New saddle problems

[Birker2020]

Hi. I shall keep this as short as I can but I was lucky enough to win a new Barnsby ITree Universal Saddle and took delivery of it four days ago. The saddle fitter had been out previously a few weeks ago to take a template of my horse and this saddle was made to measure.

It came on Monday and after the fitter had gone I rode in it. It was raining and there were very strong winds but I still manage to walk trot and canter and jump in it (albeit small) as I felt totally safe on my horse and the saddle felt brilliant and I rang the fitter JJ to thank him and to say how pleased I was and how well my horse had gone in it.

However, since then its been all down hill.... I have ridden in it twice more, both times under floodlights in the dark (not in day) and Bailey has seemed to be very 'forwards' in it and rushing. I asked a girl last night who said that she thought he wasn't going faster but his stride was longer but he feels very 'rushy' to me. It had certainly felt like his canter was longer on the first day.

However Bailey did a funny plunge with me last night that nearly unseated me, followed a few minutes later by a buck and I am wondering if there is a problem with the saddle. Or could it be that as my old saddle was in desperate need of reflocking and therefore put me in a 'hunting position' this new saddle has altered my balance and leg position.

Do you think it might be due to this. I must admit I am finding it very hard to ask my horse to canter, and when I do even on a circle he seems to be confused and is striking off on the wrong leg. Can get them out again as a free visit and they can use their special heating gadget to alter the fit but want to wait a little longer. The saddle is lovely, and I really like it.

I am also using a different girth, a thorowgood one as my leather one is too short at the moment. Could it be this I wonder?

I have a jumping lesson in it on Saturday, as I didn't feel confident enough to compete this weekend, so I can ask my instructor, but sadly he is new to me, I to him, so he won't have seen me ride before

 

[unicorndreams]

I sympathise with your experience of a new saddle. I too had a made to measure saddle for my high withered horse. To start with she too went fine but then her gait changed and she started stumbling badly. I spoke to the saddler who said it couldn't be the saddle but I stuck to my guns and he came back out and reassessed. Full of apologies he said the saddle indeed did not fit my horse right. He had to make a new one completely: this one is a lot better.
You know your horse best - if you feel he's not happy in it then do a quick check for the obvious like back pain, lameness, hoof pain (abcess or bruise etc), consider if anything else has changed like diet, try another saddle if you can and then you'll have a good idea if its the saddle or not.

 

[bluebellfreddy]

It sounds a little like your horse has become home free in the shoulder with your new saddle. Since it has only been a few days. I would give it a little longer. He is probly enjoying have a really well fitting saddle with less weight on his shoulder. I would give it a little longer. if after next week, he still feels funny then may be get the saddler out again. Hope does settle down for you

 

[be positive]

If I am reading correctly the saddle fitter did not fit the saddle, let you ride in it while watching, then look at both the horse and saddle again to make sure it actually fitted, if so they have not done the job properly, they cannot say it fits without seeing it on the horse when it is working, it needs to suit the rider also.

The most recent purchase in my yard was a new saddle, the rider rode in them, the ones that were most suitable had a full test ride including jumping some decent fences, it was then checked on and off the horse before the saddler got paid for the one that was chosen.

I would get the saddler back, I know it was a prize but it still needs to fit correctly.

 

[NaeNae87]

Run your hands over your horses back (where the saddle pannels sit), behind his shoulder (over his latissimus dorsi all the way down to his pecs which are between his front legs), between his front legs coming from the side of his neck and also over his gluteal muscles.
Is he dipping away from your contact? Are his ears going back? Is he threatening to bite you?
If so, it could be stiffness and pain related and having a custom fit saddle sitting over his muscles in a different way to his old one could be causing it. If it was made to measure, I doubt it would be the saddle fit.

It could also be you. You mentioned you are put in a different position then you were in your old saddle. He could just be used to how you used to sit. The fact your aids might feel a bit different could be confusing him.

Give it a bit of time as riding in a new saddle is always going to take some adjusting to.

 

[Birker2020]

It sounds a little like your horse has become home free in the shoulder with your new saddle. Since it has only been a few days. I would give it a little longer. He is probly enjoying have a really well fitting saddle with less weight on his shoulder. I would give it a little longer. if after next week, he still feels funny then may be get the saddler out again. Hope does settle down for you

Hi, I am so hoping that this is the answer. He doesn't appear to be annoyed when being ridden, the second time I rode in the saddle he practically marched down the stable ailse and out and into the menage, usually I have to drag him in there, so it must be comfy for him. However when he bucked he was pretty annoyed. I must admit I was asking him to use himself a little more when both incidents took place so it could be he is finding it hard.

I am hoping it is my useless riding that is at fault and the fact that my legs aren't round by his chest anymore (this was due to my previous saddle being reflocked by a total cowboy and not sitting correctly after three months of being done pushing my legs forward)

I will see how the jumping lesson goes tomorrow and hope I don't fall off in the process.

Thanks everyone else for your comments. I might just ask my friend who is a physio if she could have a quick look at him over the weekend, to rule out any physical problems, but she had a student with her last friday and my horse was used as a demo horse, and although no significant physio was done on him, she reported no problems with him whatsoever, so it would be interesting if she could tell if there were a difference now.