Saddle fit and the young horse

Peter7917

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I personally ride youngsters in a treeless and then they get a treed saddle once they are older and fitter and fully mature.

A friend had a saddle fitted to her four year old. After just three months, the saddle no longer fit as the horse had dramatically changed shape. She had a saddler out around six times within an eighteen month period to make adjustments to keep the saddle fitting correctly and the horse comfortable.

Do most people do this? It concerns me that there are likely people who have a saddle fitted to a young horse and then don't bother to ever get it checked again until there is a problem, by which point the horse has already experienced discomfort in some way.

How often do you get your saddles checked? Do you do it more for youngsters?

A girl at a yard local to me had been riding in a poorly fitting saddle for literally years. Saint of a pony put up with it, I wonder how many more out there are in the same position with sweet, honest animals who just do their best despite the pain.
 

Denbob

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My 6yo is on the 5th saddle in the 2 years I've had him - all assessed by saddlers. I rely heavily on the advice I get from professionals so it's been interesting to see what different advice I've had from different people! But based on threads on here, guidance from pros, and a bit of common sense in between 'official' visits from the saddler/physio (3-6 monthly) i'll do my own testing for sore points as instructed by my physio, and a weekly check of saddle fit using https://www.doversaddlery.com/english-saddle-fitting-guidelines/a/405/ and information I get from my saddle fitter.
 

RHM

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I had to buy a treeless purely to save my sanity. The pony got through four saddles in a year before I called it a day. Its only now that he is fit and in constant work that I’m considering a treed saddle again.
 

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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I've got a youngster (she's the one in my profile picture), and we ride treeless: it suits us both, and frankly she is such an odd shape that I very much doubt that we'd get a tree'd saddle to ever fit her. Blimmin cobs!

I do get her back regularly checked (and mine too, I use the same McTimoney practitioner for me AND the horses), as well as the fact that the firm who made her saddle live near enough to pop out for a check if needed.
 

Polos Mum

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When I got my 5 y/os fitted not long after I bought him (recently broken) the saddler promised me what she was selling me wouldn't fit in 6 months time. She was apologetic but honest that the shape he was and condition he was in there was just nothing that would be comfy now and still OK with 6 months of work.
She made a big thing about it as she'd had lots of people angry with her when after 6 months on a youngster saddles were causing problems and it was her fault !
Saddles are a mine field
 

Follysmum

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Unless you get a good adjustable saddle that is frequently checked I wouldn’t bother with an expensive saddle until they about 7/8. I would always prefer a good fitted 2nd hand that’s checked frequently.
 

sbloom

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A fitter friend has recently had someone try to throw a saddle back and get a refund and part of her reason is that she had 4 saddle adjustments in just under 2 years. Unbelievable lack of understanding of how, and how much, horses change shape. The SMS now recommend a check every three months, I have had customer horses change by a width fitting in under a month, spring grass and/or good rehab or classical work can really make them a lot wider, for bad and good reasons in that order!

Agree with Polos Mum's statement, when the horse outgrows a saddle, especially if you try and help the owner by keeping it working as long as possible (and it eventually doesn't work) and you get the blame and they go buy their next saddle from someone else. It's the fact the saddle fitting was so good that the horse gained topline!
 

ycbm

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This is why I first moved to WOW saddles. One saddle for the entire life of the horse. Umpteen different gullet plates and air changes!
 

Wheels

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My 6 year old is on his 5th saddle, this time last year I decided to try a treeless and his topline bloomed so much that even his treeless was no longer working so I had to change it! Using a treeless does not negate the need to change although minor adjustments are not needed in quite the same way
 

flying_high

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A fitter friend has recently had someone try to throw a saddle back and get a refund and part of her reason is that she had 4 saddle adjustments in just under 2 years. Unbelievable lack of understanding of how, and how much, horses change shape. The SMS now recommend a check every three months, I have had customer horses change by a width fitting in under a month, spring grass and/or good rehab or classical work can really make them a lot wider, for bad and good reasons in that order!

Agree with Polos Mum's statement, when the horse outgrows a saddle, especially if you try and help the owner by keeping it working as long as possible (and it eventually doesn't work) and you get the blame and they go buy their next saddle from someone else. It's the fact the saddle fitting was so good that the horse gained topline!

