Used the same saddle for years, no probs

[tankgirl1]

How many will admit to that on here? I am just wondering as most people I know rarely get the back man or saddle fitter out, but also rarely if ever tbh have problems with behaviour, napping, mounting, bucking etc etc

The people who seem to have the most problems seem to be those that have the back man, physio, saddler, farrier, vet etc out every time their horse naps or bucks...

I am kinda sat on the fence atm, just musing....

Have used back woman (all clear), saddler (x3, same horse, within 2 months) x2 said it fit fine, third one put a bit of flocking in

 

[Dappledpony]

I got my first pony in the 80s and in the 7 years I had him I don't ever recall having a back person or saddler out. He just had yearly dentist, jabs and farrier. That was it. His behaviour was fantastic, I did hunter trials, SJ and hunted, he went on to be ridden into his mid 30s.

 

[Illusion100]

Mine have been on Connemara/ISH/TB/SH, never had an issue.

 

[wills_91]

We were just talking about this the other day, when I started riding as a kid (17 years so not that long ago) we padded saddles up in the winter and thinner pads etc in the summer & really basic saddle fitting is down to common sense, a good saddle fitter is like gold dust, you hear so many stories and gauranteed you use one saddler will say it fits, another will tell you it doesn't!! I think alot of people have just lost confidence in themselves. Checking your saddle fits should be part of your routine every time you tack up & takes minutes do, there was a great thread on ihdg recently about saddle fitting if anyones interested I will post link. I admit to having the back man out twice yearly, in the 4 years he has never found an issue with my girl (bar once when she had a fall in the field) it costs me £25 a time & the horse loves it so I don't grudge it to much.

My usual advice on here though for a sudden change of behaviour is check your back,saddle, teeth & diet - get an instructor in to see what's happening, I wouldn't feel comfortable advicing someone to ride through it as such unless they were sure all of the above was ruled out.

 

[glamourpuss]

My current jumping saddle was bought for other, currently broken horse. It's now being used on my new horse. I haven't even had the fitting officially checked by a 'saddle fitter'. No need at this point, both me & my very experienced instructor can see it's fine.
I actually haven't had a saddle fitter for about 6 years. If I can't fit a saddle now after all the years I've been doing it there's no hope!

 

[SaffronWelshDragon]

When i got Saf i bought a GP saddle which i had fitted. I was a happy hacker for years and didn't get it checked, Saf never complained. Since becoming a dressage diva (lol!) I've swapped to a dr saddle which was fitted and get checked 6-12 months. She also had the physio out for an MOT with nothing significant showing up.

 

[old hand]

I think some of the problems are horse related, never had any problems with TB X something heavier, they do not usually have the large shoulders bones the current warmbloods seem to have. have three at the moment , one fits anything in the right width the other two have very square scapula bones and seem to change shape drastically as they fitten up. i agree you need to check very regularly and have a lot of knowledge ref saddle fit, or must not be afraid to ask someone who does. Mine prefer elastic trees too and one prefers his saddle floating above his shoulder. Two fitters have said that is fine, he wears a lot of dead sheep under it , he lets us know in no uncertain terms if he thinks it is too far back. had one fitted two fingers back from the scapula he spent his time doing head stands. Chiro says no problem with current fitting too, interestingly it is centered on him as he has a very big shoulder and length of rein, maybe sometimes you have to look at the whole horse and that's why there are differences of opinion on fit? girth groove makes a difference too. back is fine and has been scanned and is bum high so he is physically challenged!

 

[MagicMelon]

I always get the saddler out to fit the saddle in the first place but other than that I don't regularly get them out to check it (unless I feel it needs it) and I dont get the back person out unless I feel there's an issue. It does seem to be the case that I know a few people who get these people out every few months and they always seem to be having behaviour issues... dont know why. My theory is if it isn't broke then don't fix it!

 

[HaffiesRock]

Until I bought my current pony I had never had a saddle fitted. My Haffy is a very sensitive soul and basically will not allow me to mount if his saddle is uncomfortable. I dutifully call the fitter and my pony hasn't been wrong yet!

