thoughts on saddle fit please

G

gold

Active Member
Joined
23 February 2013
Messages
46
Visit site
was it fitted by a saddle fitter?

does not fit, he needs a completely different shaped saddle, my mare has fairly big shoulders and one thing I really wanted from a saddle was to free them up so I had to go for something fairly straight cut, the best for for her was a Kent & Masters GPD and we tried everything he had on the van. she was instantly freer through her shoulder and a bit more 'up' in front
 
Ok thanks. I had a thorowgood t8 cob but couldn't get on with it at all, it made me feel like i was tipping forward.. I have a feeling its going to take me a while to find the right saddle and a trustworthy saddle fitter
 
Having had the exact same issue as you and ended up spending well over 3k in the last few years finding right saddle I then tried a bates. It's brand new and was just over 1k but it fits lovely using cair and it has a flat tree so ideal for your horses shape. My horse moves lovely in it with much bigger movement :)
 
I am glad i'm not the only one! Luckily the club saddle was only £299 although it is still gutting as i'd hate to think it could cause him pain, I have just taken a picture of my mares saddle on him, i really like the cut around the shoulders on this saddle, its very wide but way too long for him it's nearly 18inches!!! I'm thinking about getting this type of saddle made for him and having it fitted properly.. do you think this shape is better on his shoulders....
 
I too have a bates, which is fully adjustable, you can get inserts to put in if you feel that you are tipping forward! It cost me £920 and I think its money well spent as I have a young horse, who is going to be changing shape a lot over the next few years, so I will be able to cheaply and easily be able to get it adjusted :)
 
The second one is as bad, they are both too curvy in the tree, though I disagree that you can tell the first saddle is too narorw from the photos. As I say on here again and again, a saddle sitting too high off the pommel, or even pommel high relative to the cantle, is NOT the same thing as the saddle being too narrow. Being too narrow is only ONE cause of a saddle looking too high at the front, being too curvy can cause that in itself.

Trying to stick to changeable head plate saddles is understandable but they don't fit anywhere near all horses, whether leather or synthetic. Sometimes you need something more specialist and, inevitably, more expensive. You obviously might be able to find a good fitter with something second hand that would work, otherwise you could identify yourself what brands and models might work, and seek help to find the exact right model that would work.

Our company advises people on which model would work for their horse so they can search themselves for something used, some independent fitters offer a similar service, though I do wonder if it is more hit and miss when they are fitting such a wide range of saddles but can't try them on the horse.
 
sbloom said:
The second one is as bad, they are both too curvy in the tree, though I disagree that you can tell the first saddle is too narorw from the photos. As I say on here again and again, a saddle sitting too high off the pommel, or even pommel high relative to the cantle, is NOT the same thing as the saddle being too narrow. Being too narrow is only ONE cause of a saddle looking too high at the front, being too curvy can cause that in itself.
.
Click to expand...

Please could you explain what you mean by too curvy? I have a pony with the same problem, saddle perches and the lower parts stick out like aeroplane wings but its not too narrow.
 
I am no expert, but I do have a wide Haffy and a very wide New Forest both with big shoulders. They both have a Saddle Company saddle, fitted by a fitter and they are great. Ill try and find some pictures.
 
HaffyChristmas! said:
I am no expert, but I do have a wide Haffy and a very wide New Forest both with big shoulders. They both have a Saddle Company saddle, fitted by a fitter and they are great. Ill try and find some pictures.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much - would be great too see the pics. what price range are these type of saddles?
 
The one I bought 2 weeks ago was £225 second hand, the other was £300 so really reasonable.

734204_10202003232776867_1056154193_n_zps3886e74d.jpg


This is my xxw New Forest. I always go with the WH style so it gives their shoulders more room.
 
Last edited:
HaffyChristmas! said:
The one I bought 2 weeks ago was £225 second hand, the other was £300 so really reasonable.

734204_10202003232776867_1056154193_n_zps3886e74d.jpg


This is my xxw New Forest. I always go with the WH style so it gives their shoulders more room.
Click to expand...


Oh yes!! Your horse looks a very similar shape too mine, I see what you mean about giving the shoulders more room too move! thanks for showing me & that certainly is a good price
 
I found Saddles Direct very helpful. Try to get a saddle with a changeable gullet, collect up a few suitable saddles then get out a saddle fitter.
I just did this for my loan horse. I measured, made a flexicurve template of him and photographed him from all angles, side, bird's eye from above , rear view and sent the evidence to my saddle fitter and to saddles direct. I also got a couple of saddles on approval from "Elite Saddles" on facebook (Carly whose business it is, is really sweet and offers a great service) So when the fitter came we had plenty to try. I took the fitters advice about what would suit him before I ordered them all. A really good saddle fitter is your best friend, they are not expensive and do a great job. I bought some extras off mine, new girth, gullet, leathers as she didn't really want to fit a second hand saddle so it was generous on her part.
I was very lucky and got a nearly new, immaculate Wintec Isabel Werth dressage saddle that fitted him perfectly for just £345. All it needed was a Medium gullet instead of the wide it came with.
He is more comfy than in the tack he came with which had lost all shape and form. I am more comfy too, and sit a lot better as a result!
Find yourself a really good saddle fitter, it's not a busy time for them right now so you may be in luck. Hope you find what you need soon.
 