I'd be thrilled if / when my horses out grow saddles. I tend to buy second hand, sell on second hand, and buy second hand again, so it is a constant iterative process.
 

Batgirl

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I was extremely lucky that my expensive made to measure saddle (bought for an 8 yo) fits my 4 yo Clyde with room to spare (it is super wide with air) so currently about to book fit 2 (though I adjust myself with pads between fits as he literally is changing weekly!).

I find it so hard to bang my head against the 'it fit 6 months ago, it's still the same horse' but equally hard to bang head against the 'wnky saddle' when it is 'wonky rider'.

I learned a lot about saddle fitting by trusting a very bad 'fitter' in my area that when it was demonstrated to me reaslised why my horse was bucking, despite being told after fit 4 that the saddle fit, and in fact the saddle could have never fit due to my horses basic shape. I rely on my common sense and instincts a lot more now!
 

teddypops

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I use an adjustable saddle company saddle on my youngsters. I can then continue to use this or I sometimes get them a made to measure saddle once they are mature.
 

nikkimariet

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I made do using Figs saddle on Nova until it was physically no longer viable. Luckily it just about worked, but if I had to then I'd would camp it out with a cheap wintec or similar.

Nova had his checked religiously every few months and only now is he starting to settle down. Fig has his checked every 3/4 months even as a mature horse.
 

Hormonal Filly

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Just to bump this old thread up..

My mare is 4 soon. I’ve been long lining her but don’t have a saddle to progress to start backing her in new year. My usual saddle fitter is ill (very old) but he said I’d have to ride her first before getting one fitted?!

I have no idea on which length.. I think she’s quite short in the back but wouldn’t be 100% and slight worried Ia friends horse end up with a very sore back from a wrongly fitted treeless saddle!
 

windand rain

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I have a saddler coming to see if my saddle will fit the youngster. It was made to measure for another highland over 20 years ago it still fits her with tiny alterations to flocking so she has had the same saddle from newly backed 4 year old to rising 26. Checked regularly by a master saddler and about to be fitted to the youngster if possible. If not it will be a second hand one or another made to measure for her
 

sbloom

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Just to bump this old thread up..

My mare is 4 soon. I’ve been long lining her but don’t have a saddle to progress to start backing her in new year. My usual saddle fitter is ill (very old) but he said I’d have to ride her first before getting one fitted?!

I have no idea on which length.. I think she’s quite short in the back but wouldn’t be 100% and slight worried Ia friends horse end up with a very sore back from a wrongly fitted treeless saddle!

Find another saddle fitter. Backing with a treeless often needs at least a light rebacking anyway and a static fit is possible, even if not ideal. I have even been present at 3 backings when fitting and selling a saddle! Those first few rides are too important to risk it.
 

Equi

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ive had my saddle for 5 months and its been adjusted once cause horse lost weight/toned up so changed shape. This is why i bought an adjustable type saddle so i could do this, because i knew he would need weight off and his back would change with more muscle. He is 16 so its not only youngsters who need changes.
 

maya2008

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I do what the OP on this thread mentioned - and have never needed to reback to use a treed saddle. We use quite sturdy treeless saddles though - Torsion/Freeform.

Most saddlers will happily fit you a saddle to your unbacked horse. It would be a really good idea to be sure they won’t take off bucking when you do the girth up though - rollers are good for that, and people often use an older saddle to practise getting them used to one (without any weight on board) so they will be calm in the fitting. Depends on the temperament of your horse though…!
 

Roasted Chestnuts

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Exactly why I have a fully adjustable saddle for my youngster.

Before I start rebacking and riding him away in the spring I’ll be having the saddle fitter out once all the long lunging and reminding have done their bit and He’s ready for me to get on board. He will also have the chiro to make sure everything is ok.
 

Polos Mum

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Hormonal Filly - I would find another saddler too.

For my 4 y/o unbroken my saddler fitted the saddle twice before I got on.

Once as I was just starting to use it from the ground - long reining - I had practiced putting them on and off and doing girth up lightly 3-4 times. She found one that was OK for that.
Then she came back after a couple of months to check just before I was going to get on.
Then she came back after a month when I could get on and walk a couple of laps of the school - fiddling with flocking each time and the third time adding a point strap.

