saddle fitting experts please help, esp Iberians

[siennamum]

We are breaking in a lovely horse at the moment. My son and he are in complete love. He is 5 y old, 16.2 & Luso x arab x ISH.

He has issues with his feet, which are being sorted, his teeth, and we are having massive problems getting a saddle to fit him. I think a made to measure would be ridiculously expensive when the horse is still growing & changing so much.

I have persuaded the owner to get a treeless as a temporary measure while we ride the horse away. he is so fat still that a normal saddle probs wouldn't fit him, and his weight isn't helping with the treeless. But I still think he must be uncomfortable and opinions or suggestions would be appreciated.

here is a pic of him when we started:

See how short his back is. You can see where the saddle sits - quite a way behind his girth groove:

With rider up - who is sitting on horses loins it seems to me, which can't be good, he could drop his stirrups to help possibly:

 

[sbloom]

Have you tried any treed saddles? Do tell us what you've tried and what the issues were. I fit flat backed natives and cobs as a speciality and do know models that would work, and are adjustable to an extent, but they could well be over the price you may have in mind.

 

[siennamum]

Have you tried any treed saddles? Do tell us what you've tried and what the issues were. I fit flat backed natives and cobs as a speciality and do know models that would work, and are adjustable to an extent, but they could well be over the price you may have in mind.

Haven't tried a treed saddle seriously, just used an extra wide Ideal when backing originally. he has a massive shoulder - the points of a treed saddle sit directly on his scapulas, I am concerned that the stirrup bars of this treeless also sit on his scapula in this saddle. Cost is always an issue, but owner would spend the money and I would recommend it if I thought the horse wouldn't need a new saddle in a few months.

 

[sbloom]

There are definitely off the peg possiblities which, even when a perfect fit, seem to offer more adjustability, and definitely better resale, than having to go M2M. You also get the full protection of the distance trading regulations if you buy off the peg.

If the tree is the right shape at the top - right pommel width, right tree point length - then in a fairly straight cut saddle the shoulder should have plenty of freedom. I find that with the right GP (even jump saddles!) we can also fit a lot of horses who have previously felt that a forward cut saddle impedes them, you just need the right tree shape.

 

[siennamum]

I understand that horses like this unusual trees, open head (?), this one was nowhere near fitting an extra wide saddle. The tree will have to fit over the shoulders I think as otherwise the rider is too far back.

 

[siennamum]

bumped