go for second hand? my saddle is £1600 new, and second hand i got if for £300 !
 
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