Shires Optimus Saddle problems

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Hi, I was wondering if anyone else has had problems with the Shires Optimus Dressage saddle (with adjustable gullet bar).
I have a wide gullet bar in mine but it appears to have bent outwards and stretched the front of the tree so that it pushes down on my mare's shoulders, I've been advised not to use it anymore!

Would be good to hear from anyone else who's had similar problems with their's.

Cheers!
 
Have just had a similar experience with the Shires Optimus jumping saddle - with a narrow gullet bar. I bought this on recommendation from a saddler who suggested I used it whilst my TB went through his 'what shape am I going to be?' phase. The answer was a doughnut as he perpetually tried to catapult me out of it. Got a different saddler to check it...he was horrified at the fit. He also said that for my TB, the narrow panels along the back would be the equivalent of me sitting on rolling pins placed either side of his spine!

The upshot - it's for sale and recommended only for those with much rounder horses. He said overall it wasn't a bad saddle, but one shouldn't be fooled by the semi-cutaway pommel as a suitable temporary arrangement for a slightly high-withered TB. He also said something about the other saddler but I am not going to mention that here.

As mine is all leather, and has been used a grand total of 4 times, I am hoping someone with a good cob/wb type will buy it for at least some of the money.

Sorry it didn't work out for you. Saddles are a nightmare. Three months ago I had the saddler check my beautiful Klimke Miller dressage saddle as a suitable seat for my horse. With some flocking, it sat very nicely. Three months down the line and he has changed a whole saddle width downwards - he has a bum now whereas he was all grass fat shoulders before and I am having to sell everything to afford something he might like.
 
Hi Hereshoping, interesting that you're having problems with an Optimus on a TB as my mare is mostly cob shaped!
It just seems to have literally flopped infront!

Good luck in selling your's, I'm still not sure what to do with mine, hopefully get money back if it's as bad as I've been told!
 
If you mean the synthetic ones (which are rebadged as all sorts of other flexi-tree makes and are very cheaply made) you search on here you will see lots of warnings about them!
 
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