Saddles

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Bojangles

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Now after having a vet out then a sports massage as he went lame though being so tight and sore though his back. I have finally mange to book him in with another saddler fitter in a couple of week's.

The sports massage person couldnt belive how sore he was in such a short time of using this saddle. Thank god he realease's his muscles well. Now he's having a few day's off then bring him back riding bareback again.

As I will be looking for a new saddle just wondering which one's are bestd to avoid?? Brands of saddle's?? Ive had GFH and Falcon's in the pastd. Any idea's would be good.
 
Wintec and Stubben (I know I will get slated for that) are two that you would be well advised to avoid. There are others that are iffy, but it is down to fit and price.
 
It's not just a question of which saddles are good but which suit your horses shape.

For example Ideal Saddles are lovely saddles but would cripple my horse as the tree does his back no favours at all.

Best bet is to get a recommendation for a saddler, even if they don't have anything in your budget they should be able to give you some pointers as to which suit your horse.
 
Thanks. Im not keen on Wintec saddles. He is silghty high widther in his current one he is a narrow but the massage lady has notich a bit of muscle wasted at the top and isnt happy at all with the over all of his muscles due to this one!!!

I have spoken to her today as she was at the yard and have explain his history.
 
My personal knowledge base is around treeless saddles, but I have been doing some research for a friend's horse with a dodgy back.

I found that Balance saddles and Saddle Company saddles appear to have a good reputation for sore horses.

Frank Baines saddles are always very good.

IMO a saddle with serge panels are better for problem backs.

All these saddles are relatively cheap and easy to pick up second hand and are usually adjustable for a good saddle fitter.

Lavinia Mitchell has a good reputation and she will travel.
 
past experience, and stupid amounts of money later ....... stay away from bates. 4 saddlers all told me that bates do not fit most horses. I have 2 TB's, 1 WB and a CB x TB and i had to sell all my bates, but guess what??? not one of my horses have been lame since.

I have purchased Albion saddles second hand and they are a brilliant fit on my horses. Again it is each to their own and i know some people who do not like albions but i love mine. Good luck, hope your horse continues to heal x
 
I have a stuuben jumping saddle and I love it, it seems to fit everything that I ride, from tb's-ID'S-Ponys!! Its a great saddle but I have never seen one for sale like it in ages??! The only downer I have with it is its so heavy compared to some saddles!
I also have an albion GP saddle for showing which is very nice and fits the majority of horses at work!

I hate any synthetic saddle and will refuse to ride in one. I also have a treeless butg have only used it over a wall to sit on :confused: I dont know anything about treeless so its prob best left there for the moment!
 
Can not recommend Saddle Company saddles enough. I bought one for my veteran girl because they are much softer and lighter on the back and the change in her was instant. They are very affordable and Kay Humphries fits them (Norton and Newby, Beaconsfield). However, if you are looking for a more professional saddle and have a bugdet to suit then I would recommend The Kay Humphries Mondial Flexion. They are treeless but look just like a normal saddle. Have heard many rave reviews about them.

If you speak with Kay, she may have one she can loan you but will obviously want to come out and fit first.

http://www.nortonandnewby.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=kay
 
Thank's again. My massage lady useing a bloke who works with Kay I think his name is Russel ?? Ive book Tony from TC.feeds in a couple of week's and has spoken to her re this problem. I have heard some really good thing's re Tony Im keeping eveything crossed that we find one that we both like. Last time when we changed saddle's I liked the new nice looking and expenise's one's and Beau hated them!! And he prefer old one's!!

The thing is I love these's saddle's ive already got shame this one have caused so much damage to his back!!!! So won't be using that one Im hoping that his jumping one will be ok otherwise Im looking to replace both of them!!!!! I am kind of stuck with this company as no other saddle fitter's can change them!!

I think I now need to do some more reaseach into saddle fitting so atleast I will know more then I did lastd time I don't want him to go though more pain just because I left to the saddle fitter to say so etc.
 
Kay Humphries is an excellent saddle fitter, prob the best i've ever known, you won't go wrong with her.
there is a certain make which I avoid like the plague, something to do with West Bromwich... ;) i bought 2 brand new, 1 used at the same time from a v well known Master Saddler years ago, used one was for my homebred youngster. he was a nightmare to break and always VERY sharp and in retrospect I really think the saddle was totally wrong for him, but it looked fine, I trusted the Master Saddler and although i got it checked again by him i was convinced it was okay. turned out it had a twisted tree... and the two i'd bought new were finished off sooo badly inside, rough unchamfered edges etc, pressure points, horrible. gutting, esp considered the cost and the fact that i'd trusted these saddles... which, incidentally, were of course lovely to ride in... :( :(
get a really trusted Saddle Fitter but most of all believe your horse more than anything, s/he is a bigger expert than anyone else on what feels comfy!
i use: Barrie Swain saddles (fitted by Kay Humphries), Ideals (fitted by Mark Fisher).
have been told that new model Stubbens are much much more horse-friendly than the old ones. i had a new Siegfried in the '90s and the panels underneath were rock hard and narrow, like rolling pins... v nasty. i know better now...
wide flat comfy panels make a huge difference. so does using a Prolite, but get saddle fitted to allow one.
not a fan of treeless, unless you are riding without stirrups all the time. pure physics says that IF you are using stirrups, you will have all that downward weight concentrated over a v small area. if there is no tree, that pressure area pulls down across the spine. trees are imho essential unless you weigh about 3 stone or aren't using stirrups!
some people swear by WOW saddles (depends hugely on the fitter) but my mare, usually v v polite, had 1 fitted and made her only ever determined attempt to buck me off. i loved it, she most emphatically didn't... it went back. she's been in an Ideal since and never bucked...
sorry, bit of an essay, but i'd like some of the thousands of pounds back that i've wasted on saddles over the years, or the chance to apologise to the horses who soldiered on (or not) in those saddles... hope you don't make the same mistakes.
:( :(
 
