Saddle Fitting issues, advice and help!

J

Jojoba

Active Member
Joined
17 May 2009
Messages
38
Visit site
Wasn't sure which area to put this in!

Sorry, long post. Looking for some help on saddle fitting. I have a 14hh fell pony with not a cobby but a more typically Arab-y back - he has some wither, a slight curve and a wide but not flat saddle area. His back is very short and as I'm a tall rider we struggle to find something that suits us both. Over the years we have tried a ridiculous amount of saddles and for the last 2 we have been using a FlexEE which has been by far the best, however it is not perfect and I'm hoping to find something that will finally end my saddle quest once and for all.
My wish list is that it will be adjustable, ideally in the tree and not just the gullet, hopefully customisable, good quality. I have a budget around £1k ish so might have to be second hand but I'm hopeful there is something within that price range. Needs to be traditional looking for showing. Horse's back is in good condition from the FlexEE and I'm very keen to keep it that way.
I'm looking at WOW, Barrie Swain holistic semi flex, Hastilow concept, solution smart... I'm open to suggestions. However my main problem is that I really can't find any fitters (esp ones for these kind of saddles). I'm usually quite dubious about saddle fitters anyway (I've had a custom made saddle in the past that was an awful fit and changed the saddles of a few horses who were "professionally" fitted too), and living in Scotland reduces my options greatly!
So what I'm really hoping for is suggestions on both saddles and saddlers (covering south Scotland - even if only when travelling) that have a proven reputation! Please feel free to PM.
 
Last edited:
Ffionwinnie lives up your way and got a really nice andrea hicks native pony saddle made and fitted- If you PM am sure she can advise who! I know not adjustable but all trees are to a certain extent (my saddler is currently narrowing my tree to template as my old lad has lost some of his top line due to age now).
 
I've had a vogue before and unfortunately it didn't work for us.

Just to make it easier - here's a list of saddles he's had that didn't work out ;)....

Vogue (dressage)
fhoenix 17" (dressage and gp)
Fhoenix 16" (dressage customised)
FlexEE (dressage and gp)
Silhouette (wh)
Antill (GP)
Wintec (old style dressage)
Wintec (new cob and standard gps)
Thorowgood (dressage old style)
Barefoot Cheyenne
Barefoot London
Trekker
Easisit
GFS (GP)
Freeform
Freemax

He's also tried a few native pony saddles and saddle company saddles without much luck, and various second handers I don't know the make of (tried by a few different saddlers). It's going to be a main requirement of my next horse that it's easy to fit a saddle to ;).

I'm hoping a flexible fit will be a better option for us than a custom made one, as if he doesn't like a custom I'll have difficulty selling it and be left out of pocket straight away. Resale on a flexible fit should be better I hope...
 
Last edited:
do note that native pony saddles and andrea hicks native pony saddles are now different though ;).

That's a hell of a list! I hope you like him!
 
Solution is in my list to try, I'm not 100% sold on them - I think a wow is my first choice but I know they are only as good as the fitter... I have ridden in an old style (ansur) solution and truly hated it, but never tried the new style - would be interested to try a smart.

Breaking him to drive is on my to do list, but as an addition, not alternative, to riding ;)!
 
I know of a good Wow fitter up here although I don't know if she still stocks them. PM me if you like.

Another that I recommend to people is the Thorowgood endurance. I have a 13h Exmoor who is broad but does have a low wither, big shoulders and in a 5'6 rug. A 16.5inch wintec GP is too long for him but he can take a 17inch in the TG endurance. You can pick them up cheaply of the fixed gullet style, the newer changeable gullets are somewhat harder to find and about £400 new. I also have a wow which I think is a 16inch with larger panels but its for my somewhat narrower horse and I don't want to be changing headplates all the time.
 
Buy the wow and a pump set and fit the wow yourself, you obviously have the skills. Most common panel is dwg with tabs. I can make sdwg with tabs and gusset fit most horses but I was recently told by a fitter that the most common panel is a dwg with tabs. You could do with size 0 panels with a size 1 seat, probably.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top