Solution saddle girthing issue

[tb gal]

Pony usually ridden in a Fylde ray saddle with flat rubber panels, agony for me as wide and hard but she seemed happy enough. Following lameness episodes she has hock arthritis. this has coincided with and was probably cause of loss of muscle where back half of saddle sits - however a physio advised treeless would be better as wouldn't irritate muscles around sacrligial (sp?)joint and was very anti flylde saddles. As an aside I have had 1 other physio and 2 different saddle fitters I didnt buy my flyde saddle from say that its a good fit .

So I bought a Solution native dressage saddle second hand from a rep. Pony went well in it at first for a month or so but now doesnt round up under it when hacking and has gone from looking cross to full on velociraptor when being girthed. I have had said pony 11 years so this is not usual for her.

Took it of without pulling girth up this morning as she was so angry when being tacked up, got out Fylde saddle and she was happy for it to be girthed up, no sign of anger at all and trundled off quite happily. not sure if its down to the solution only working with a dressage girth? She isnt happy down hill with it either and I think it moves forward a bit. I am a bit stumped TBH.

I am riding solution with a curved dressage girth - pony hated the solution saddles suggestion which was a professional choice dressage girth,

 

[GinaGeo]

As the pony went well in it initially the obvious starting point would be checking if the pony has changed shape since the original fitting. Tweaking any shimming might be the answer, especially if it is moving a little when going downhill.

Regarding the girth you do need to make sure the buckles of dressage girths sit as high as possible to avoid the elbows and also pinching.

I’d start by contacting the fitter. They’ve seen the pony and the saddle and might be able to make a useful suggestion

 

[planete]

This may not apply in your case but my pony went very well in his native based Solution saddle for a few weeks then started objecting to it. He turned out to be quite sore just behind the withers and my vet physio thought the space between the panels just was not wide enough for him. I have now sold the saddle and am using a different treeless saddle.

 

[Red-1]

When they were Ansur saddles, the channel was quite wide. Or, in fact, with the Classic dressage, there was no channel whatsoever - you could lay the saddle flat on a table. Solution bought the licence to use the design, and make them here, changing the name. They changed the design to narrow the channel, presumably to aid stability, which the old Ansur could lack.

I had a horse who was happy in the older design. I bought a newer one, with the narrower gullet, as I was told there were no rigid parts so it wouldn't harm him. However, it actually brought him up in a sore. It was returned and I went back to the old, scruffy Ansur. Thinking about it, shoes for me have no rigid parts but can still make my feet really sore.

That said, I would defo make sure the girth isn't too short, making the buckles rub. Also, you say the girth is curved. Do you have the curve facing the right way for the horse?

 

[cauda equina]

Mine's another who went really well in a Solution initially and then started showing signs of discomfort
I fiddled around with the shims but never really got to the bottom of it
He's now happy back in a treed saddle

 

[SEL]

I had to return my Solutions saddle within the trial period after the pony just put her ears back and tried to bite me when I approached with it. Like others the channel wasn't wide enough and it gave her a sore back. Solutions did try hard to fit it for me but I think it just wasn't right for a super wide pony

 

[Red-1]

I never met one who didn't go well in the old Ansur Classic with no channel. They were a right faff with the shimming though, several mattresses! They were also not as stable.

You can still sometimes get an old one on fleabay. But, not right now.

 

[sbloom]

I have seen plenty of ultra close contact foam panelled showing saddles approved by a fitter and it's clearly tipping back and inadequate for the rider - the latter has a massive effect on the horse which often isn't accounted for. They're BUILT to be low at the back, if you look carefully you can see how making the tree level would lead to the front edge of the flap actually coming behind the vertical. Poor design.

I would go back to the fitter and ask for advice, give them every chance to rectify before you look elsewhere, but they're not always the answer to a saddle fitting problem just because of their flexibility. As you've found they can be unstable (in your case running forwards) but also don't work for every horse or rider in terms of basic comfort.

There are SO many types of saddle and so many ways to fit them, get this one checked out and if the problems persist then do come back and ask for good local fitters or ideas of other saddles.

 

[Jellymoon]

Definitely go back to the fitter, but I have found these saddles are marmite for the horses. I’ve had one horse who loved it, hated tree’d saddles, but everything else didn’t like it at all. I have always used fitters and followed their instructions to a T. Just one of those things.

 

[tb gal]

Honestly it’s so frustrating. I bought the solution as I wanted something more comfy for me that would also allow pony to change shape with age and through seasons. It has helped allow her to fill out so her withers have disappeared- they were in fact prominent due to muscle wastage but she isn’t happy now. In between I ordered a Gp treed saddle made to measure from a very reputable saddle maker and despite two fittings the bloody thing was so wrong it whacked up and down behind when we trotted! I’m trying a different girth tonight so will update after that. I bought second hand but shimmed by me per a solution fitters recommendations who knows me and pony.

 

[tb gal]

Will add I don’t tend to do treeless as had 2 bad falls with the none gullet type slipping, one at high speed.

 

[GoldenWillow]

I'm afraid I'm another who's pony initially went well in a Solutions saddle but started showing signs of discomfort about 6 weeks in. I did a lot of changing things around with great help from Solutions but it never worked for him.

 

[Jellymoon]

I would listen to the horse and ride in the Fylde if she’s happy in it. Whatever any physio or saddle fitter says, if the horse is very angry about the Solution, it is hurting her. If she’s instantly happy with the Fylde, then ride in that one until you can find a better option for you, I guess your have tried gel seat savers and that sort of thing?

I’m afraid any sort of girthiness, fidgeting, ears back when saddle goes on, means the horse is not happy with its saddle. I know it’s a massive ball ache and I still find myself in denial about it because I know it means the expense of saddle fitters, the awkwardness of ringing them up to tell them despite what they say, the saddle is not working, and possibly a new saddle is needed and all the expense that goes with it.

But every single time, once the saddle is to the horse’s liking, I don’t even get a flicker of an ear when it goes on, and that’s been the same for every horse I’ve had.

 

[sbloom]

I missed one detail that it's the Ray, the OH of the man who makes it is on here and I'd agree with her that it's one of the best of the Fylde range and not designed out of balance. However the panel shape does mean it can easily tip back if fitted to the wrong shapes.

Do you have a photo of it girthed up (include ground line) or a clear video of you riding in it?

 

[tb gal]

Yes it’s a Ray plus, this was when it was new.

 

[tb gal]

Riden

 

[tb gal]

How the solution sits

 

[tb gal]

By way of an update to this. Physio came out Friday and said fylde is slightly bridging and slightly low at back - pony now has a slight sway due to back dropping with age. Tried yard owners password blue leather dressage girth 26 inch compared to my 24 inch neoprene one with solution and pony much happier with it.

 

[sbloom]

I would say don't set your bar too low, older horses can keep in great shape, you may need to change something up with your riding or management. I have widened a saddle for a 27 year old after he had had his new saddle 3 months and gained muscle!

 

[tb gal]

Sadly she has hock arthritis, left hock now fused, right hock 1/10 lame nearly fused. It prevents a lot of the ridden schooling which would have helped her

 

[Red-1]

Rigs is barely ridden and at one stage was very saggy in his back. This has improved greatly with the addition of protein powder in his feed. Nothing else changed in his management and he is still slim (required for EMS which is diet controlled).

 

[sbloom]

Sadly she has hock arthritis, left hock now fused, right hock 1/10 lame nearly fused. It prevents a lot of the ridden schooling which would have helped her

There are all sorts of postural groundwork programmes that would likely help.