Ginn
Well-Known Member
I got T a second hand Barnsby GP last summer as I cannot abide the wintec and found the Saddle Co WH one that I had did not suit me at all, even though she was very happy in it, and the seat was a wee bit small for me - couldn't go for a bigger seat as she's too short backed for bigger pannels!
So we got the Barnsby, had it fitted by the local saddlery with a good rep - Glos people will probably know who as its the one in Stroud although due to waiting lists I couldn't get L out and had one of the female saddle fitters instead. She seemed lovely, agreed that with a baby who was muscling up it was best to go for a med fit (she measured med-narrow) as its far better to go for a slightly too wide saddle with a prolite/adjusted flocking than a perfect fit that would pinch as soon as she muscled/filled out a bit.
I LOVE the Barnsby, find it really comfy but T has never gone particularly well in it compared to the SC saddle - but the SC didn't fit me! I had it rechecked before bringing her back into work and it was agreed that it was still fine for its purpose and just to keep the prolite underneath it while she muscles up, then move to a big thick polypad, and have it checked regularly.
Now over the last few months we've been riding her bareback (or more to the point Kiri has) and she has been fine - back and teeth etc are all ok I might add! She's been lunging really well in the roller for a week now so last night I lunged her in the saddle and then Kiri got on to walk her off. She clearly wasn't happy but we put it down to the first time she's been under saddle in 6 months and she is now a big, strong and quite opinionated 4 year old so we put it down to a baby strop and thought nothing of it except feeling that she needs a bit more groundwork and we'll be getting our instructor back up so when she strops we can deal with it correctly and nip it in the bud!
However, tonight I went up and lunged again and noticed the saddle seemed to be lifting at the back in trot (though not so much in walk and canter, especially when she rounded more). She was as good as gold on the lunge - we let the stirrups hang and bounce around and worked her pretty hard after last nights tantrum as I've been a bit soft up till now and although she had a bit of a buck in canter when I sent her forward (she's fundamentally lazy!) she was fine, ears pricked, no problems. Just this damn saddle lifting business!!!
The saddle only appears to lift 1cm max, if that! Its as though its rotating just behind the pommel, in line with the girth straps if that makes sense? We also put an elasticated surcingle on today. However it doesn't move at the front and I am wondering if this is uncomfortable coupled with a riders weight, hence the stropping last night. Equally I can't work out whether this is becuase 1) the tree is the wrong shape for her back, 2) she has very little topline (and so will improve with work), 3) it is too narrow, hence pinching/perching at the front and therefore not sitting 4) is too wide so sitting too low at the front compared to the back, or 5) she is bum high! or whether it is just something else all together.
When we put her back in the stable I had a really good look at it on her back without any pads etc. and to be fair it looks like quite a good fit, a wee bit wide (but then thats what we were told to have) and with the prolite it looks ok too but just gives her a bit more clearance at the wither, but then the prolite does lift it all the way around, not just at the front (again I asked about whether we'd do better with a front riser but saddler said the wide normal prolite was best for T and this particular saddle).
I guess I'm just not too sure how normal this is given her lack of muscle and age and that everything is a bit of a compromise atm. We've tried a variety of saddles on her and the Barnsby was the best, not too wide at a medium and seemed to suit her shape well.I also spoke to Barnsby directly and they said the advice I was given was exactly what they'd suggest too and that they won't come out and properly fit a saddle until a horse is atleast 5 as they change shape too much so I've done the right thing. I'd also not use another saddlery in the area as I have heard nothing but good things about these guys in the past and they have always been very helpful and the other local saddlers don't have the best rep, one of which I refuse to use anyway as he is awful!
I just don't know what to try, saddler says its ok, and the stropping may be entirely due to a stroppy teenager phase and nothing to do with the saddle BUT I do not want to ride her through it and literally crack her across the arse when she strops if there is an underlying cause that I am missing and seeing as she is 110% bareback I'm inclined to think its either than being bareback on a baby we've not actually asked anything demanding of her so she doesn't associate it with hard work OR its the saddle.
Oh, final point. At xmas she had treatment for a large sarcoid on her girth and the skin is still a little sensitive where the tissue is still healing. She is ridden/worked in a beautifully thick, soft sheepskin girth with elastic on both ends to help not irritate the area but I'm inclined to think this isn't a problem as she is fine on the lunge when the saddle appears to move the most anyway.
