Mare with narrow shoulders and broad back - what saddle?

[Orchardbeck]

I have a 4 yo 14.2 Connemara x TB mare who has really narrow shoulders but a broad back (almost like two horses put together!).

I'm 8 months pregnant (and no, I haven't ridden throughout my pregnancy, much as I would have liked to - I don't feel feel confident that baby horses and unborn children are a good combination...!) so my young mare, who I'd just backed and was riding out is now having a break along with my 20 yo mare. Before I stopped riding her she was wearing an old Thorowgood maxam in a narrow fitting which seemed ok at the time.

However she has now matured and taken on a more Connemara physique behind, with a broad back - only thing is, her narrow little TB shoulders and chest have stayed narrow!

I'm worried that when I begin to work her again the old saddle will be too narrow on her back, but my medium ones will be too wide in the shoulder for her - does that make sense(I have a Thorowgood Griffin in a med/wide and a Wintec with changeable gullets, along with a Thorowgood T6 cob - pre changeable gullets which would be ridiculously wide)?

Obviously I'll get a fitter out when the time comes and when I can ride again but just whilst I'm sitting here doing not a lot it was something that crossed my mind...! Will she have to wear a crupper to stop a saddle slipping forward?

Does anyone else have a horse with a similar physique - what saddle do you use?

 

[Tallante]

This sounds a bit like my horse. My saddle fitter said he had more similarities with an Arab conformation than with the UK types.

I have a GP saddle from here http://www.morrisandnolan.co.uk/ it was second hand and I can't remember the type. It isn't on their website.

I also have a small Stubben which is more of WH saddle therefore more straight cut in front. This might be something worth thinking about.

 

[Orchardbeck]

Thanks for that, they are brands I would never even have thought about!

It's funny you should say that, my other mare is an Arab X and is completely the opposite - big wide shoulders and a narrow back end - if I cut them both in half I would have two horses that something would fit properly! Most other Arabs I've seen on the endurance circuit are tiny in front like you say, so I'll keep that in mind.

 

[touchstone]

Ideal H&C are supposed to be good for Arabs too, I know they can make the saddle to measure your horse's individual fitting. Or something like a Freen'Easy that you can alter if her shape changes again?

 

[Orchardbeck]

Thanks for this - will also give them a try!

 

[albertsarmy]

Maybe look at a Korrector pad while you get her back into work, see how her shape changes? This will also allow you to fit a little wider and then fine tune the fit with the airbags. Worth a look www.flair.uk.com/Korrector/korrectorwhy.htm

Progression from there if you do ten need a new saddle would maybe be looking at a WOW saddle. very adjustable and i know they can fit all sorts of shapes.

Hope this helps

 

[K27]

As long as the saddle fit and balance is ok, I'd be very tempted to go for the wider saddle and pad it out with a half pad or Prolite pad, then when they've muscled up, remove the pad. I've done this with my horses and it's a far cheaper way of doing it!

 

[Scranny_Ann]

My Connie X is the same shape as yours by the sound of it. She's in a GP Dever and it fits her so well. It's so comfy too

 

[fatpiggy]

My mare has very narrow shoulders too (nice wide chest though!)but luckily she is a narrow fitting saddle shape and apart from actually finding a narrow saddle in the first place, it hasn't been a problem. Now, getting rugs to fit...

 

[brea2006]

my old YO had a sec B
wide back and narrow shoulders and the saddle kept slipping up the neck. even wit a crupper

i had my saddler out whom puts one girth strap coming out of the knee roll and possibly a fourth depending on where the centre of point is for that saddle.

he used girth straps one and three and voila ... problem solved as before the saddle wasnt anchored down at centre point- the centre point was falling behind the girth straps-hence the slipping.

it is explained well on the wow website.