Saddler for a flat back

[Buttercup01]

I am at the end of my tether with my new pony now, she is a complete table top no withers and she’s wide she’s only 13.1 Welsh x. I’ve called lots of saddlers and none bring out second hand Saddle’s, I can’t afford £500/600 for a saddle to be used once or twice a week for hacking on her. I’ve tried a T4 Wintec and three old type show saddles. Nothing seems to be flat enough and I feel like giving up I’ve only had her a month, ( she came with a bad fit saddle)

 

[Fly_By_Wire]

Would you consider treeless? I have no personal experience of them but know some people with wide withered/flat backed horses who swear by them. A decent saddle will cost though, I've recently been hunting for a second hand saddle with a budget of £500 and found slim pickings, especially if you don't want the ubiquitous 17' medium wide tree! Facebook marketplace can be good if you know exactly what you want, or you can find people close enough who will let you put it on the horse before committing to buying it, but can be an expensive game if you don't have those two things!

 

[Buttercup01]

Would you consider treeless? I have no personal experience of them but know some people with wide withered/flat backed horses who swear by them. A decent saddle will cost though, I've recently been hunting for a second hand saddle with a budget of £500 and found slim pickings, especially if you don't want the ubiquitous 17' medium wide tree! Facebook marketplace can be good if you know exactly what you want, or you can find people close enough who will let you put it on the horse before committing to buying it, but can be an expensive game if you don't have those two things!

I’ve heard such mixed reviews on treeless saddles and she is slightly short so I need a 16inch, I’ve tried many before you buy types locally and saddlers aren’t very helpful, even when I send over photos. It is an expensive game. I only want to hack her and school maybe pop a few jumps but you do pay lots for a saddle to fit whatever you are using it for. It’s so hard trying to find one that’s very flat. And looking at photos is very hard work to determine.

 

[Annagain]

I appreciate you don't want to spend a fortune but ultimately, the best saddle is one that fits so I'd invest now in getting a saddler out to give her a proper assessment. It'll be worth it, especially if you intend to keep her for a while. 2 or 3 times a week is 150 times a year. If a saddle costs you £500 that's £3.50 a ride over a year, reducing the longer you keep her and the saddle. What you do during the ride is irrelevant, really. Maybe if you let us know the rough area you're in people could recommend a saddler with experience in wide, flat backed ponies?

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I saw your other post, I am in Guildford so not far from you. I used Sbloom who is a member on here who fits for AH saddles, they're specifically designed for flat backed natives. Only downside is they are a bit above your budget but I honestly think it is worth it no matter how often you ride. You'll spend more in physio/vet fees when pony ends up with a sore back. Also for me the confidence I get from a saddle that i feel "at one" with is priceless.

Only other suggestion is Helen Long who fits for Saddle Company. I had one previously which did technically fit and you can pick up second hand for less than £400, it just didn't do either me or my pony any favours.

Good luck! Saddle fitting can be a nightmare.

 

[Fly_By_Wire]

I saw your other post, I am in Guildford so not far from you. I used Sbloom who is a member on here who fits for AH saddles, they're specifically designed for flat backed natives. Only downside is they are a bit above your budget but I honestly think it is worth it no matter how often you ride. You'll spend more in physio/vet fees when pony ends up with a sore back. Also for me the confidence I get from a saddle that i feel "at one" with is priceless.

Only other suggestion is Helen Long who fits for Saddle Company. I had one previously which did technically fit and you can pick up second hand for less than £400, it just didn't do either me or my pony any favours.

Good luck! Saddle fitting can be a nightmare.

This, I'm currently paying for physio and doing in hand only rehab to fix a problem that I'm 90% sure was down to the saddle, and that was one brand new fitted by a saddler. It's so worth paying to get a good saddle fit!

 

[sbloom]

I would love to help but even second hand budget is an issue, they often go for more than that. Have a look here https://www.facebook.com/groups/1641386762817197/, for used flatter treed saddles, I or my colleagues (not sure if you're definitely in my area)can advise what to look for from photos etc.

 

[Tarragon]

I successfully used a Barefoot Cherokee treeless saddle on my 2 13hh ponies. It isn't my main saddle but may suit the amount of riding you implied you do. These saddles are sized for the rider as because there is no rigid tree, the length of the saddle isn't so relevant.

 

[canteron]

Generally, if you buy a good quality saddle from a recognised maker you can recoup most, if not all, of the cost if you have to resell so looked at that way it’s not so expensive (and you have a saddle both you and your horse like!

 

[Buttercup01]

I saw your other post, I am in Guildford so not far from you. I used Sbloom who is a member on here who fits for AH saddles, they're specifically designed for flat backed natives. Only downside is they are a bit above your budget but I honestly think it is worth it no matter how often you ride. You'll spend more in physio/vet fees when pony ends up with a sore back. Also for me the confidence I get from a saddle that i feel "at one" with is priceless.

Only other suggestion is Helen Long who fits for Saddle Company. I had one previously which did technically fit and you can pick up second hand for less than £400, it just didn't do either me or my pony any favours.

Good luck! Saddle fitting can be a nightmare.

Hi thanks for the reply I tried helen as she fitted my friends horse with a saddle company saddle for £250 and now she isn’t taking on any new customers ?

 

[Buttercup01]

I successfully used a Barefoot Cherokee treeless saddle on my 2 13hh ponies. It isn't my main saddle but may suit the amount of riding you implied you do. These saddles are sized for the rider as because there is no rigid tree, the length of the saddle isn't so relevant.

I have been looking at treeless but I have no clue about them and mixed reviews about weight distribution and I’m neither here or there with it, she’s not too keen on bareback she’s only 5 and green still and only been ridden in I’ll fit saddles unfortunately before I brought her hence getting her chiro and trying to get a saddle that actually fits her.

 

[Buttercup01]

I would love to help but even second hand budget is an issue, they often go for more than that. Have a look here https://www.facebook.com/groups/1641386762817197/, for used flatter treed saddles, I or my colleagues (not sure if you're definitely in my area)can advise what to look for from photos etc.

My budget isn’t bit which is a shame but I have looked at all the types Black Country, Fylde, ideal, GFS and saddle company and all the decent flat tree ones are over budget even for second hand.

 

[asmp]

I‘ve said this before on the forum but you need to get a saddler out who will look at your horse (and you) and tell you what to buy. I use a master saddler and the last three times my daughter’s horse has needed a new saddle, she’s told us what make and size to look out for and we’ve searched the internet. First one was a cheap Thorogood found on FB, next was a K&M found locally, and the latest is an Ideal that took some time to find but eventually bought from an online second hand saddlery for £350. Saddler then comes out and adjusts to fit.

 

[Buttercup01]

I would love to help but even second hand budget is an issue, they often go for more than that. Have a look here https://www.facebook.com/groups/1641386762817197/, for used flatter treed saddles, I or my colleagues (not sure if you're definitely in my area)can advise what to look for from photos etc.

Hi is there anyway I could possibly email you a couple of photos over of a few saddle possibility’s ? I have to give them back the weekend or buy them and I am really not sure and I can’t seem to get a saddler out before hand to have a look I am in a bit of a pickle I would be truly greatful.