My mare however is the complete opposite. She never fusses and just gets on with things. I get hers checked too when the fitter is out and last week when she came,both saddles needed taking out 2 width sizes! (moved to a new yard with grass) mare never complained though! Some don't make it known I don't think, and I find that sad. My Haffy has opened my eyes up to a whole new world of being anal about saddle fit!

 

[Cortez]

Perhaps it is a new breed of owners? I'm quite old and come from a time when people were taught to see and feel if a saddle fitted or not themselves. It is largely a matter of common sense.

 

[3OldPonies]

I'll come clean - unless there is a problem and I mean a proper problem not an imaginary one - I've always stuck to the same saddle. Never had a 'back' person out in my life - never needed one.

 

[webble]

Possibly a new breed of saddles too. When I was growing up there was the huge variety, they were all leather in either black or mostly brown and that was it. No adjustable gullets, no synthetics etc. Yes there were horses that just put up with it but there were also those with bad behaviour that were just classed as naughty and that was it, no investigation into why

 

[marmalade88]

I think alot of people have just lost confidence in themselves. Checking your saddle fits should be part of your routine every time you tack up & takes minutes do,

This! Most people have never seen the volume of horses with good fitting saddles to know what fits and what doesn't fit a horse. Also I think the lighter numnahs in summer and largely due to the fact some horse loose condition over winter so a bit of extra padding along their backs in the winter. Although now with all the over rugging and high energy feeds everyone seems to think their happy hackers in barely light work need this is less of a problem. ( sorry no bug bears with this at all ;-) )

I know my horse and I am the one who handles and brushes him everyday, I know when something is wrong as soon as I unrug him or brush him. Unless I had top athlete horses, we're talking world classes racers and eventers, I wouldn't consider using a physio or back man. I mean I do as much exercise as my horse , in gym equivalent and wouldn't go to a physio, podiatrist, chiro, or any other just because I was bit under the weather or a little sore. If you exercise and recover currently, both you and the horse, this shouldn't be an issue for most amateur riders.

Most people look at their backs before looking at their feet, proper shoeing can make the world of difference. Also if you ride like a sack of spuds and thud around in the saddle the horse is bound to be a bit put out. People who can't keep their bum in the saddle cantering need to go back to basics...... anyway I digress.

I'm not sat on the fence, my horse is a habitual roller, when he stops rolling over I'll start worrying about this back.

 

[Clannad48]

I too am old and can't imagine how we managed with one saddle, one bridle, two bits (in case you needed a stronger one for hunting), two saddle pads (one thick, one thin) one indoor rug (or heavy blanket with a surcingle) one outdoor rug, straw for wisping, and about three items in the brush box (including a hoof knife - or pick). My daughter's horse has more tack and equipment than my first yard had for 8 horses. How the times change.

 

[LadyRascasse]

I used to with my first horse, but I have had a saddler for many years. It massively helped a coldbacked horse I brought to have regular saddle checks and physio. That said most of mine haven't needed adjusting for a while but they are checked at least twice a year.

 

[flurryjuno]

I'll admit for my first pony I got my saddle of ebay and didn't get it fitted. It was a real old type english leather saddle, used it for four years without a hint of discomfort, also let friends etc use it when needed and seemed to be the 'fit all' type. Current horse however gets checked regularly as shows discomfort as soon as she feels it and has a funny shaped back, lucky me have to save up for special saddle now!

 

[ester]

Well my saddle had a full reflock in the summer as the flocking had moved and wasn't fitting as well as I knew it used to (had it from new, about 4/5 years) it will be checked again in a couple of months (probably won't cost me anything) just to ensure it is all good, I think it is fine but find it less of a stress to have to confirmation of a VERY good saddler.

Frank sees the physio every 3-4 months if I leave it he starts to look uneven behind as tight muscles exacerbate whatever arthritic issues he has going on in his near hind. Regular physio keeps him looking sound . I actually left it for about 9 months when I moved which was a mistake so won't be repeating that.

Oh and we don't have any behavioural problems! He is for the most part a delight

 

[JillA]

I had a Pennwood saddle that fitted ANYTHING - I broke and rode on at least 6 different home bred horses and never had a problem. Then I bought a cheap synthetic, which again, with the horses I had bred, was fine, although I did have one or two who napped, but didn't put it down to the saddle. Fast forward to 10 years ago and I have a horse who reacts to EVERYTHING that isn't to his liking. He has taught me a lot - he tells me in no uncertain terms if he is uncomfortable and I have learned to listen. Is it the horses? Or the saddles? Or us? Who knows.

