Saddle choice now becoming a nightmare.

[SAL66]

I need to start narrowing down choices of saddles that I wish to try as I am clueless as to where to start and I know when I ring up to book to try some - will they ask which ones I want to try.

Has anyone had a Heather Moffett Fhoenix sadle and if you have what did you think to it.

Thanks

 

[redski]

I don't envy you! i went all through this recently and gave up in the end. I then went to a local second hand tack shop, brought back a few that looked wide enough and luckily one fitted. Before that I tried treeless and several saddlers entire stock with no luck. Actually, one £1500 saddle caused my mare to have a sore back within about 10 seconds.

I do know some people and horses suit certain saddles and some just don't so you would have no option but to just try loads of different types. I looked at the saddle you mention, tried it etc and hated it. A client also tried it and I tested it for her. No good. The best of the treeless, in my view, is the torsion. However, I have now heard some reports about pressure points and sore backs with treeless. Kay Humphries does a flexi treed saddle which sounds interesting.

I've found the best saddles I've bought have been found by constantly looking in every tack shop, trying friends spare saddles, i.e. constantly looking as opposed to expecting one saddler to bring out the perfect saddle and paying mega bucks for it only to cause problems later
(just my experiences!). Its always worked out much cheaper too.

Not sure this helps but good luck.

 

[Delhi]

A good quality saddle is the main thing. The make etc will be dependant on your horse mainly and what you want 2nd!

My horse has a fab KN dressage saddle and a Albian Legend gp both fit him like a glove, after a good few years of searching for a good saddler who could actually fit a decent saddle. I am now (fingers crossed) past the worst!

Find a good saddler and be adaptive. I tried the Torsion treeless saddles and both me and my pony HATED them! So it is definately trial and error as I know of people who swear by them.