Saddle fit advice please!

[dazedandconfused]

My new mare was really poor when we got her so I used my standard 'fits all' saddle (which in reality fits very few) with plenty of front riser padding. Now she is well muscled and, dare I say it, almost podgy she still has a high wither probably due to her TB father and ISH mother. I have borrowed a Stubben which is 29" - a medium - and it seems to fit well and she is going great in it, my only concern is that the pommel sits maybe an inch or two higher than the cantle and I vaguely recall the cantle and pommel should sit around the same level. Is this true for high withered horses too???

 

[Hippona]

I think its true that whatever shape your horse is...a balanced saddle will be that- balanced.

If the pommel is higher than the cantle then I would personally think it too tight and tipping backwards...

 

[dumpling]

If the pommels too high then the centre will not be balanced and the riders weight will be pushed back to the back of the saddle.

29" ?! What on earth is 29"?

 

[dazedandconfused]

29 is how Stubben measure their saddles, 27 thru to 32.

 

[sbloom]

my only concern is that the pommel sits maybe an inch or two higher than the cantle and I vaguely recall the cantle and pommel should sit around the same level. Is this true for high withered horses too???

No no no .

There are very few saddles where the cantle would be lower than the pommel or even level with it, but all saddles vary. The cantle is nearly always higher than the pommel. A dressage saddle's cantle may be 2-3 inches higher than the pommel, a showing or jumping saddle may have a cantle only 1/2" higher than the pommel. You need to look at the seat - find the small "flat" (ish!) spot and make sure it is parallel with the ground.

Once you have decided the correct balance wihout a rider then you can see where the pommel and cantle should be in relationship with each other, plus see how the flat should look - how upright or not. THEN you can assess it with a rider - as horses lift their backs in work, and it can vary bewtween paces, the most important pace is in trot so check it is level in trot. It may be a little lower in the cantle in walk which is not ideal but can't always be avoided. If it is cantle low in trot you will be behind the movement and your weight banging on the back half of the saddle.