Biska said:
I found Saddles Direct very helpful. Try to get a saddle with a changeable gullet, collect up a few suitable saddles then get out a saddle fitter.
I just did this for my loan horse. I measured, made a flexicurve template of him and photographed him from all angles, side, bird's eye from above , rear view and sent the evidence to my saddle fitter and to saddles direct. I also got a couple of saddles on approval from "Elite Saddles" on facebook (Carly whose business it is, is really sweet and offers a great service) So when the fitter came we had plenty to try. I took the fitters advice about what would suit him before I ordered them all. A really good saddle fitter is your best friend, they are not expensive and do a great job. I bought some extras off mine, new girth, gullet, leathers as she didn't really want to fit a second hand saddle so it was generous on her part.
I was very lucky and got a nearly new, immaculate Wintec Isabel Werth dressage saddle that fitted him perfectly for just £345. All it needed was a Medium gullet instead of the wide it came with.
He is more comfy than in the tack he came with which had lost all shape and form. I am more comfy too, and sit a lot better as a result!
Find yourself a really good saddle fitter, it's not a busy time for them right now so you may be in luck. Hope you find what you need soon.
Click to expand...

thanks a lot for your advise - thats the problem i'm having is trying to find a trustworthy saddle fitter down here - I seem to here bad reviews about each one!!
 
I am not a saddle fitter but I am guessing that a curvy tree would be more suitable for high withers and for higher quarters, I.e. more curve to their spine (dip) whereas a straighter tree would be more suitable for lower withers and a straighter back. My initial impression of the first pictures was that the pommel was to high putting the saddle out of balance. However, I am not a saddle fitter and could be wrong.
 
gold said:
thanks a lot for your advise - thats the problem i'm having is trying to find a trustworthy saddle fitter down here - I seem to here bad reviews about each one!!
Click to expand...
I don't know where you are, but ask around to get names. Call the fitters, chat to them explain your financial position. Go to their workplace, mine makes saddles from scratch and is part of a father daughter partnership. Pay a few extra £ for the best fitter you can get and that is not someone who wants to sell you a saddle right now but will help you as a professional. Good Luck.
 
Biska said:
I don't know where you are, but ask around to get names. Call the fitters, chat to them explain your financial position. Go to their workplace, mine makes saddles from scratch and is part of a father daughter partnership. Pay a few extra £ for the best fitter you can get and that is not someone who wants to sell you a saddle right now but will help you as a professional. Good Luck.
Click to expand...


Yeah i just need someone i trust and i don't want to spend a bomb yet as he is only 5 and still got a lot of filling out too do.. i just want him to be happy and comfy! thanks a lot for your advice appreciate it :)
 
Dusty85 said:
Not read all the posts sorry

My thought are you need to get a saddle fitter out rather than ask us all on here. Sorry.
Click to expand...

I have had a saddle fitter out ... but obviously the wrong one!!!!! comments like that aren't really needed right now i just wanted other peoples views.
 
Apologies- like I said I haven't read them all and just assumed this was another person trying to get the answer on here rather than fork out the £50 for a professional!
 
Dusty85 said:
Apologies- like I said I haven't read them all and just assumed this was another person trying to get the answer on here rather than fork out the £50 for a professional!
Click to expand...

I have already had 3 so called professional saddle fitters since I've had him. unfortunately haven't found the right one yet.
 
If he is difficult to fit and still changing shape it might be worth getting a good treeless saddle. Especially if you are struggling to get a trustworthy fitter. Your budget would get you a second hand model of one of the decent makes. I have a solution which I can't recommend highly enough and the older models do come up for £500. I think the heather moffat ones tend to be cheaper too.

You need to get the fit looked at by one of their fitters still but they are much more forgiving and don't restrict the shoulder even if sat forward.
 
WelshD said:
Please could you explain what you mean by too curvy? I have a pony with the same problem, saddle perches and the lower parts stick out like aeroplane wings but its not too narrow.
Click to expand...

See my fellow saddle fitter's blog on tree shape:

http://saddlefitter.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/from-tree-up-tree.html

It's all about the curve from front to back.

Anyone who wants to know more about saddle fitting, to help them be more able to judge the work of a fitter, should read as much of the blog as they can.

A deep seated saddle can still fit relatively flat - if you look at your own saddle how MUCH of a flat spot can you see? This is formed by the bars of the saddle, the bits of wood that run from front to back, and these can still give a flat open seat with a fairly high pommel and cantle. The slope up to both will be steeper. A proper flat seat has a low cantle and pommel and a long flat spot in between as well.

The other issue you have is that the seat is too wide - the flocked or foam panels under and in front of the cantle are too wide and or too flat for your horse and end up sticking into the air sideways, with no panel contact. This can lead to instability but can also actually lead to the saddle sitting on the "bare" ribs beyond the muscle supposed to supposrt the saddle, it is only SO wide, and a wider seat is not always a good thing. It will only sit on the ribs IF it is beyond the muscle and if it sinks down with a rider on board.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top