How does a saddler fit a saddle to a bum-high youngster?

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PercyMum

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I'm just curious really...
Put this in NL but nobody wants to talk to me in there :(

My young TB is still bum-high at 5 and his saddles keep slipping forward. They are fine when stood still and fit nicely but as soon as we start working they are coming forward and inhibiting his shoulder which is why I think that he isn't as forward as I would like.

I hasten to add my saddles have been fitted by a proffessional and I am not trying to do it myself!! I am now changing saddler as not 100% happy with the fitting of my current saddles.

I was just wondering what a saddler might do to rectify this issue, as clearly if the saddle is made tight enough to not slip forward, it will be too tight full stop, and I guess a front riser will make the saddle too tight also. Or will I get a wider saddle with a riser.

Just wondering really !!
 
Adding padding of an even thickness doesn't change the shape of the saddle on the horse - it will still be too wide or too narrow, it will just be higher, often a good thing with a too-wide saddle, not such a good thing with a too-narrow saddle that is likely to be pommel high anyway.

To be able to use a thicker pad the saddle must be generous in the width of the head ie the top of the pommel/headplate, and must be slightly pommel low, as the pad will lift the front of the saddle more than the back, just a fraction, even without using a riser. With a nicely shaped tree like this you can then use a point strap, and never use the rear strap, to help keep the saddle back.

The last saddle I fitted to a very croup high pony was to a Dales (who is likely to stay croup high, many of the Natives and cobs I specialise in are croup high, but not as much as she is!). She needed a hoop tree because she was so wide, a good XXW, which I flocked upto give more clearance than usual. I then removed some flock from the back of the saddle to bring it down, but this has to be done with great care as it can make the fit of the saddlemuch curvier - the further back the flocking is the flatter it makes the fit.
 
Thanks Sbloom, thats very interesting. So my saddle might be fine, I just need the front flocked 'up' and the back flocked 'down' as it were?

Of cpurse if I need a new saddle, thats what I will do but as a 5 yo TB I am guessing he will have alot of growing up and out to do so I don't want to go crazy with a new saddle if I can help it!
 
The previous post was about right, but I have a nagging doubt, and it's with a five year old which is "Still", bum high. Growing should have finished, by now, so again, remedial work would worry me, a little.

Any chance of a good sideways on confo pic, and one with the horse standing on level ground?

Alec.
 
Possibly, but you need a nice flat tree, relative to the horse, for it to work. Anything that is remotely curvy on the horse now will be much worse if you remove flock from the back.

There may be other ways to approach it but this is how I do it for the very wide fits :)
 
Alec Swan said:
The previous post was about right, but I have a nagging doubt, and it's with a five year old which is "Still", bum high. Growing should have finished, by now, so again, remedial work would worry me, a little.

Any chance of a good sideways on confo pic, and one with the horse standing on level ground?

Alec.
Click to expand...

Trying to get a photo on - but can't upload a JPEG? He is TB but doesnt have very high withers. I thought they kept growing until 7? Worrying now!!
 
As sbloom has said, I also had many a croup high horse to deal with and used the same technique as sbloom.Another point worth mentioning is a large proportion of horses that are not only croup high but are also young will often be on the forehand which will over develop the trapezius muscles, making the saddle even harder to fit!
That is the second reason a over wide saddle comes in handy, you can add extra flock allow the freedom of the shoulder and so the horse can be worked and schooled, we used to use knitted wither pads as well in the old days, removing them as and when the horse changed shape.
Eventually with maturity and the right schooling the horse learns to bring his hocks in under him a little, the top line will build up and the traps return to a more normal size,seen it happen time and time again.
I'm not saying this is your problem but it's worth pointing out so you can check yourself. Let us know how you get on.
Oz :)
 
picture.php


This is him - he doesn't look too bad here but the saddle does slide into his shoulder.
 
Sorry, been off a few days moving house. That's barely croup high, seriously :D. The Dales mare I mentioned is probably 2" more than that, if not more. The saddle sliding onto the shoulder may be because of a general instability or the wrong girthing rather than the conformation of the horse in itself. I find so many horses are fitted with trees that are too curvy. Why don't you post some pics of the saddle girthed up firmly with no pad, and we'll have a look?
 
PercyMum,

as sbloom, that is not bum high, especially as the horse is standing downhill. ALWAYS stand a horse (or any animal for that matter) uphill, when taking pics. In other words, treat as normal!! ;)

Alec.

ps. That's a nice youngster. a.

ETS, they may change shape, up to the age of seven, but growth, as in height, is generally over and done with by the age of 5, more or less! a
 
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