She's then back every 3-4 months as he's changing so much with work / age. We haven't really started to canter yet 12 months in so she's only seen walk and wiggly trot.

As before I'm under no illusion that this is a cheap route and we will be 2-3 actual saddles down before he's fully mature but I know he's comfortable. The saddles she has are quality second hand ones so they are £400-500 but she will buy them back for £50-100 ish less than you paid for them six months later so it works out economical in the long run I think.
 

sbloom

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ive had my saddle for 5 months and its been adjusted once cause horse lost weight/toned up so changed shape. This is why i bought an adjustable type saddle so i could do this, because i knew he would need weight off and his back would change with more muscle. He is 16 so its not only youngsters who need changes.

A changeable headplate or similar can sometimes buy an advantage but not always, far from it, as the angle of the arch is only one of, arguably, 9 factors in saddle fit. Tree shape, and then panel shape, so often also need to change, in fact once a horse has changed two widths it's more likely than not that they need a different tree, panel or both.

Buying and selling good, used leather wooden treed saddles is a pain for some, I understand that, but is so often a better solution.

Hormonal Filly - I would find another saddler too.

For my 4 y/o unbroken my saddler fitted the saddle twice before I got on.

Once as I was just starting to use it from the ground - long reining - I had practiced putting them on and off and doing girth up lightly 3-4 times. She found one that was OK for that.
Then she came back after a couple of months to check just before I was going to get on.
Then she came back after a month when I could get on and walk a couple of laps of the school - fiddling with flocking each time and the third time adding a point strap.

She's then back every 3-4 months as he's changing so much with work / age. We haven't really started to canter yet 12 months in so she's only seen walk and wiggly trot.

As before I'm under no illusion that this is a cheap route and we will be 2-3 actual saddles down before he's fully mature but I know he's comfortable. The saddles she has are quality second hand ones so they are £400-500 but she will buy them back for £50-100 ish less than you paid for them six months later so it works out economical in the long run I think.

Perfect. I will warn that horses can change shape enough to need an adjustment in a week or two...not that I'm suggesting anyone should feel they should have a check that often, but it's why it's critical to learn as much as possible about what to watch for that indicates the saddle may no longer be a perfect fit.
 

southerncomfort

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Exactly why I have a fully adjustable saddle for my youngster.

Before I start rebacking and riding him away in the spring I’ll be having the saddle fitter out once all the long lunging and reminding have done their bit and He’s ready for me to get on board. He will also have the chiro to make sure everything is ok.

Me too.

In fact, we've just gone back to the adjustable and I'm selling my lovely leather WH saddle, as he just vastly prefers the adjustable saddle. I'm going to keep using the adjustable until he's finished growing and then look again other saddles.

The big issue for me is that none of the mobile saddle fitters near seem to stock anything to fit natives.
 

Hormonal Filly

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Thank you all for your replies, much appreciated!

Find another saddle fitter. Backing with a treeless often needs at least a light rebacking anyway and a static fit is possible, even if not ideal. I have even been present at 3 backings when fitting and selling a saddle! Those first few rides are too important to risk it.

I’ve booked a different recommended fitted but she can’t come until new year. I’d like to get a saddle soon even to just start long lining in (heavier then the roller and can hang stirrups etc)

My previous 2 horses both had 16.5” Monarch saddles and they were excellent, adjustable, very comfy and fitted them well only needing gullet changes.

I’ve found an as new one listed for sale for £575 which I thought was a good price. I’m sure my filly is quite short in the back. Would you risk buying said saddle now and hoping it can be adjusted to fit in new year?

I can try a friends 17” K&M on later for length. I’m not going to ride in it, but hoping it won’t be wildly off.
 

pistolpete

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Saddle fitting argh!! Remember all the drama I had with my odd moving warmblood. He wasn’t a youngster but he had four saddles in ten years. I ended up using a LM saddle with a numnah shim pocket system so adjustments could be made regularly. Worked for us.
 

sbloom

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I’ve found an as new one listed for sale for £575 which I thought was a good price. I’m sure my filly is quite short in the back. Would you risk buying said saddle now and hoping it can be adjusted to fit in new year?

That has to be a personal call, no saddle fits everything, if they're similar types then maybe, but only buy at a price you think you could sell at, and if your fitter is happy to adjust something you've bought. Would she offer an opinion on whether it might fit from photos?
 
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