aregona said:
past experience, and stupid amounts of money later ....... stay away from bates. 4 saddlers all told me that bates do not fit most horses. I have 2 TB's, 1 WB and a CB x TB and i had to sell all my bates, but guess what??? not one of my horses have been lame since.

I have purchased Albion saddles second hand and they are a brilliant fit on my horses. Again it is each to their own and i know some people who do not like albions but i love mine. Good luck, hope your horse continues to heal x
Click to expand...

See I have had the opposite problem, the Bates Isabel was the only saddle that my big mare was not sore in - I was told to keep away from Albions for that particular mare:)
 
Its what suits your horse......after having 3 saddles over the last 18m I have now gone back to the dreaded Wintec....and whatever I think of it, my horse loves it- the difference in him is amazing and it fits him really well. So, until I can afford a K+M adjustable leather one I'm stuck with this.:(
 
I’ve been told to avoid Wintec’s, Albion and told a Saddle Company Saddle will cripple my horse!

Getting him a thorrowgood t4 high wither as it’s cheap and fits him well, I’ve no worry about it not being leather.

Friend has just had a Kent and Masters fitted to her tb that seems to be going well so far, also tried an Ideal (I love them!) that was too VSD for her to jump.
 
My horse that was crippled in his old Sue Carson, loves his new Albion!!!!!!!
I have also found Bates saddles either fit really well, or they don't. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground if you get what I mean!

Completly depends on the shape of the horse!
 
Thanks Kerril this isnt the first time that I has been poo on by a saddler. Year's ago i had the saddle that was made for him by his old owner checked after she had it checkd all with in a couple of weeks for only to find out it was complety wrong size and had all lumps and bumps in the flocking which had caused so many presure points on him!!!! The saddler at that time said it fitted him!!!!! He went from a very narrow to a x wide cant rem the make think it might of been the Falcon one not sure as we have gone though a lot of saddles thoughout the year's. Untill we find this company and these's saddle's he has changed so much up untill rectely sp? After the bad experince of having flocking I decide to use this company as it does gel/foam and the saddle flaps are not ridged so it can be bent etc which allowed him to use his sholder more. This is the only problem I have had with these's saddle's as it was a different fitter who came out.

I am annory over this as it have caused him to be in pain and for me to call the vet out and has the massage person out much earllier then normal which all cost's money.
Ive got my driving test in 8 weeeks so wanted to put any spare cash towards that now Im so worried over these's saddle's and im just abourt to afford the 2 lesson's a week I must have these's due to my test coming up. Other things will have to wait now!!! Apart from sorting this s***** out!!!

I weigh just over 12st and 5'7ft and he is IDXDWB. Im not kind on the treeless as I have heard too many horrier stuff to put me off!! I went to the tack shop of the saddler who's coming out and did see one saddle I like, wheter he like's it and the most inmporant thing is the fit!!!! It's hard to look at other saddle's as he in a narrow now doesnt mean he will be in any other's!!! I do feel sorry for the saddle fitter I think I might be the most awarkd custmer she came acrossd lol!!!
 
The only thing I would say is I wouldn't discount treeless saddles because of horror stories, alot of them come from the early days. I have heard more horror stories from treed saddles and fitters - I am so glad I don't have to worry about that!

I have been using them for 7 years without issue (I am a not a jockey sized rider either) and I have seen the quality and design of them improve immensely.

The Heather Moffett range, Solution Saddes (as used by the Tb Rehabilitation Centre in Lancs) and Kay Humphries Mondial Holistic saddles in particular are of the highest quality of the range and they are all available second hand from ebay at a decent price.

I am not suggesting a treeless saddle would be the answer for your horse, but I wouldn't necessarily cut them out of the equation entirely.

Have you looked at Suber pads to use under your saddles?
 
I've tried lots and lots of saddles - and the most comfortable was a made-to-measure from Morris and Nolan :D

My expensive Albion is one of the most uncomfortable, but I bought it because it was the best fit for my horse.

Once the Dizz has stopped growing I'm going to have a GP (just like Friend's saddle) made-to-measure for her.

As to which is the best, it's whatever fits the horse, will support you in what you want to do, and is comfortable for you so that you will sit into it and ride happy :D
 
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