saddle problems

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cellie

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Just had mares back done and fortunately nothing wrong with her back but as she had violent dislike for this years hay she has lost topline and her saddle no longer fits , saddle is 17 1/2 and is pressing on her last rib causing her to buck and hollow out. Saddle is barnsby the med width fits perfectly ,would 17 still fit her as well at withers if I managed to get hold of one. Her stubben fits her well on back but is tight on withers .This is 3rd saddle all fitted by master saddle fitter ,:o:(so frustrating
 
I'm intrigued as horses' rib cage lengths don't change once they have stopped growing. If it is geuinely beyond her last rib then it always has been. I suspect the saddle is cantle low and there is pressure ON the last rib which is making her sore. You need a different panel make up if you are looking at another saddle, something with a deeper rear gusset to lift the cantle, but a fitter needs to judge this. I'd certainly not go for another saddle until I actually knew what the problem was.

I see a lot of sore backs from the cantle being too low, the saddle must be in balance. You could use a rear riser as a temporary fix but you must balance the saddle carefully. I like Mattes Correction numnahs as they are very stable, lovely sheepskin, and can be finely tuned as they have very thin shims which you can use several of to get exactly the right amount of lift.
 
Thanks for input.Saddle belonged to my old tb had it from new but when new horse improved topline it fitted her well.Shes dropped lot of weight so whole balance has changed .Perhaps it might be better to get original fitter out for riser until she gains again,certainly cant afford to another saddle .Same thing happened last year and her bates didnt fit after she had gained condition.
The saddle has always been tad long but didnt interfere with her back until now.Ill give my fitter a ring :o:D
 
I'm afraid I'm rather black and white on these things - if the saddle is too long then I'd not use it even if it's in the correct balance. It certainly sounds like, if it's genuinely not too long, you need to lift the back to stop is putting pressure under the rear of the panel.
 
What do you think of kent masters adjustable saddle my fitter has suggested this type of saddle .I have decided to sell barnsby not prepared to take risk even with pads,I am trying one sunday and will call fitter out if it appears good fit.:)
 
I only fit my own brands and only see other brands when they're not working so I'm not best placed to comment on them really. I know they have become massively popular with some fitters and with riders but like any brand they are only a solution if they fit, a good friend of mine wrote this great blog piece:

http://saddlefitter.blogspot.com/2009/11/from-tree-up-sub-topic-adjustable-trees.html#more

If you work with a fitter that does this, traditional beech laminate trees can be adjusted a handful of times, generally up a couple of sizes and down one, which gives most horse owners plenty of options if the horse changes shape.

There have been lots of comments on here and other forums about K&M saddles so worth searching.

Edited to add - I ought to say that their panels are not the shortest compared to the seat size, so if she is short backed and is struggling to take the length of seat that you really need, they may not be your bset option. In that case look for a panel that doesn't stick out beyond the cantle.
 
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I know where you are coming from and agree with concerns on blog. I assure you I always use master fitter but we really struggle to find anything to fit . I've tried albion sold bates due to changing shape, stubben sold due to changing shape barnsby was good fit !! Keiffer wrong shape only saddle that seemed perfect was monoflap but didn't have 1600 plus no guarrantees with her forever changing shape. I'll keep my mind open and maybe try another fitter lol
 
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