What do you expect from a new saddle?

[Paint Me Proud]

Had my new saddle about 4 months, made to measure.

Had to have it adjusted and padded out after 2 months as it had gone down on the wither.

It is now looking low on the wither again.

Is this to be expected with a new saddle or is something amiss?

 

[soulfull]

I would expect the first adjustment. But not the second one

I used to help fit saddles and if that had of happened customer would not have been charged thats for sure

 

[Surreydeb]

I recently bought a new saddle. Saddler said they come 2/3rds flocked, added some flocking at first fitting, then needs to be looked at after 1 month, 3 months then 6 months, so I believe this is normal. I understand there are a couple of saddlers on HHO so hopefully one of them will be along shortly to advise.

 

[Surreydeb]

PS the first two adjustments are included in original price of the saddle.

 

[sbloom]

If anything made to measure, in my experience, makes the saddle a slightly less versatile fit. They often seem to need more adjusting. Occasionally a horse will get narrower for okay reasons, and this would cause the saddle to drop. Equally they just may not have put in enough flock, have the right depth of panel, or have the tree narrow enough in the first place. If your horse has any muscle damage then you may need a corrective pad or it can happen a bit like this.

If he has a healthy solid back then I'd be asking questions about whether the saddle itself is dropping so not right to begin with, or if he is narrowing, and if so why is he narrowing? There can be bad reasons for becoming narrower and if the saddle is lifting at the back at all, that will make it worse - it's a vicious circle, the horse narrows a fraction or the saddle drops for another reason, the back starts to lift, the muscle at the front can't function properly, and the horse loses width, making it lift more at the back and so on.

 

[Magicmillbrook]

I would say it sound quite normal, providing you have a good saddle fitter. I have a made to measure saddle that Is now 9 months old and has had 4 or 5 adjustments! I was expecting it though as it was for a 4 year old grossly obese cob. The first adjustment had to be done before he had even worn it, he had lost so much weight from his initial template and the saddle being made. I was looking at the difference twixt the first and most recent, he has lost inches. We hope he has gone as 'narrow' as he ever will be and the next changes will be a s muscle develops.

 

[Goldenstar]

I would consider that very normal.

 

[cremedemonthe]

It's normal for new saddles to drop, I have found that it's better to add a small amount of flock and let it settle rather than lots in one go, all saddlers and fitters work differently and this maybe the way your saddler works. If it is then you may find you have to have a few more flock ups before it stops settling.
It also depends on the weight and ability of the rider as well as what type of work the horse is being given and how much as to how long in between flocking you need, Oz

 

[meesha]

Maybe I have been lucky I have just had mine flocked for the first time since I bought it new 3 ish years ago , it wasn't made to measure though. I do use a thinner cotton pad in summer and if v fit and clipped a half wool with thin cotton underneath in winter.