Pictures Saddle suggestions please?

ImmyS

ImmyS

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So.. having saddle dilemmas with Finn. Had saddler out and tried a few AH saddles, Black Country and Harry Dabbs. The only tree shape that fitted was the freedom tree Black Country, with half front gussets but didn’t have one wide enough. I am reluctant to buy brand new as Finn is only coming 4 so am looking for second hand also however they seem like gold dust! We have had ordered a new one as a last resort really but looking for other suggestions that may work for Finn?

Any body know of any other saddles that are similar to the freedom tree?

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This is a big reason why I ended up with WOW, because it's easily refitted as young horses change shape. The other reason is the flexible twist in the tree that gives great shoulder freedom. I have an old GP surplus to requirements when we move, that you can try, and buy if you like it, but you'll need a WOW fitter, at least to start off with. They're heavy, especially the old ones, and they are a bit marmite.
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ycbm said:
This is a big reason why I ended up with WOW, because it's easily refitted as young horses change shape. The other reason is the flexible twist in the tree that gives great shoulder freedom. I have an old GP surplus to requirements when we move, that you can try, and buy if you like it, but you'll need a WOW fitter, at least to start off with. They're heavy, especially the old ones, and they are a bit marmite.
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Thank you, I do believe we have a WOW saddle fitted fairly local so worth looking into. Have no experience of them whatsoever so not sure if I’d be on the love or hate team! ?
 
One of my Arab's is difficult to fit and my saddler recommended the same saddle I have never seen one second hand for sale in nearly 2 years.

I currently ride him in a Heritage show saddle but I don't get on with it so have been looking for a dressage saddle, my other horse has a Lavinia Mitchell dressage saddle and my fitter said that that would work but I need a wider one I've just found one luckily enough so I'm sorted.

The LM saddles are really wide they go up to a size 6 one of mine has a size 3 which is classed as a wide, I really like them my dressage saddle is the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden on.

It might be worth looking on there website and see you the fitter is in your area and they have a second hand saddle page, I have seen quite a few on ebay and a few other sites so they are not impossible to find.
 
Pinkvboots said:
One of my Arab's is difficult to fit and my saddler recommended the same saddle I have never seen one second hand for sale in nearly 2 years.

I currently ride him in a Heritage show saddle but I don't get on with it so have been looking for a dressage saddle, my other horse has a Lavinia Mitchell dressage saddle and my fitter said that that would work but I need a wider one I've just found one luckily enough so I'm sorted.

The LM saddles are really wide they go up to a size 6 one of mine has a size 3 which is classed as a wide, I really like them my dressage saddle is the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden on.

It might be worth looking on there website and see you the fitter is in your area and they have a second hand saddle page, I have seen quite a few on ebay and a few other sites so they are not impossible to find.
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I have looked at Lavinia Mitchell, unfortunately they don’t have a saddler local although one does come this way every now and again, just tricky if needs regular adjustments which is likely given his age - I really like their concept though!
 
He is similar to my boy short and wide. I have a kent and masters cob which is great because its adjustable and i knew he would be changing shape (ie losing a lot of weight) but the seat is 17.5 so large enough for me and the panels are short enough for him. Only thing i don't like about it is it does put me in more of a chair seat than i like to be but its tolerable for the level of work i do.
 
ImmyS said:
I have looked at Lavinia Mitchell, unfortunately they don’t have a saddler local although one does come this way every now and again, just tricky if needs regular adjustments which is likely given his age - I really like their concept though!
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They are easily adjustable as long you understand the concept you basically can do it yourself, they tend to fit them wider and you use shims to balance it out to allow the muscle to developed.

I have been doing my own for years and I use a regular saddle fitter for flocking and he also has an understanding of the shim concept and knows how to fit wide horses, I've never used a LM fitter apart from when I bought a brand new saddle and Lavinia came and fitted it and I had 2 follow up fittings after that as my horse needed a remedial fitting as he had muscle wastage, but since then I've just adjusted it myself with the shims.
 
I was about to suggest an ideal too. Buy second hand, keep it nice and sell it for what you paid for it if he gets bigger!

I cant find a single handy pic of my boy just standing, but he is also compact with a big old shoulder. I had an old aldion on him before, but the Ideal has made both of us happier.

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TheHairyOne said:
I was about to suggest an ideal too. Buy second hand, keep it nice and sell it for what you paid for it if he gets bigger!

I cant find a single handy pic of my boy just standing, but he is also compact with a big old shoulder. I had an old aldion on him before, but the Ideal has made both of us happier.

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I have been keeping an eye out for ideals but can’t seem to find any I think would be remotely wide enough!
 
Have seen both Fiona cork and chunky monkey and have seen some that I think may fit. It’s just such a minefield, I have had out a couple of fitters and sent templates/pictures to some and none have anything suitable! I would love to be able to try something before buying as already have two saddles sat around that don’t fit - I’ll be able to start my own saddle fitting service soon! ?
 
ImmyS said:
I have been keeping an eye out for ideals but can’t seem to find any I think would be remotely wide enough!
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I've got one that should fit. Came off my old boy who is a similar shape. Its a 17" black. I dont want much for it if you wanted to try it.
 
My chunky monkey is in a Strada saddle. It’s the only saddle that is stable on his extremely wide back with no withers (this is the ‘C’ tree). They are memory foam close contact and probably a bit marmite but I have 4 of them and wouldn’t have anything else now. The company has closed but you can pick up some very reasonably priced second hand ones on eBay and Facebook marketplace.
 
ImmyS said:
I have been keeping an eye out for ideals but can’t seem to find any I think would be remotely wide enough!
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I bought an extra wide and had it stretched on my local saddlers machine. You can get another full width doing that and if its under 10 years old Ideal will guarantee the tree...least thats what my saddler said. Mine was fine so never tested that!!

Edit : my sisters huge proper cob is in a strada dressage saddle. I think its lovely to ride in.
 
My chunky & ever changing pony has had umpteen saddles, but a Heather Moffett Flexee was our one.
They are on a stiffened leather tree which has a certain flexibilty.

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My very wide Highland is in a TreeFree saddle. He's changed shape a fair bit since he's been in lots of work, and if anything, it fits better than it did when I first got it. They will also let you have a weeks' trial in their saddles, so you can spend a wee bit of time with it. I had a weeks' trial on a couple saddles, so it was abundantly clear which one he preferred.
 
TheHairyOne said:
I was about to suggest an ideal too. Buy second hand, keep it nice and sell it for what you paid for it if he gets bigger!

I cant find a single handy pic of my boy just standing, but he is also compact with a big old shoulder. I had an old aldion on him before, but the Ideal has made both of us happier.

View attachment 89179
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I think you’ve got the male version of my mare! I did a double take when I saw that picture!
 
I’ve just acquired a WOW saddle after the horse decided he really didn’t like the Lavinia Mitchell saddle after all. Fitter told me which parts I needed and I bought them from fb. So far I am really impressed, as is the horse.
He is short coupled, needs a 16.5 whereas I need a 17” seat.
 
My chunky is in a stride free saddle, she is very wide & flat & it's been great as I can keep getting it adjusted
I started her off in an AH cob saddle that belonged to my other horse, bit she quickly expanded out of that.
 
Regandal said:
I’ve just acquired a WOW saddle after the horse decided he really didn’t like the Lavinia Mitchell saddle after all. Fitter told me which parts I needed and I bought them from fb. So far I am really impressed, as is the horse.
He is short coupled, needs a 16.5 whereas I need a 17” seat.
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Can you point me to the site you bought them from? I have at least 2 to sell and I don't trust ebay any more.
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