Saddle fitting nightmares…

[spotty_pony]

Had a bit of a nightmare with the last saddle fitter I used and sadly my old saddle fitter doesn’t come this far out. (if anybody can recommend a good qualified saddle fitter in Lincolnshire that would be fab?!)

I’ve had terrible trouble with my boy and purchasing a new saddle from a master saddler which gave him a bad back … long story short after a month of rehab I have got him riding well back on his old saddle and he is happy now.

Now I’ve had a few more problems with my mare who also had a saddle change. I was thinking due to the hard ground she was becoming short in front but I am now thinking it could be back related as well… she was sensitive over her back to palpation this evening but not consistently so I’m not 100% as cannot trust the saddle fitter. I still have her old saddle so will be giving that a try and seeing if she moves differently in that to rule that out I think…. Saddle we are using now is my old boy’s and is quite high in front - it was completely reflocked and saddle fitter said it would be ok but I’m not sure if it might be too wide still and quite frankly can’t trust him after what’s happened!

What would the saddle being too high in front cause?

 

[Timelyattraction]

Poppy webber is the best!

 

[sbloom]

The saddle being too high in front will cause your weight to be concentrated on the back of the saddle, with discomfort there, usually tension behind the saddle, long term the muscles there will bunch up and often try and pull the pelvis into the wrong alignment. The saddle may run forwards to an extent and you will get shortened strides, discomfort in the shoulder area, possibly bucking into canter, and likely slipping to one side (a saddle sitting in the wrong place seldom sits straight).

I would suggest looking to recommendations, long term if the saddle fitter has been in business for some time (ie not just posting on here or FB to ask for recommendations, search back instead), see if they have FB and Google reviews, if not, be suspicious, I know one dodgy company turned theirs off completely as they had too many bad ones! There are good and bad both qualified and non-qualified so be sure why you want qualified over anything else.

 

[spotty_pony]

The saddle being too high in front will cause your weight to be concentrated on the back of the saddle, with discomfort there, usually tension behind the saddle, long term the muscles there will bunch up and often try and pull the pelvis into the wrong alignment. The saddle may run forwards to an extent and you will get shortened strides, discomfort in the shoulder area, possibly bucking into canter, and likely slipping to one side (a saddle sitting in the wrong place seldom sits straight).

I would suggest looking to recommendations, long term if the saddle fitter has been in business for some time (ie not just posting on here or FB to ask for recommendations, search back instead), see if they have FB and Google reviews, if not, be suspicious, I know one dodgy company turned theirs off completely as they had too many bad ones! There are good and bad both qualified and non-qualified so be sure why you want qualified over anything else.

What you have said about the fit makes perfect sense as the tension in her back is towards the back of the saddle and she has been shortening her strides. The saddler I used is supposed to be a master saddler and is on the register!! I think I may report him to the society as think he needs reassessing!

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I use lorna from the tack box. She has done my saddles for years and never had any issues.