Kent & Masters Cob GP

[dollymix]

Hi all - I am half hoping their is a saddler lurking on here to offer some advice!

My Welsh Dx mare is very difficult to fit a saddle to. Her first saddle was made to measure and she had it for about 5 years and I recently replaced it with a Kent & Master Cob GP (professionally fitted).

My mare goes very nicely in it, and her flat work has improved no end in the 3 months we have had it...the problem comes to jumping.

Because it is so straight cut, I can't raise my stirrups up at all to jump length and even if I only raise them one hole, my knees come over the edge of the saddle flap. Not the most comforting feeling when riding a relatively green and spooky welshy! She jumps well in it so is clearly comfortable....it is just a problem for me!

I have spoken to my saddler who is coming any way to do the 3 monthly check in a week or so....but I can't help feeling I am going to have to look at jump saddles too which is fine but The saddle fitter is dubious anything forward cut will fit. My mare is not blessed with great conformation...she has a massive shoulder, fairly dipped back and is croup high. Very difficult to fit a saddle to.

I tried contacting K&M direct, but they just pointed me to the Flat-back GP (not ideal when I told them my mare has a dipped back etc!

Any advice/thoughts or similar experiences? Would really love to get jumping more but think we are going to be stuck if all I have is the Cob GP!

 

[Myloubylou]

Have you tried experimenting with moving the knee blocks back a bit? Never going to be a great jumping saddle but found I could get bit more space for my thigh bone! Am only 5’2” in 17” saddle but am long in upper leg

I have a flat back k&m on my other horse, it is a shorter panel so have got away with a 17” where the cob gp would be too long. She is a 5 year old Welsh d

 

[Milkmaid]

I had exactly the same with my newly backed New Forest & on the saddlers advice went for the K&M flat & forward. Which is basically the cob saddle but with a bit more knee!
I love it as does he!

 

[sbloom]

As a general rule there are other, usually traditionally made (ie wooden trees that can only be adjusted a handful of times in a vice) with much more open seats and may or may not have more room for legs without being more forward cut. I find that often the big shoulders aren't half as much of an issue as people (including some fitters) think, but may need a thick half pad to enable the flaps to sit more softly over a prominent shoulder blade. I also agree that block placement can make a big difference, the K&M ones already have that unusual forward slope, but a smaller higher set block might help a bit.

The way I approach a curvy back is to advise in hand work first, as often the back is actually dropped, which can be "fixed", and to look to a flatter, stable tree, a smaller seat size where possible, and a short, or even curved upswept, rear panel. Curvier trees are for high withers and usually have deep rear gussets to flatten the underside, and both aspects can lead to instability on wide curvy backs.