 

[Wagtail]

I have known so many poor saddlers who have fitted saddles too narrow for horses (fitted them into the wither pockets which are actually muscle wastage thus exacerbating the problem), that for years I fitted saddles myself. Finally however, I have come across two saddlers from the same shop (Milners - Melton Mowbray) who I can say really are very good and I will use them when I get a saddle for my youngster. So nice to finally trust a saddler. I fitted my own saddle to all other horses I have owned and never had a problem, except my last gelding. But he arrived with me with severe kissing spines.

 

[ozpoz]

i think people are over confident and don't recognise when their horse is lame - nearly half of ridden sports horses, in a recent survey by Dr Sue Dyson. Presumably, their experienced, professional owners weren't able to spot it.
We have more ways to diagnose problems such as gait analysis and thermal imaging and the onus is on us, as horse owners to educate ourselves and act on possible issues.
Many horses aren't worked into fitness they way it used to be done ( weeks of walking) and have poor muscle over their backs.
Many riders don't work on their own fitness and balance too - the horse is just expected to be half of a sport combination that carries the other half, instead of a real team - is this really acceptable?
E-venting has published some findings from the recent Saddle Research International Conference which is worth a read.

 

[NellRosk]

How many will admit to that on here?

Erm.... my mum! She's very old school, she thinks I'm extrememly extravagant for wanting to get mine checked every 6 months but tbf to the woman her horse has never had any problems. Which is typical!

 

[Firefly9410]

I will confess to never using a saddle fitter , except I had a saddle reflocked once because it was a bit too flat and was touching the spine. I got a basic treeless saddle for one horse who expands dramatically in summer but has a normal saddle in winter.I find it hard to believe anyone has treeless saddles fitted. I rarely jump but when I do, I use a saddle I find it impossible to fall out of! If I am riding in the rain I use a synthetic. It is only for an occasional one hour ride so I do not worry too much about the fit. Like others here I use a thicker pad in winter when a horse loses weight.

I have two rugs for each horse and if my bridle is dirty I grab a clean one off the pile. I find the horses, with a rare exception, do not care what bit is on it. I only have a basic grooming kit too, soft and hard brushes, a plastic curry comb and a hoofpick. If a horse complains about a piece of tack or equipment I change it.

Most of the people on my yard seem to be practical, the only faffing I see is the constant bathing in summer. Any behaviour problems are quickly ironed out, maybe because it is largely competing owners? Are the people who call the experts out so much the novice owners, who cannot tell from observing, riding and handling their horse whether or not it has a problem? It would explain why they are also the horse owners experiencing the most behaviour problems.

 

[ozpoz]

The problem with equines, being flight animals, is that they are programmed not to show pain or weakness..

 

[el_Snowflakes]

Perhaps it is a new breed of owners? I'm quite old and come from a time when people were taught to see and feel if a saddle fitted or not themselves. It is largely a matter of common sense.

This & perhaps some new saddles aren't to the same standard of old ones?

 

[cornbrodolly]

In the last 30 odd years OH and myself have had around 10 saddles for our own horses, and ridden and backed/broken many others , so saddles interchangable to a large degree . I definitely think new saddles, say from 1980 s onwards are not made to last. We have never reflocked , never had a sore back , just with common sense chose a saddle that fitted the horse. One Barnsby M W fitted 90 % of horses that came in for backing ,of various types and breeds- but was a bit hard in the seat to ride in!
To those who think horses suffer pain under the saddle but do not react to it , I would disagree - they would soon buck , or buckle under the saddle ,or at least rub hair off and grow in white patches. There seemed many hunters with patches like that in the past - so perhaps things have improved! However , so called 'saddle fitters' can be out there workingwith very little training, so I wouldnt feel confident in using one .

 

[JoJo_]

I'm having an issue getting a saddle fitted to my new horse. First saddle fitter who came to yard to see quite a few liveries spent 5-10mins fitting a Bates to my horse, didnt try changing the gullet at all and just said it fit fine. Walked away to have a cigarette while I got on horse who proceeded to throw her head about and be very unhappy with saddle. It felt far too tight and didnt have room under the saddle for her muscle to develop. Wont be using him again.

