Horse isn't even backed- saddle fitting issues already!

[Meowy Catkin]

So, I have an arab filly (3 years old) and I had it in mind that she would be backed at four and that I would get a saddler to fit a synthetic (adjustable gullet) saddle for her at that time.

So I was having a look at Thorowgood and Wintec saddles today in an excited 'next spring I'll be getting one of these' kind of way, only I'm not sure that any of them will fit her.

She is very wide (much wider than my mare who is a wide in her Jeffries saddle) and she has a very flat, short back. So flat that I think that both the TG cob and the Wintec Wide might be too curved for her.

She is still growing so hopefully by next year she'll have more shape but I'm getting this sinking feeling that I need to save up for a WOW.

Grrrr.

What saddle do you ride your arabs in?
Shall I just cross my fingers that she'll change shape over the next year?
Are there any other saddles that are adjustabe, wide, flat and have short panels that I could consider?

I feel very sorry for the saddler that's going to have this headache next year!

 

[soloequestrian]

Have a look at Balance International.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Thanks, I'm about to look them up.

 

[CrazyMare]

I just back mine bareback, then at least I can sit on any saddles the saddler brings.

 

[MissTyc]

I just back mine bareback, then at least I can sit on any saddles the saddler brings.

Same here these days!


But don't forget your horse is still growing, and they do grow through horribly flat-backed periods until the shoulders and wither catch up again. So there is hope!

 

[zizz]

my arab mare suited thorowgood but her son was much flatter and the only tree that fitted was passier

 

[Meowy Catkin]

there is hope!

Fantastic! That's just what I needed to hear.

I just back mine bareback, then at least I can sit on any saddles the saddler brings.

That's a good idea. I'll make sure that I can sit on her bareback before I call the saddler. She already wears a surcingle, so I don't think that wearing a girth would worry her either. I'll do as much as I can to get her ready for a saddle fitting next year.

passier

Will have a look.

 

[patchandloopy]

I have/had the same issues with my mare...turns out she was in foal and thats why nothing fitted her..now the foal has moved further down she has a back!!

 

[rhino]

I have used these ones successfully for both arabs and highlands

http://www.saddleexchange.com/ponysaddle/

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Thanks for that Rhino.

P&L, if she's in-foal I'll eat my hat! She lives with two mares and there are no other horses on the property, so it should be impossible!

 

[katherine1975]

The Thorowgood cob saddle is pretty flat, might be worth a try.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Thorowgood cob saddle is pretty flat

Unfortunately, that's one of the ones that I was looking at in the tack shop and I don't think that it is flat enough.