Saddles, right but wrong?

C

Champers

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I have had 2 saddles fitted to both my horses last year and both were going really well in them. Within a few months, their work began to deteriorate. I had saddles checked again and fitted to them again and all seemed well. A year on and one mare, F, is not a happy bunny in her flatwork, pulling, tensing, hollowing etc and very spooky which is usually her way of saying that she isnt happy. My other mare is a jumping mare and her jumping has gone awol. She isnt forward, she sometimes goes `green` in the ring and she has keeps having a stop. About a month ago, she seemed to be going better again, but then she stopped and I came off, and the same at the next show. The following show, we got eliminated at fence 4, then this weekend at fence 3!!! I have had both horses teeth done, backs/bodies done about 3 times in last 3-4 months so I know it shouldn`t be anything like that.
Is it possible that even tho the saddles have been re-flocked to fit them, they are not suited. They both have the same make saddle where the front panel is seperate from the panels that fit along the back so I`m wondering if there are pressure points. Saddle fitter is a very good one who knows her stuff and says that both saddles are fitting really well and not moving etc but I`m not convinced. Could it be possible that the way that the saddles are made just don`t suit my horses?
Thanks for reading this, latte coffee for all with choccie biccies. :o
 
Hiya,

I've had something similar - my horse came with a saddle that the saddler said was fine when he checked it. We weren't completely happy though, and wanted to get him a very high quality one that fitted perfectly. We had one made for him and OH MY GOD the difference in his way of going was spectacular!

I've had the same issue with a professionally fitted wintec on a horse I was schooling. I hit a stumbling block in that he wasn't lifting and swinging through his back, and whatever exercise I tried, he just wasn't getting the message. I hopped on him bareback one day for a laugh and he was like a different horse.

So yes, some saddles can seem to fit, but actually not be comfortable for the horse.

Edit: these were two different saddlers, both well respected.
 
Lippyx said:
Have you thought about getting another saddle fitter in? You say you've had their backs checked, but surely, if their saddles aren't right, a back person would pick this up??
Click to expand...

Hi Lippy, The chiro/muscle person did say that there was a problem in the withers/back which pointed to saddle issues, on both horses, so I got the saddler out again and this should now be OK as I didnt ride in their own saddles until after it was re-fitted.
With `F` she was being really awkward with her flatwork so until saddle fitter could come out, I borrowed friends saddle which seemed to fit better and it was same saddle that I used to have for her a couple of years ago, an Ideal and she went well in this for about 3-4 days, then iffy again so when saddler re-fitted her saddle, she was good again for about a week but then went iffy again. It seems that she`s oK for a few days with a different saddle then goes iffy again. Is it that there`s different pressure points?
Back person treats my horses regular and was spot on when new horses saddles were not fitting right when she was changing shape. So I trust her there. I am thinking of trying new fitter tho I would lose a lot of mnoney but it is tearing me apart at the moment.
 
Steorra said:
Hiya,

I've had something similar - my horse came with a saddle that the saddler said was fine when he checked it. We weren't completely happy though, and wanted to get him a very high quality one that fitted perfectly. We had one made for him and OH MY GOD the difference in his way of going was spectacular!

I've had the same issue with a professionally fitted wintec on a horse I was schooling. I hit a stumbling block in that he wasn't lifting and swinging through his back, and whatever exercise I tried, he just wasn't getting the message. I hopped on him bareback one day for a laugh and he was like a different horse.

So yes, some saddles can seem to fit, but actually not be comfortable for the horse.

Edit: these were two different saddlers, both well respected.
Click to expand...


Yes I know what you mean. When I first had jumping mare, she came with a narrow saddle but soon outgrew that and in the first year we had 4 different saddles and a lot of back treatments as she was making top line quicker than anything. I had one made for her by this saddler. The saddle is a well known saddle name but just made with her shape in mind. She seemed to go well in it for a short while but for months, I `ve had jumping issues with her. Its so frustrating as I have lost my confidence in her jumping which in turn is having a detrimental effect on her. But with my other mare also having issues I can only look at the saddles. :confused:
This is what makes me wonder if saddles can seem to fit but not suit the horse. I`ve spent over £2000 on saddles recently and am at a loss with what to do.
Thanks for your reply. It has made me realise that I may not be going mad after all. :)
 
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A friend of mine had a horse who had a new saddle fitted, rode in it etc for the fitting and initially was really pleased with it. A short while after this she started having issues with the horse when ridden, back, teeth etc all up to date. In the end we persuaded her to ring the saddler and have a chat with him. He came straight back out and reassessed it. He said yes it did fit but suggested changing the saddle to see if for some reason we couldn't find she was just unhappy in her current saddle. Saddle was changed and mare went back to normal.

Guess what I'm trying to say (in a roundabout way!) is just because the saddle seemed to fit, didn't mean it suited the horse. Does that make sense?!
 
Hi Miss Moo, yes I know exactly what you are saying. Both my horses work have gone downhill and when saddle fitter came out last week, she noticed that my jumping horse had lost a lot of topline!!!! Perhaps this should`ve been a sign that it wasnt working for her. Also that my dressage horse, F, had lost a good inch from her hind end. She measured them against the previous templates she took before. I did say to her that I`d like to try some other saddles when I booked her but she only brought one that she said I could borrow til mine was ready as she had to take one away to alter.
Although this saddle fitter is reputed to be very good, she is very hard to get hold of and she takes a while to come out. :(
 
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