Warmblood saddle fitting!

[Warmblood95]

Hello everyone!
ive recently changed saddle to an Albion k2 jump and even though it was Fitted by a saddler after having my physio out she has said she now has a sore back and looked at the saddle and said the tree was too curved. I’m now stuck with what to try next, shes a Belgium warmblood with a huge withers and shoulders then a very flat back. My physio is coming back in a month and I’m going to try her Albion jump with a flat tree and also her treeless saddle (Which I don’t think I’m a fan of). I have a bansby dressage which fits amazing however what would you all recommenced I try needs to be a jump saddle?
thanks for reading!

 

[soloequestrian]

My young warmblood has a very flat back and I struggled to find something flat enough for her. She's now in a Heather Moffett Flexee (pre gullet plate) and is doing well. The Flexee has a leather tree so it's not treeless but the tree is flexible. I'm not sure how well it would cope with huge withers, but I pad mine in according to Balance principles so that system might be worth a look for your mare.

 

[Meredith]

I had a half panel saddle for my big shouldered warmblood. It was great. Mine was a Harry Dabbs Hunter tree future tree performance panel made very wide. Be warned though the GP is much straighter cut than you would expect.
One thought, both my instructor and saddler have, independently, said that Albions are steep to the pommel. Not sure how relevant that may be, but thought to pass it on.

 

[sbloom]

Forgive me but a physio can usually say if it could be the saddle causing the issue but unless they're a qualified or experienced saddle fitter I'd be wanting them to keep an open mind. I personally find trees are often too curvy, but a high wither needs a curvy tree to a certain extent (that's what they're for, they have to curve up to accommodate the wither). The K2 is pretty much the flattest standard tree that Albion do. I suspect there is another more subtle issue such as rail shape.

I would ask around for either a second opinion from another fitter, or simply get them out and ask them to fit you something else. Big shoulders aren't always an issue but if you need every mm of the ribcage length for the seat size you need then you may need to look at, at minimum, a half pad or sheepskin lined pad, to give the shoulders space, a less forward cut jump saddle but with the block to suit your leg length or you might need something like a split panel, or possibly a half panel. This last scenario is much rarer than you'd think, I fit mostly large shoulders (cobs, natives, wider horses of all kinds) and rarely have this issue.