Tricky saddle fit issue

Leo Walker

Leo Walker

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My boy is a driving pony and is physically designed to be short and strong to pull, not be ridden. Hes very short, compact and slightly croup high. Its all complicated further as hes still relatively poor and is triangular shaped not the round barrel he will be when hes up to weight and muscled up. Hes a relatively easy fit though, in that a flat tree 16.5" XW saddle will almost certainly fit long term and that saddle could be padded up to fit until he gets there.

But I complicate matters massively! I have lots of physical issues, the main one being I have almost no feeling in my right leg and any feeling I have in either leg is gone within minutes once I sit on a horse. I am very careful to ride light and sit straight but my new boy isnt quite what I would call sharp but hes not a kick along either, so I need something that will hold me in place in case of emergencies. Hes quick to react, which is great when your legs dont work properly but wont be so great if he does react. Hes also got lots of movement so isnt a smooth easy ride. I also cant physically tolerate feeling lots of movement, so the more remote and muffled it feels the better I guess! He also has a massive shoulder, 4" difference between his body and the highest point of his shoulder! I think that will level out as he gains condition but its still a big shoulder to accommodate!

Hes currently wearing a 16.5" KES WH saddle with a flattish tree, padded to accommodate his current shape and hes going fabulously in it. It is absolutely no use for me if I am ever going to ride again. I've ridden in it on a previous horse and while it fits nicely its not a particularity comfortable saddle and provides zero support! Hes also a proper HW elepant of a horse so any sort of pony saddle looks tiny on him even now!

So I need a 16.5" or compact 17" with upswept panels, but also with massive blocks that has enough room for me to actually fit in it. I am fat but I have a very small bum and little stumpy legs so normally wouldn't be an issue, but needing to be able to sit behind massive blocks will be in such a small saddle.

The things that have been considered and wont work are Wintecs including the new flatter ones which is a shame as the new Wintec trail would have been perfect! thorowgoods, and associated leather versions, treeless, WOWs, anything that is designed as a pony saddle as there isnt room for blocks and me. Anything that cant have big blocks put in or has a deep seat as apparently my pelvis wont tolerate being tipped forward. Pretty much any jumping saddle that is built to sit forward over the shoulder. Oh and dressage saddles as he is/will be very wide and having my legs back and under me in a dressage position will hurt! So pretty much any saddle ever made :lol:

I'm going to contact the AH saddle fitter on Friday as my fitter really rates them and I've had a very brief chat, but they are over budget and dont generally do massive blocks, for obvious reasons as they dont work on this sort of horse!

And before anyone gets upset about fat people with issues riding, I havent ridden my boy ever and wont until hes fitter and stronger and I lose some weight and get some help with my physical issues. I have a consultant surgeon appointment tomorrow to see what can be done but I am in a very bad place physically and mentally at the minute so I am distracting myself making plans for the day I can actually ride again because thats about all that is keeping me going right now. I WILL ride again one day! As in will, will, will, WILL! :)

I have about a thousand pounds to spend but for that I want a good quality saddle that will last. I have an amazing fitter and several people on here have commented on my Facebook post, but I'm throwing it out to the hive mind as its such an unusual fitting scenario!
 
I think you are near me, in which case your AH fitter would probably be sbloom who is on here. Have seen her fit and she is excellent.

I did wonder about a stock saddle to hold you in place but been beaten to it :)

Off the wall here, but have you ridden side saddle before? Would that work with your pelvis? You would be secure.

Good luck getting sorted. Your boy looks lovely and I bet you will have a lot of fun with him.
 
a nice neat dressage saddle will probably suit you more as they hold you in the saddle more than any other type, I personally prefer them over anything I show mine but am not keen on the flat showing saddles so I buy brown dressage saddles put short straps on them and use a smaller knee block so they look more like a showing working hunter one but offer a bit more support whilst being very straight at the front.

just because your horse is flat and wide it doesn't always mean they can't have a curvier tree I have wide Arabs and dressage saddles fit them fine which tend to be on a curvier tree, I also am a fan of the ah saddles they look really lovely.
 
Your local RDA group might have some innovative ideas, as they have to cater for all sorts of shapes/sizes/problems. Would any sort of seat saver/gel pad help?
 
This is a totally off the wall suggestion, but it helped me. You could consider a Total Contact Saddle (TCS). This is like a wide girth with stirrups and you use it with a saddle pad. I have severe left hip problems and also get a lot of pain in my knee. I initially has an Ideal dressage saddle for Young Cob when he was newly backed as I thought this would hold me in place better. Anyway, in the end he outgrew the saddle so I got the TCS as a stop-gap measure without much hope that it would be really suitable. It has been a complete revelation! There is nothing to hold you in place but you move gently with the motion of the horse and don't 'brace' anywhere even unconciously - which I do because of being in pain. Suprisingly I can also sit spooks more easily in this than a 'normal' saddle. I got some second hand Sprenger bow balance irons which also help me to move gently and maintain feeling but not pain through me left side. It also allowed my horse to mature without having to worry constantly about whether the saddle fitted properly.
 
Someone said about a stock saddle yesterday so I'm going to look into it. Western saddles might work but are very heavy to lift and I wouldnt know where to start buying one!

Treeless of any sort is a no go. I need as little movement as possible. I had a Christ Lamfelle pad for a little while and it really hurt my back as you can feel so much through them.

He definitely needs a flat tree, or will. Hes getting away with my current saddle as hes still a bit poor and its very slightly curved. But hes going to outgrow it pretty quickly.

Saddle fitting is a dark art at the best of times without any sort of complications!

I've found a Barrie Swaine saddle to try. Its not quite how I need it to be, but it can go back to Barrie Swaine and have the flaps changed or the angle of them altered etc, so it seems a reasonable compromise. I dont think I will ever get anything exactly right for my budget anyway and with any luck the surgeon will agree to surgery when I see him today and then all this wont be an issue :)
 
As an owner of a tricky to fit cob, I would highly recommend the solution saddles smart native saddles. It doesn't budge, whatever he does, and is super comfy for me. On top of that, it is lightweight. They're over your 1k budget, but are a saddle for life and you can try them on rental as well as pay on 0% payment plan. If I were you, this would be my first choice. You may pick one up second hand, but there aren't many that come up for sale - which I think speaks volume!
 
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