Help please! Western saddles on tubby horses.

Petalpoos

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Has anyone out there had any experience of using western type saddles on wide horses? I have a Haflinger mare whose withers are completely flat. She is currently somewhat overweight, but even when she is not, she is very rotund. My Canadian partner would like to start riding her, but he is more comfortable in a western type saddle. Does anyone know whether a girth and cinch type of arrangement is less liable to slipping than an English one?

Also, how does one go about fitting a western saddle? Has anyone found any good suppliers in southern England for western or Aussie saddles? I rather like the look of these Tucker saddles http://www.tuckersaddles.com/catalog16.shtml as they have a handle rather than a horn, but don't know if they are sold in the UK, but something like that.

Sorry about all the questions, but all info welcome please as I know very little about Western type saddles. Thanks.
 

annewright

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Hi - I also own a rather round Haflinger and have often thought of going western! - but my saddle fitter said it would be a disaster to fit a western saddle on a round pony!!! - if you have any luck I would be very very interested. Thanks
 

a kind of magic

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Sorry Anne-your saddle fitter was lying! Probably because they have no experience in fitting western saddles so they wouldn't be able to do the fitting! Quarter Horses generally are quite roly-poly and they aren't always particularly tall, our shortest one was only 14hh!

Even our 13hh forester has a western saddle now. :D

To be honest, you are better off importing from the US as it does offer more choice.

I have an EZ Fit treeless saddle that I am now a rep for as I loved mine so much, the benefit is it has a pommel with no horn (similar to the one in your link) and they can be made with western or english rigging if you would rather use english girths. That fits everything up to my very, very wide shire x draft horse. If you wanted to have a go with mine I would be happy to let you have a go with it. :) There are also Specialized Saddles who have a rep in the UK-they are treed but flexible fit, always been interested in those.
 

a kind of magic

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I have the medium size, with western fenders/stirrups and western rigging although I ride with it on the smallest setting and I am 5ft 8 and a size 14, so could really have bought the small one. Mine is the first and only one in the UK at the moment so I was relying a lot on the US rep, she said better safe than sorry and as I mainly use it on my big draft horse the extra saddle length wasn't an issue.

The medium would be OK for a trial but would probably suggest the small one, it adjusts up to a 16" western seat but the footprint is about 2" smaller. There are no rigid parts so although it would look big you can rest assured it won't be hurting your horse.

I genuinely LOVE my EZ Fit, it doesn't slip (had to fiddle with the centre fire rigging to find the best spot on my horses but got it now), soooo comfortable I don't get saddle sore or walk like John Wayne after riding for hours like I used to. My horses love it too, my big boy always used to trip all the time and he doesn't anymore. :)

If you want to know any more feel free to PM me I can rattle on for ages lol.
 
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