Gingernags
Well-Known Member
Is it just me or are saddles bl**dy nuisances??? And expensive ones???
I currently use a Saddle Company Verona half/half saddle - ie synthetic under, leather upper, serge panels. I bought it second hand off ebay and fitted it myself - and it was a decent fit when I got it. (wide fit)
Basically my professionally fitted and expensive Kings saddle, though a very nice saddle, was restricting the orange ones shoulders so much she couldn't trot up hills, and ask for canter, you got ears flat back and four beat canter more like a camel. (Medium fit)
The Saddle company one - well within a week or so there was a marked difference and her trotting is now exactly that - she can open her shoulders and trot uphill without the stop and start hopping horribleness that we'd had before. So I've had no problems for about a year using this saddle.
But - and there just HAD to be one! She's changed shape (yet again) over winter and has slimmed down a little, with the result that the SCS is dropping a bit much at the front, which holds the front but lifts the back slightly, and it then moves a bit from side to side at the back and rubs a bit.
I tried a prolite wither pad to lift it a little at the front but it hasn't made much difference. Basically I need the saddle re-templating and reflocking but no-one round here does it
Last week I tried putting a fluffy half pad under it to see if it would help - and I can only think that caused problems as out hacking, she was really unhappy coming down hills and I constantly felt like my right stirrup was too long - riding back down the lane I realised that the saddle was not sitting straight on her back and was over to one side and was tipping my weight and hence the stirrup feeling too long...
So last night I tried both my saddles with no saddle cloth to see how she'd react and how they seemed to fit. Kings first - seemed to sit well on her back, no bridging, when girthed it was a little tight at the front if you try to slide your hand down. Got on and fine in walk and trot though trot not quite as free as normal (level ground though) asked for canter and ears went back - head came up, four beat disjointed and horrible canter. Whipped it straight off.
SCS back on, still some clearance at withers, probably less than the Kings but still I'd say 3 fingers. Sat on back OK, no bridging, can slide hand down the front (when girthed) much more easily. Walked fine, trot much better, canter was 3 beat, slight ears back moment, but much better even if she used being able to move better as an excuse to go faster back towards the field.
Do I try to get a conventional fitter/saddler to re-flock the saddle and trust they can do enough to tweak it? There is no massive change needed - just the front needs picking back up which reflocking should do. I've emailed the saddle company to see what they can suggest.
This would get me through this year with a little bit of dressage and hacking about until she's too far on to be ridden (off to stud soon) and hope it will be ok afterwards.
OR look at getting another saddle now, but it would be whatever make local saddlers have and in the past she's not been easy to fit.
OR risk my OH and family killing me, and probably bankrupt myself in the process and get a WOW saddle fitted now rather than save up whilst she's doing less and get one after the foal is weaned (when maybe a few more second hand ones are floating about..)
Please help before I get myself even more confuzzled!!!
PS another option - someone I used to be on a yard with did have an old but decent dressage saddle that fit well and of course keeps away from her shoulders, I could find out if she still has it and buy it, hopefully fairly cheap, and make do with hacking in a dressage saddle - which I know I could manage...
I currently use a Saddle Company Verona half/half saddle - ie synthetic under, leather upper, serge panels. I bought it second hand off ebay and fitted it myself - and it was a decent fit when I got it. (wide fit)
Basically my professionally fitted and expensive Kings saddle, though a very nice saddle, was restricting the orange ones shoulders so much she couldn't trot up hills, and ask for canter, you got ears flat back and four beat canter more like a camel. (Medium fit)
The Saddle company one - well within a week or so there was a marked difference and her trotting is now exactly that - she can open her shoulders and trot uphill without the stop and start hopping horribleness that we'd had before. So I've had no problems for about a year using this saddle.
But - and there just HAD to be one! She's changed shape (yet again) over winter and has slimmed down a little, with the result that the SCS is dropping a bit much at the front, which holds the front but lifts the back slightly, and it then moves a bit from side to side at the back and rubs a bit.
I tried a prolite wither pad to lift it a little at the front but it hasn't made much difference. Basically I need the saddle re-templating and reflocking but no-one round here does it
Last week I tried putting a fluffy half pad under it to see if it would help - and I can only think that caused problems as out hacking, she was really unhappy coming down hills and I constantly felt like my right stirrup was too long - riding back down the lane I realised that the saddle was not sitting straight on her back and was over to one side and was tipping my weight and hence the stirrup feeling too long...
So last night I tried both my saddles with no saddle cloth to see how she'd react and how they seemed to fit. Kings first - seemed to sit well on her back, no bridging, when girthed it was a little tight at the front if you try to slide your hand down. Got on and fine in walk and trot though trot not quite as free as normal (level ground though) asked for canter and ears went back - head came up, four beat disjointed and horrible canter. Whipped it straight off.
SCS back on, still some clearance at withers, probably less than the Kings but still I'd say 3 fingers. Sat on back OK, no bridging, can slide hand down the front (when girthed) much more easily. Walked fine, trot much better, canter was 3 beat, slight ears back moment, but much better even if she used being able to move better as an excuse to go faster back towards the field.
Do I try to get a conventional fitter/saddler to re-flock the saddle and trust they can do enough to tweak it? There is no massive change needed - just the front needs picking back up which reflocking should do. I've emailed the saddle company to see what they can suggest.
This would get me through this year with a little bit of dressage and hacking about until she's too far on to be ridden (off to stud soon) and hope it will be ok afterwards.
OR look at getting another saddle now, but it would be whatever make local saddlers have and in the past she's not been easy to fit.
OR risk my OH and family killing me, and probably bankrupt myself in the process and get a WOW saddle fitted now rather than save up whilst she's doing less and get one after the foal is weaned (when maybe a few more second hand ones are floating about..)
Please help before I get myself even more confuzzled!!!
PS another option - someone I used to be on a yard with did have an old but decent dressage saddle that fit well and of course keeps away from her shoulders, I could find out if she still has it and buy it, hopefully fairly cheap, and make do with hacking in a dressage saddle - which I know I could manage...
