Not Again........... Saddle Trouble! Had Enough Of This Now... HELP!

J

Javabb94

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So this last week and this week havent been the best :(

Sorry this is soo long but I dont know what to do :(

Recently, (about 4 weeks ago) we got Java's loading cracked :D We didnt even have to use the chifney and he had been going in first time every time!

However,
On Friday evening we went up as normal to load him up for my lesson, I lead him up to the trailer as normal and he wouldnt go in, when I turned him around to try again he bolted! luckily we load in our field and not the road.

My dad tried again and he bolted with him :(

We then preceded to put the chifney on him and he kept rearing so we couldnt put it on.

We had to give in :(

I went up the next day to ride as normal and he was soooooo slow!
He wouldnt go forward which obviously made getting any sort of outline slightly inpossible, it was an effort to stay in canter and he kept spooking
I tried for an hour and was so frustated!

I went the next day and exactly the same happened (I ride in spurs with a whip and even they didnt help)

I then went up the next day as needed to practice my working hunter show and he was exactly the same!

We got him some feed that wouldnt make him silly but give him some energy and even that hasnt made a difference :/

We then made the heartbreaking desicion to sell him :( He is too slow for me and I want to do BS and as my instructor said its better to control energy than have to constantly create it and I'm working far too hard :/

As I love him and dont want to sell him I wanted to try everything possible to make sure there wasnt something upsetting him,

We have had saddle trouble in the past and we had our Jeffries Falcon Hawk Event fitted in February this year

I thought it may be the saddle....

Me and Mum went up to field this afternoon and popped his bridle on him

she then filmed me walking up and trotting up on both reins without his saddle and then with his saddle with no numnah or anything

We then studied the videos..

We found...

- his movement is lovely and floaty and FORWARD! without the saddle

- with the saddle, he tenses up with his back end and his bum "raises"

- his legs seemed to move slower

- his front legs didnt come as far back with saddle

- His legs arent as flowing with the saddle

- It was an effort to get him to trot with the saddle on but without it was instant

- Without the saddle his back was lovely and level

- The saddle was bouncing quite a lot on his back


Sorry this is sooo long but I really need help!

And does anyone have any reccomendations for a saddle for a high withered horse who takes a wide/xw

he is tb x appaloosa so thoroughbred shaped but not thoroughbred skinny :D
thanks :D
 
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You've found one answer - videoing was a good idea :) Get a good saddlefitter - no one is going to be able to suggest anything even with a photo. The saddle could be pinching his shoulder or the tree may be twisted. At least once you have a well fitted one, you can rule out saddle issue. I think most problems come from pain and if it's saddle related, an easy one to sort out! :)
 
Problem is I dont know of any qualified saddle fitters in my area :(

I am desperatley hoping it is the saddle as as you said its an easy one if its that,

His last owner got his saddle from just saddles but when we had trouble last time she wouldnt travel to our area,

so we asked owner if we could buy his saddle back (as it was when we bought him and rather expensive so we didnt get it) but she just got a new horse and it fits her so we didnt get it!
 
I have a Thorowgood T6 High wither on my VERY high withered TB!

Sounds like your saddle is the problem, it would be interesting to see how he goes if you were to ride him bare back!
 
3Beasties said:
I have a Thorowgood T6 High wither on my VERY high withered TB!

Sounds like your saddle is the problem, it would be interesting to see how he goes if you were to ride him bare back!
Click to expand...

I tried to ride him bare back in his headcollar once and he I didnt realise he had never had that done before and he went skitz!!

Might be different in his bridle though!
 
Kirsty+Java said:
thanks will try that :D

I heard you look for Qualified Saddle Fitter rather than Master Sddler as master saddlers are trained to make rather than fit?
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Oh yes of course, glad you knew what I meant!! I pressed wrong button and was too hurried to check.

Good luck, I'm sure some of those will happily drive to you. Give them a call - oh, if you could send them the video, it might help them with choosing right saddles to bring out in the van :)
 
tallyho! said:
Is Lancashire too far? I saw three from there..

http://www.justsaddles.co.uk/chargesandpayment.shtml
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thankyou for that however tried her last time and she wouldnt come to our area!

she fitted his last saddle with his previous owner and his old saddle was up for sale there however we tried to get it but Java's last owner had just had it fitted to her new horse!!!


Anyway I'm off for my lesson now (not on Java ) so If I dont reply I'm riding :D
 
Oh I see... well keep trying. I'm sure it will be worth it once you find the right one!!!
 
If he is perfect in every other way, is it not worth travelling him to a good saddler. (I do realise you have had problems loading though)
I have Village Saddlery (Warrington) and have never had a problem in the last 8 yrs on my difficult to fit horse. I have recently had a new saddle fit from him, my 2nd one from him and it wasnt quite right a couple of months on, he came out today, spotted the problem straight away and has taken it away to alter it, no problem at all.
He does travel, Im not sure how far but you do have to wait as hes so busy and he isnt cheap but IMO it will be right.
Good luck.
 
FWIW I use a balance saddle for my appy who has a high whither and is as sensitive as yours.

There is a lady touring Southern Scotland, now I know, that's not exactly Cumbria but it says she travels far and wide and there is a phone number. Julie Robertson
http://www.laviniamitchell.com/html/notice_board.html

Just throwing it out there :)
 
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My sisters TB had very high withers. our normal saddle fitter didn't fit him right so our local horse attack shop recomended there saddle fitter. She only does Bates and Wintec as they are spposed to be a specialist fit. The TB was hollowing in his old saddle and even reared a few times but as soon as he had his Wintec VSD 500 fitted to him he was lowering his head straight away in walk while my sister was holding the buckle.
Maybe see is there is one near you. I'd recomend them hands down as she fixed my other mares saddle problems too.

xxx
 
When I was at my lesson tonight mum showed the videos to my instructor who i suddenly remembered is a saddle fitter and deals in jeffries ans he had a look and said that he definately tensed up and wasnt very flowing

he said he had absolutely lovely movement without but with saddle he was restricted.

he said there is too much room at the back and he is getting me a special pad to try from jeffries that is higher in the right places to sort it,

if that doesnt work then we will have to get another

thanks for all your help:D

tallyho! - whats a balance saddle?
 
Kirsty+Java said:
When I was at my lesson tonight mum showed the videos to my instructor who i suddenly remembered is a saddle fitter and deals in jeffries ans he had a look and said that he definately tensed up and wasnt very flowing

he said he had absolutely lovely movement without but with saddle he was restricted.

he said there is too much room at the back and he is getting me a special pad to try from jeffries that is higher in the right places to sort it,

if that doesnt work then we will have to get another

thanks for all your help:D

tallyho! - whats a balance saddle?
Click to expand...

Sorry K+J, I'm not so sure I agree with your instructor about pads... however I haven't see your horse so I can't possibly comment. Good luck with it though.

Here you go: http://www.balanceinternational.com/default.aspx

Mine was made to measure in UK. Expensive but considering it has to go on my horses back for me to sit on, it was important to me. He had bad muscle wastage from badly fitting saddles I had bought for him before. Thats why I feel it's so important to get a qualified, engaging fitter.
 
thanks,

will take a look,

he was involved in designing the falcon hawk event (the saddle I have) and he said he has had this problem before and this pad fixed it, he does eventing at novice level :D
 
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