Saddle help for someone who knows nothing please.

TheBlackMoth

TheBlackMoth

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 October 2006
Messages
8,116
Location
Regency England
Visit site
Hi

As you may know, I am not the horsie one - it's my daughters.

We have a tb ex racer and our instructer has said his saddle does not fit. We have had derby house out and they have quoted £883 for a new saddle which will apparently have to be made because he is thinner at the back (or something more technical). Now this is a huge amount of money and I am very concerned that before I commit myself I look into alternatives.

Has anyone got any suggestions please. (Please please please)
 
Have you thought of a treeless? I've got a couple and they are fantastic, really do fit any horse. Very comfy as well and not drastically overpriced, I think I paid £300 for a brand new one a couple of years ago.
 
can you not try to get a second hand saddle fitted?

I would try a few other fitters, explain you have a small budget and see what they have. There are sysnthetic saddles out there that are designed with the TB shape in mind - made by Thorowgood - that are under £300 brand new.

Or try a Wintec adjustable synthetic maybe?
 
It might be worth getting getting a saddlers to try to fit a second hand one, or a synthetic (however I have never been able to make a wintec fit a TB). I tried the cheap route with my TB horses and ended up having to have a new one because they are so difficult to fit.

To be honest unless your saddle fits there is no point in having a horse because illfitting saddles cause pain, rubs and muscular problems.
 
Hi
I have had exactly the same problem... i got my tb ex racer in quite poor condition and now we have built it up (shes not qquite there yet) her saddle she came with doesnt fit. its too low at the withers and sits quite flat on her back. i phoned a thorowgood agent and she came out to measure her and were in the process of fitting one designed for tb's. i dont know what the final cost will be but i know they retail on the ride away site for approx £270. and you can change the gullets in them should the horse change shape a little more!
 
that doesnt sound to bad for one made to measure, i would personally try another saddler though as it is quite likely that you would be able to get a second hand one and get it altered to fit. I have all my saddles fitted with a prolite pad and if you intend on using any form if pad underneath it is adviseable to get the saddle fitted with one. If you dont know of any locally ask around. When you call give them idea of budget and what sort of saddle you are looking for and in my experience they will try their best to get something sorted for you. Also check that they are master saddlers i have a feeling you can get a list of them on the net somewhere
Good luck
smile.gif
 
Apparently he is narrow on the back but has wide withers which is why it needs to be made for him.

I understand that this saddler at Derby House has a very good reputation.
 
I think it depends on what you want to do with the horse - if you are hacking out for 40 mins 3 times a week then you will probably be okay getting a synthetic one with an adjustable gullet - Ive got a wintec one with cair for my TB mare and she is very fussy! If you want to do a lot of competing or something though I think its worth spending the extra money to try and avoid back problems in the future. Having said that, you may find a cheaper one that fits perfectly, so shop around...
smile.gif
 
I dont know about your particular problem but I am very happy with my thorowgood synthetic saddle for my TB mare. However, you will need to get it fitted by a professional just the same but the cost of these is not as much as for leather saddles where they are very durable (I love mine!!!)
... Like someone else said here before though, it is worth investing in a well-fitting saddle as otherwise you get bad back and ultimately no horse to ride at all...
 
Nuala,

Can you PM me about how far Derby House will travel and will they check existing saddles? I need my saddle checked and hadn't thought of them.

thanks
Lauren
 
Well I am in Didsbury and they are in Wrightington to I think they will travel a fair distance. I am going there today to pick some stuff up so will ask them for you.
 
I am sure there are many who will shoot me down for this, but for what it is worth this is my opinion.

I have been on yards, and know yards, where there are many horses, eventers or more especially racehorses. Do they all have individual saddles? No, there are a small number of saddles that are made to fit all the horses by use of gel pads/prolite pads/extra numnahs..and I have never seen a horse come to any harm.
As long as the wither and spine are cleared, the saddle doesn't sit on the loins and the pads at the back are nice and flat a saddle that is 'near enough' can be made to fit. The only time I would go away from this is if it was an endurance horse or something else liable to be wearing the saddle for many hours when of course it would make sense to have on specially made.

My view is that it is easy to get a bit precious and paranoid about saddle fitting, it is common sense rather than some kind of dark art. For those who are happy to spend over £1000, good luck to you and I am sure your saddles are lovely..I have never spent more than £400 (secondhand) and have never encountered a problem.
 
Nuala, ask around about saddle fitters in your area.
Give some a ring, and tell them about your horses shape. Most usually stock a large slection of new and second hand saddles, and will reflock where necessary to get the correct fit.
I paid £250 (a few years ago now though) for a gorgeously soft GP sadle that was fitted, reflocked, used for a few weeks then re-assessed again for settling of the flocking, and re-done again. All in the price.
I would imagine that you could pick something perfect up, for half the price you mentioned.
smile.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top