What saddle? Desperately need recommendations!

Bertolie

Bertolie

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 August 2011
Messages
1,600
Location
Gloucestershire
Visit site
I am having problems getting a saddle to fit my cob. He is your average flat-backed, wide cob but he has very high, steep withers, he also has quite a bony spine despite the flat back :rolleyes:

My saddle fitter has tried various saddles but none of them fit very well and I am now at a loss as to what to try next. The problem seems to be that to get the saddle to fit the withers, it sits too low at the back, tilting me backwards and putting pressure on his spine and back. I recently had a McTimoney lady out to him and he was sore in the left lumbar region.

The saddle fitter did say that he may be more suited to a treeless saddle, but I have borrowed a Torsion saddle and that doesn't suit him either - again it sits too low at the back and puts pressure on his spine. I have heard good things about the Barefoot saddles but dont know anyone who has one I can try and am not in a position to buy one and then find it doesn't suit him.

I now have no idea where to go from here? I only have a budget of £600 which I dont think will be enough to have a made to measure saddle.

Does anyone else have a horse with the same problems as I have? Can anyone recommend any saddles that might be worth a try? I am getting desperate now and haven't been able to ride my boy for nearly 6 months :(
 
I had exactly the same problem with the tipping back etc. on my flat backed WelshxArab wide with a wither.

I now use a Kent and Masters Endurance saddle, it suits the shorter back and has more padding at the back to sit the rider in balance - no tipping back.

Another good one, is the Thorowgood T4 Cob, it also has quite a bit of padding for balance and of course the adjustable gullet like the K&M.

The saddler also tried a GFS XCH jumping square cantle model, that also fitted very well - which surprised me - it was very comfy btw, but too expensive for me.

Saddles can be a nightmare, there is a website that sells lots of secondhand saddles (sorry I have forgotton the name) and I think you can try out the saddles for the cost of posting? Google it, or someone with a better memory than me, on here may be able to help?
 
Big Fuzzy (RIP) sounded a similar shape.
The Solution Original Energist treeless saddle fitted her beautifully, as also a 2nd hand Ampthill saddle I found 2nd hand & got saddler to fit it to her for hunting/jumping.

What are you going to be doing tho as that makes a big difference to what type of saddle you are looking for.
 
depends if your looking for a gp, jump or dressage but it would be worth looking at

albion k2 jump and gp

harry dabbs meridian dressage

albion kontrol

kent and masters gp

thorogood t4

thorogood t6

thorogood t8

gfs/ black country saddles too

hope thats a bit of help :)
 
Treeless saddles are lovely but don't have much shape - they mould well but would still sit heavy on the withers. I had a wonderful back lady come out and she saw I didn't have much cash (muddy pony in a field - no yard or stables in sight!) and recommended a Thorowgood cob saddle. Cheap and cheerful but in her opinion they fit very very well (and she liases with a snazzy saddle maker so clearly can and does recommend more expensive saddles). Mine cost £350 from eBay. They do a gullet change system so may have something to fit your boy? I also have a prolite pad under my saddle just for some extra comfort for my lady - you can get ones with holes for riser pads which may help also?
 
Thank you for the suggestions so far.

My cob has a long back which probably doesn't help either! The saddle would only be used for hacking and occasionally popping a small jump.

We have tried the Kent and Masters gp, which didn't fit.
We have tried the Thorowgood T4 cob, which again was not suitable.
We have also tried a Bates gp, which when adjusted with the correct gullet and had the inserts added was a better fit but bounced on his back in trot.
We have also tried a Jeffries and an Albion but not sure which saddles they were.

I am pulling my hair out trying to find something, and without being able to ride my good doer is putting on weight which wont help with saddle fitting!
 
I have a black country saddle on my Welsh x TB and it's super comfy, so I'd definitely recommend finding out whether there is one that might be the right shape for your cob. There are a few different trees I think, but they all seemed to have quite wide panels which might suit. I don't know very much about saddlery though so don't take my word on anything!!
 
Minster saddlery might be worth a look. I would be surprised if a k2 would fit a cob that you describe.
 
Bertolie said:
I am having problems getting a saddle to fit my cob. He is your average flat-backed, wide cob but he has very high, steep withers, he also has quite a bony spine despite the flat back :rolleyes:

My saddle fitter has tried various saddles but none of them fit very well and I am now at a loss as to what to try next. The problem seems to be that to get the saddle to fit the withers, it sits too low at the back, tilting me backwards and putting pressure on his spine and back. I recently had a McTimoney lady out to him and he was sore in the left lumbar region.

The saddle fitter did say that he may be more suited to a treeless saddle, but I have borrowed a Torsion saddle and that doesn't suit him either - again it sits too low at the back and puts pressure on his spine. I have heard good things about the Barefoot saddles but dont know anyone who has one I can try and am not in a position to buy one and then find it doesn't suit him.

I now have no idea where to go from here? I only have a budget of £600 which I dont think will be enough to have a made to measure saddle.

Does anyone else have a horse with the same problems as I have? Can anyone recommend any saddles that might be worth a try? I am getting desperate now and haven't been able to ride my boy for nearly 6 months :(
Click to expand...


Hello, did you get a saddle sorted for yr cob?
If not I have one that may suit.
Many thanks.
 
My friends young cob is the same. We got a Kent and Masters which fitted like it was made for him, for 4 days!! then he seemed to sprout a massive pair of shoulders, literally overnight! We struggle because the cob style saddles are too broad in the panel for him, and pretty much anything else sits on his shoulders which seem to run really far back! My friend hates the treeless we got as it just doesnt seem very secure.

Current plan is to turn him away pretty much for the summer while he finishes growing, by which point he will hopefully fit a cob style saddle. I have never known a horse soo difficult to fit!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top