SADDLE FITTINGS...Albion vs Bates vs Barnsby

AnShanDan

AnShanDan

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I've been offered (cheaply) a Barnsby dressage saddle. It's on a BS 6635 NM tree and I'm wondering how that compares to either an albion M TB (current jumping saddle) and a Bates M gullet (current dressage saddle). I'm thinking, maybe too narrow?
Problem is saddle is in Ireland and posting it over is expensive, but it would be worth it if I thought there was a chance of it fitting.
Any thoughts I'd be grateful!
 
You are asking if a narrow medium fitting will be narrower than a medium. Yes, of course it will.

If your horse currently takes a medium, which is a fair assumption, as two of your saddles are that size, then it is foolish to hope that he will suddenly be able to take a narrower fitting. Don't waste your money.
 
Thanks Tracey01. Obviously I know that in theory a NM should be narrower than my M TB, but I was hoping that someone might have direct experience of comparing these makes of saddle. The owner of this saddle reckons it is a medium fitting not narrow/medium and different makes do have different sizing.
smile.gif
 
Yes I agree- different makes do vary and size up very differently- it's as to whether you want to take the risk of it not fitting! it's not so much the fit as it is finding a saddle with a tree that is compatible with your horses back and topline.

In theory a NM is one size down from Medium fit, but there is always a variation from make to make.

One of my horses had an Albion NM on a T.B tree when he was a 5 year old and it was actually fairly wide.

Maybe you can take a template of your horses back, and they can do the same with the saddle or you could get a saddler out with a selection to try so as to avoid heartache if it doen't fit!!. But good luck with it though.
 
Barnsby dont do their widths by medium, wide etc etc, it will have a no. on it to indicate the width, eg a 3 is a medium, a 2 a NM and a 4 a MW....
 
Thanks for the thoughts.

According to the owner of this saddle (my cousins friend) there are no stamps on the flaps (I found this surprising but it must be true) only the stirrup bar mark.

I am going to get them to email me a template of the saddle and I can make a decision based on that. It's a lovely saddle in the photo and it's brown which is not so easy to find.

My own Albion is not that wide def. the narrower side of medium, so I'm not totally clutching at straws!
 
I was told that Albions come up wider than other saddles, so if your horse is a M in an Albion, I certainly wouldn't want to go less than M in another brand.
 
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