Next saddle fitter fit a secondhand GP which my trainer reckoned wasnt level at all on my horse so she came back and exchange for a twice the price secondhand dressage which I am trialling but we dont think is right for the horse. I just seem to get the impression that saddle fitters ask how the saddle feels for the rider and if the rider is comfortable then the saddle 'fits'.

But back to the OPs original point. I think saddle fitters/chiros etc are used a lot more these days as more people concentrate on their horse's performance with competing compared to what they used to. Maybe there are more people who compete these days as opposed to having a horse just to hack where problems with saddle fitting may not show up so much. I dont think there is a problem with people wanting their saddles checked regularly, the problem lies when the saddle fitter is not very good.

ETA - Competition horses probably change shape a bit more than happy hackers as they develop different muscle and if they go out of work they lose muscle. This all affects the fit of a saddle.

 

[Auslander]

I've a got a magical dressage saddle, which is probably over 30 years old, and has fitted every horse I've owned (admittedly they are all a very similar type) I have had it checked on Alf several times, and it has never needed adjusting - it has latex panels, which mould very well to slightly different horses. Technically, the tree is too curved for Alf, who has a flat back, but he has never objected (and he has very strong opinions about things that cause him discomfort - like my other saddle, which technically fits him better!)

I'm all for investigating back/saddle etc if a horse is playing up, but I usually try a swift kick and a growl first! 9 times out of 10, that resolves nappiness/naughtiness.

 

[muckypony]

I am going to stick with this theory from now on!

The last few weeks my boy felt a little hesitant to jump/go forward so figured it was his saddle that needed some attention. Someone on the yard was having a saddler out (recommended!) and so I just joint in on the visit. Saddle was put on pony for less than 2 seconds and the saddler claimed it was an awful fit, far too narrow, nothing could be done so I could by a new saddle from them at a minimum of £650!! Straight away I thought what a load of rubbish.. Phoned up my usual saddler who happened to be having lunch and their yard is a 20 min hack away. Trotted him over, £15 later I have a newly flocked saddle and he jumped 1.10 the following day like he wad flying!!

Will never be getting someone out again unless pony tells me somethings up and shan't be experimenting with who I use!

 

[Palindrome]

simply the saddle fitted or/and the horse was told to toughen up, said to be cold backed, bad tempered, etc... I see horses that don't have their saddle checked and they have muscle wastage behind the wither, make grumpy faces or kick out when saddle is put on their back, the owner just think it's normal. Yes, if you are knowledgeable you can probably pad up/choose from a few saddles and see what fits but for regular owners I think it is beneficial to the horse to have a master saddler check the fit regularly. Otherwise over time the back of the horse will take the shape of the saddle but not the ideal in my opinion.
Now, yes, there are those saddle fitters ("alternative" in my experience) that will have a quick glance and tell you you need a new £2000 saddle for your horse to be comfy/not have muscle wastage, etc... I think some of them truly believe what they say, but that's because they lack the knowledge/ability to adjust the flocking to fit the horse properly.

 

[BeingKate]

My horse felt great, was winning Adv Medium, got saddle checked and a few minor adjustments made the world of difference to his extended trot and his walk. A good saddler (not one that tries to flog you the most expensive brand new one) is worth their weight in gold

as for getting backs done, a horse was never designed to carry a person in the first place and we are lucky they let us. In my eyes it's the least we can do to keep them comfortable. Mine all get routinely checked, at least yearly and the big man who is PSG gets done a minimum of every 6 months.

Whilst I agree entirely it should be common sense to check (and experience should tell us what's a fit and what isn't), not many of us have the skills or indeed equipment to make small adjustments which can make all the difference to a horse.

That said, I only ever use VERY select people. We got a back man out once on recommendation of a top vet, who told us our new TB that fell off the wagon when we brought him was just a "Nappy begger" which needed a boot in the ribs and some more topline. We didn't accept that advice (and I cancelled the cheque for £65!!!!! before it left my account), got a second opinion, and it turns out our lovely boy had KS, soft tissue damage and partial paralysis of his right side. Safe to say he won't be setting foot on my yard again!