Solution Saddles reviews please

[Marigold4]

Would anyone with one of the more modern Solution saddles kindly post a pic of the underside of the saddle, showing the gullet and the panels, please ?

I have posted one

 

[Auslander]

Would anyone with one of the more modern Solution saddles kindly post a pic of the underside of the saddle, showing the gullet and the panels, please ?

We've got a new Smart Pro Dressage here, if you want pics (if the panels aren't the same as the saddle above)

 

[Tiddlypom]

We've got a new Smart Pro Dressage here, if you want pics (if the panels aren't the same as the saddle above)

Yes please Aus, if you could, ta very muchly .

Here is the underside of a native version, size 4. As you proably know, you use dorsal pads velcroed on to the saddlecloth and shims to get the fot exactly right.View attachment 49625

Thanks, that’s very helpful.

The issues that I’ve heard of with modern Solution saddles are that the channel is too narrow, but the one in Marigold’s pic above looks to be ok. I did look into getting a Solution saddle once, but was put off as too many people seem to have had problems with them. My own mare has a particularly wide backbone, which is a saddle fit issue in its own right, so a decent width channel is essential for her.

 

[Marigold4]

I tried several saddles before this one and none had as wide a channel as this one all the way through. I can run 4 fingers down all of it and it is very wide indeed over the wither - essential for my lad as he has a very broad wither. It also fits my xxw connie just as well as her other AH native pony saddle. It will of course be higher off the back once you have the dorsal pads under the panels. You can get two separate dorsal pads so that you don't have any extra bulk in the channel. That's what I have done with mine.

 

[Remi'sMum]

I bought one of the older dressage models a few months ago and both horse and I love it. I’m very lucky that one of my fellow liveries is a Solution fitter, she has been advising me regularly on tweaking the shims etc as his back muscles improve (which they are, impressively so). I’m very happy with it. I can take pics if you like but it might not be what you need to see?

 

[[59668]]

Got a fitter out to a connie pony I had once. Fitted the saddle. I got on. He took off bucking and bucking and bucking. I got off and said no thanks. And I'm not the only person that's happened to.

 

[Brownmare]

Got a fitter out to a connie pony I had once. Fitted the saddle. I got on. He took off bucking and bucking and bucking. I got off and said no thanks. And I'm not the only person that's happened to.

I think they give a very different feel to the horse compared to a treed saddle and not all of them will like it, at least initially. Having said that, I have ridden at least 8 different horses in mine and the only one who bucked had severe inoperable kissing spines and would have bucked in any saddle. All the others without exception have gone better in the solution than a treed saddle and one had such big shoulders that she bucked in any treed saddle but not the solution.

Regarding gullet width, it does look quite narrow on some models but the design is such that when it is on the horse's back with the rider's weight on top it sits much wider.

 

[BlackRider]

wow, that’s really bad. Did the company not try and sort it for you? What did you get instead?

I'd bought it 2nd hand as an ex demo, the fitter did suggest an alternate way of shimming, but I still wasn't happy with the weight distribution. (I bought a port lewis pad to double check as I didn't want to have any more issues).

I got a HM Flexee which I loved.

 

[Auslander]

Yes please Aus, if you could, ta very muchly .



Thanks, that’s very helpful.

The issues that I’ve heard of with modern Solution saddles are that the channel is too narrow, but the one in Marigold’s pic above looks to be ok. I did look into getting a Solution saddle once, but was put off as too many people seem to have had problems with them. My own mare has a particularly wide backbone, which is a saddle fit issue in its own right, so a decent width channel is essential for her.

Here you go - kept forgetting to photograph it, but go there in the end!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Thanks, Aus .

 

[Auslander]

Thanks, Aus .

Bit narrow, innit...

 

[Tiddlypom]

Bit narrow, innit...

Ahh, I’m glad you said that! I was being polite and thought I’d better not comment on the channel width after you’d kindly posted the pic but yes, that looks narrow to me. Not 4 fingers width, is it.

That would pinch my mare, for sure.

 

[Sunshine8]

I do have one that I love and used it on a couple of horses BUT I am continually having to adjust padding for my funny shaped welshie. I am keeping it for jumping but looking to get a tree saddle for dressage as it has just bit too much twist in it.

 

[Auslander]

Ahh, I’m glad you said that! I was being polite and thought I’d better not comment on the channel width after you’d kindly posted the pic but yes, that looks narrow to me. Not 4 fingers width, is it.

That would pinch my mare, for sure.

It's fine - it's not my saddle!

 

[Marigold4]

It's fine - it's not my saddle!

Different bases have different channel widths. Mine is wider cos it's a native base