sods law! - saddle fitting

georgiegirl2

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11 April 2005
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as some of you may remember im currently on the hunt for a gp saddle for my 4yo off the track who will (hopefully) have a new career as an eventer. at the moment she is having to put up with georges isabelle dressage saddle but i want to get her jumping soon so im on the look out for a gp. I have tried a few second hand ones from ride away. found a close contact (narrow) which at the moment fits her perfectly though my instructor thinks it will only see us out 4-6 months max as she is developing muscles round her withers and shoulders at a rapid rate. So, out of frustration I decided to take home a bates momentum and a bates close contact to try on her and its sods law they fit like a glove. They have the medium plate in so she has plenty room to move round her shoulders and they dont shift one bit and best of all the panels at the back actually lie flat on her back which is where i have had the most trouble finding one that does so far and she went like a dream in them. trouble is (as with everything) money. They are expensive but seem to fit so well and the adjustability is a big bonus. Do many others on here buy saddles without getting them fitted? And to e honest when riding i didnt actually feel any difference between the close contact and the momentum despite the big price difference?
confused.gif
i really dont know what to do! Anyway, sorry for the long rambling post!
 

Fiona

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My hubby events his mare in a bates GP (which we didn't have fitted). I have heard other people say that bates saddles fit some horses and not others due to the shape of the panels, so if they fit yours then thats a good sign.
As to whether you should keep the close contact or the momentum, I can't really offer any advice, but there's about £500 difference in price isn't there.
Our mare has gone down 2 sizes in the gullet plate in three years (she was a chubby teenager, and now has got rid of her puppy fat).

Fiona
 

Magicmillbrook

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10 October 2006
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Would I be right in thinking bates also do wintecs? I have just bought my tbx mare a wintec vsd as she has shoulder issues. I was always very anti synthetics, however it fitted her so well I went with it and am, very happy, much better than a 2nd hand where you dont know what has happened to it. How about trying a synthetic until she gets a bit older then moving on to a leather version as and when funds allow..
 
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