New saddle dosn't fit.....Grrreat (and a query)

S

Super_Kat

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Had the McTimoney out to see Olympic today and what she picked up on was a bad back! She said he was stiff around his sacrum (which as causing him to throw me from side to side a bit) and that he was very sore in that area which would explain why he's suddenly startd launching me out of the front door over fences.
She asked to see his saddle (which was fitted and purchased on the 12th of this month), I put it on and she had a look and shesaid it didn't fit, it is too tight around the shoulders (I was toldto go for a slightly wider sadde so he had room to grow into it) and I was told by the saddler to pad it out. The saddle is also to loose behind, it's very to lift up and down and move around and that it was probably banging around on his back thus causing the back pain.

Now this saddle was not cheap so I'm far from impressed so shall be contacting the saddler and getting her back out to sort it BUT the saddle has been used so isn't in pristine condition (there are a couple of teeny nicks on it) so am I witin my rights to ask for a new saddle in exchange for my poorly ftting one or will I probably be made to pay an extra charge to exchange my saddle for a new one?
Would it be worth getting another saddlers opinion on the saddle so they can tell me exactly whats wrong before going back to the woman I bought it off?

I'm so pi**ed off with all this, all I want is for my poor boy to come right
frown.gif
 
Also remember that othera hve changed their saddle on back persons advice only discover saddle was infact worse after making the changes.

However I have had problems with a new saddle that even though made to measure just didn't sit right, it was changed for no charge to me so I think you should be ok. Just get the saddler out and mention your concerns and see what they say.
 
I've had this happen before. The trouble is SK that everyone's opinions on how a saddle fits / doesn't fit differs.
Mine was bought and it was brand new so the saddler should have come out 6 weeks later to check on it once it had settled. Horse went lame and then saddler broke his leg so he couldn't come out for months. I felt saddle needed looking at so got my local saddler to come out who said it didn't and never will fit, too wide at front to tight at shoulder etc etc.
I then went back to original saddler who came straight out (with boken leg) re flocked it and said it was fine. Now who do you believe? I stuck with the original saddler and was more than happy with the saddle. Local saddler thinks I was crazy and should have asked for a full refund!!
I really think that we need to trust the experts we choose. ie saddler, farrier vet etc etc and let them be an expert in their own field.
 
You must always allow the person who supplied/fitted the saddle to come out to put things right, write down in a diary dates, times and what adjustments were made to your saddle and if able get her to give you a written report of what has been done to the saddle to make it right. This will give you more leverage if it is unable to be fitted to your horse eg. tree not the right shape for your horses back etc.
 
I wouldn't be too quick to castigate the saddler. The therapist who treats Thumper likes the saddle to fit in quite a different way from the saddler.

By the two of them working together a happy compromise has been reached and my boy is a happy chappy......
 
She got me to have a feel and it is tight around his shoulders and it was really loose behind
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I was going to phone her and ask her to come out and check because I didn't think it was right rather than just jumping in and saying that it doesn't fit.
Do you think it would be worth me getting the opinion of another saddler? (just to look to see if there are any major problems)
 
Just get the orignal fitter out and explain your concerns and see what she says.

Too many opinions and you want know what to do for the best.

Good luck.
 
I think all saddlers have different opinions as do back people. And whose right? Who knows?

All of them or some of them, or your horse when he bucks you off?
 
When I jumped him wen the saddle was fitted he was jumping hollow (I'm assuming beause he thought his back was going to hurt after the last saddle disaster), jumped him a week later and he was launching me out of the front door clearly not a happy bunny
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OK, put saddle on him and girth it up, then check for the following:

Width of gullett not pinching on his spine, should be 3 fingers wide through the centre, check it's not too low on his back. Run hand between his shoulder and the front of the saddle if it pinches your fingers it's too tight so he can't rotate his shoulder properly.

Stand on a step behind him and look to see how the back section of the panel sits on his back if the inner side (next to the gullett) is not flat on his back and only the outside edge is then this will be causing a pressure point which could be causing an issue.

Ungirth saddle, put one hand on the top of the saddle to press it down and use your other one to run between the weightbearing panel and his back, this will show you if there is any bridging or pivotal points on the saddle causing pressure points.

Note most of the above points can be sorted with the saddle being re flocked/foam etc You would probably only need a new saddle if a, the saddle was too wide/narrow or b, the tree was not the correct shape for his back.
 
Have you been padding it out and did you explain that to the Chiro? If so, did she check the fit with the padding in place? What did they recommend you use?

I wouldn't jump down the saddlers throat either - give them a chance to explain themselves.
 
Oh lord, I wouldn't. As said earlier I'd get them out to check it and say I was worried it wasn't quite right (which I'm worrid it isn't.
I'd been using a wedge underthe saddle which I explained to the McT woman and she said to stop using it because it would make it pinch more (didn't check the fit of the saddle wth the wedge and saddlecloth on though).
 
put the saddle on him with no numnah or pads, take pics of it from every possible angle, let us all have a look. seriously, i'm sure at least some of us know a bit about fitting saddles... i know i do!
i've been there, and this situation is infuriating, to say the least. best of luck, hope saddler comes back out asap and sorts it out.
fwiw all horses should go better in a new saddle (if it fits reasonably well) for 6 wks, because it will have different pressure points etc to the one they are used to. so, if he was hollowing when you tried it, and is no better now, i'd listen to him, then the back lady, then the saddler, in that order.
 
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