Any ideas, really sorry for the length of this post, cookies for those who read it all and reply
So we got the Barnsby, had it fitted by the local saddlery with a good rep - Glos people will probably know who as its the one in Stroud although due to waiting lists I couldn't get L out and had one of the female saddle fitters instead. She seemed lovely, agreed that with a baby who was muscling up it was best to go for a med fit (she measured med-narrow) as its far better to go for a slightly too wide saddle with a prolite/adjusted flocking than a perfect fit that would pinch as soon as she muscled/filled out a bit.
I LOVE the Barnsby, find it really comfy but T has never gone particularly well in it compared to the SC saddle - but the SC didn't fit me! I had it rechecked before bringing her back into work and it was agreed that it was still fine for its purpose and just to keep the prolite underneath it while she muscles up, then move to a big thick polypad, and have it checked regularly.
Now over the last few months we've been riding her bareback (or more to the point Kiri has) and she has been fine - back and teeth etc are all ok I might add! She's been lunging really well in the roller for a week now so last night I lunged her in the saddle and then Kiri got on to walk her off. She clearly wasn't happy but we put it down to the first time she's been under saddle in 6 months and she is now a big, strong and quite opinionated 4 year old so we put it down to a baby strop and thought nothing of it except feeling that she needs a bit more groundwork and we'll be getting our instructor back up so when she strops we can deal with it correctly and nip it in the bud!
However, tonight I went up and lunged again and noticed the saddle seemed to be lifting at the back in trot (though not so much in walk and canter, especially when she rounded more). She was as good as gold on the lunge - we let the stirrups hang and bounce around and worked her pretty hard after last nights tantrum as I've been a bit soft up till now and although she had a bit of a buck in canter when I sent her forward (she's fundamentally lazy!) she was fine, ears pricked, no problems. Just this damn saddle lifting business!!!
The saddle only appears to lift 1cm max, if that! Its as though its rotating just behind the pommel, in line with the girth straps if that makes sense? We also put an elasticated surcingle on today. However it doesn't move at the front and I am wondering if this is uncomfortable coupled with a riders weight, hence the stropping last night. Equally I can't work out whether this is becuase 1) the tree is the wrong shape for her back, 2) she has very little topline (and so will improve with work), 3) it is too narrow, hence pinching/perching at the front and therefore not sitting 4) is too wide so sitting too low at the front compared to the back, or 5) she is bum high! or whether it is just something else all together.
When we put her back in the stable I had a really good look at it on her back without any pads etc. and to be fair it looks like quite a good fit, a wee bit wide (but then thats what we were told to have) and with the prolite it looks ok too but just gives her a bit more clearance at the wither, but then the prolite does lift it all the way around, not just at the front (again I asked about whether we'd do better with a front riser but saddler said the wide normal prolite was best for T and this particular saddle).
I guess I'm just not too sure how normal this is given her lack of muscle and age and that everything is a bit of a compromise atm. We've tried a variety of saddles on her and the Barnsby was the best, not too wide at a medium and seemed to suit her shape well.I also spoke to Barnsby directly and they said the advice I was given was exactly what they'd suggest too and that they won't come out and properly fit a saddle until a horse is atleast 5 as they change shape too much so I've done the right thing. I'd also not use another saddlery in the area as I have heard nothing but good things about these guys in the past and they have always been very helpful and the other local saddlers don't have the best rep, one of which I refuse to use anyway as he is awful!
I just don't know what to try, saddler says its ok, and the stropping may be entirely due to a stroppy teenager phase and nothing to do with the saddle BUT I do not want to ride her through it and literally crack her across the arse when she strops if there is an underlying cause that I am missing and seeing as she is 110% bareback I'm inclined to think its either than being bareback on a baby we've not actually asked anything demanding of her so she doesn't associate it with hard work OR its the saddle.
Oh, final point. At xmas she had treatment for a large sarcoid on her girth and the skin is still a little sensitive where the tissue is still healing. She is ridden/worked in a beautifully thick, soft sheepskin girth with elastic on both ends to help not irritate the area but I'm inclined to think this isn't a problem as she is fine on the lunge when the saddle appears to move the most anyway.
Any ideas, really sorry for the length of this post, cookies for those who read it all and reply
