thorowgood GPD saddle - reviews please

cob&onion

cob&onion

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I had a thorowgood t4 cob saddle fitted yesterday by the saddler. She is in the xx wide silver - i complained on here that it was uncomfortable. I hacked out again today and after 20 mins my seat bones where really hurting, the saddle tilted me forward and threw me off balance and now my back is aching after being in it for an hours hack :( its also moving and rolling about on my cob and feels very bulky - almost perched on top of it.
Saddler is coming out again this eve to try something else. Am thinking the gpd t8 leathery one - its a bit straighter cut - am used to a farrington WH saddle with not much panelling and a deeper seat - more what am used to so am riding my cob and not the bulky saddle :rolleyes:
I don't want to go down the dressage route as planning on starting some jumping this summer, shes 4 so still changing shape so the idea was to go with a thorowgood as its adjustable.
Is the gpd t8 more kinder on the backside and less bulky than the t4 cob?
Thanks
 
cob&onion said:
I had a thorowgood t4 cob saddle fitted yesterday by the saddler. She is in the xx wide silver - i complained on here that it was uncomfortable. I hacked out again today and after 20 mins my seat bones where really hurting, the saddle tilted me forward and threw me off balance and now my back is aching after being in it for an hours hack :( its also moving and rolling about on my cob and feels very bulky - almost perched on top of it.
Saddler is coming out again this eve to try something else. Am thinking the gpd t8 leathery one - its a bit straighter cut - am used to a farrington WH saddle with not much panelling and a deeper seat - more what am used to so am riding my cob and not the bulky saddle :rolleyes:
I don't want to go down the dressage route as planning on starting some jumping this summer, shes 4 so still changing shape so the idea was to go with a thorowgood as its adjustable.
Is the gpd t8 more kinder on the backside and less bulky than the t4 cob?
Thanks
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Sounds to me generally that the cob saddle didn't fit your horse which wouldnt' have given you a true feel of how comfortable it is to ride in that saddle.

I did find that thorowgoods in general take a little while to bed in and become comfortable for the rider - intially the seat feels solid and quite perched but with regular riding they do become more comfortable - I have both the T4 dressage and GP and find them both very comfy now and am saving up for a SJ version.
 
I've had the dressage and GP versions and also found they take a little while to 'bed' in. My saddler also said the can feel a bit perched the first 4 or 5 times you ride on them. I had them for an XXW connie and once the saddles settled they were fab and didn't budge on him when everything else I'd tried was slithering all other the place. Good luck.
 
I sold mine on- although it was properly fitted and seemed to suit my horse it threw me forward also. I felt like my lower leg was too far back and i was just quite unsafe feeling. I rode in it for a few years thinking i was an awful rider with a suddenly rubbish position, Until i started riding other horses and was fine on them!
Upon speaking to another saddler he said its a common thing and that the seat design means often a size up (for the rider) is required. No good for me as my horse was short backed and only just coped with a 17".
Stupidly i went out and bought a Kent and Masters......lovely saddle but similar problem as they are the same design
 
Funny you should mention the seat size - had a 17.5 seat on my last saddle and fitted great - however this 17.5 seat does feel a little snug, am only a size 8 - 10 and have a relatively small backside :o
 
TG/K&M aren't bad saddles for some cobs but on some they are just too narrow in the head and too puffy in the panel, both of which make them perch. The synthetic tree is also a smidge too flexible for wide and flat types leasing to instability. I do often recommend them to people who can't afford what I fit, as they seem to be much better than Wintec for wide types, but they don't fit everything.

Feeling tipped forwards is hard to diagnose - sometimes people feel tipped forwards even when the saddle is tipping back as their pelvis has tilted to compensate....and I silghtly disagree that a saddle needs a while to bed in - if it perches and rolls when ridden in for 15-20 minutes there it is likely to continue to do so. A few may settle enough, but most won't - the tree is wrong and/or the panel too deep or curvy.
 
I hated the t6 cob I had for that reason. Front felt way too low and pushed me onto my front. The saddle also moved and beleive it or not I found the 17" seat massive! I sold it on to someone who loves it!
 
Saddler came and i explained my woes :o we changed it to a t8 (leather panals and seat) GP and the difference in the cob and myself was immense!! very comfortable and felt much more like a 17.5 seat, seat was much deeper and didnt fell perched atall. Cob went lovely in it, moved alot better and surprisingly it doesnt cover her shoulder but gives enough room at the front for my leg to feel comfortable and once more it doesn't move!! :D:D:D

Am just about recovered from this mornings hour riding the t4 cob-board saddle :rolleyes:

The seat in this one is lovely, even comfier than my previous farringtons and the gfs :)
 
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