What saddles fit ex-racers...

My horse was described as "typical TB" by my saddler. He has a large wither and slightly asymmetrical. So we settled on a Wintec 500 with cair. He also has a wintec schooling pad underneath which fits him nicely.
 
Wintec's haven't come close to fitting my 3 TBs (2 ex-racers). I had a Thorowgood T4/6 Hi wither to try and it wasn't a good fit either on a TB with long withers and big shoulders.

I found Ideal fitted 2 of them well and were comfortable to ride in. All 3 ended up with SC saddles and I like the fact they are adjustable so accomodate their developing topline. There weren't any fitters covering Scotland when I had mine and needed them adjusted/templated so I trained to fit them myself. I therefore might have a slight bias now but they do what they say on the tin and ticked all the boxes for me when I first found out about them.

If I had the money I'd really like to try WOWs.
 
Ours has a Collegiate jumping saddle- not sure what type. It fits him perfectly! He has high withers and is quite broad and short coupled and it fits him like a dream.
 
I have an Albion dressage saddle which took a LOT of restuffing to get it to fit properly, and a Stubben jumping saddle which apparently is great for a horse of his shape and fits really nicely :):):)
 
Mine high withers, big shoulders, fairly straight back has a black country and a kieffer.
Saddler said Kent and Masters would also work on him, they are a leather saddle on the same adjustable tree as a thorowgood.
 
without sounding like a broken record really depends on the horse...

Millie is racing bred and has no withers, a flat back and is very broad- not the shark fin everyone thinks of when they think tb!

fwiw, Millie is in an Ideal as it has flat panels which suit her back profile.
 
agree with Millitiger. Some ex racers are very narrow, others not so. Even the "Typical" ones have different back profiles.

Ideal do fit most horses in some way or another, but that's because of the huge range of panels and tree designs they have. Albion have a TB tree, as do Black Country, kent and masters and thorowgood. Prestige will fit the narrower horse, and as said Bates can do the job well too :) .
 
We tried several different makes and styles but ended up getting a Harry Dabbs made to measure one as no second hand would fit him. I think its a process of trial and error to see what best fits you horse.
 
my TB has a bates momentum but hes only 4 and saddle fitter has warned me it might not fit him when he grows up- though i think it was more emphasis on regular checks as he is maturing. it was my TB mares before and fitted her well.
 
I'm a bit of a broken record about it, but I love Balance saddles. They're also designed for horses that will gradually be building up correct muscle etc. with work, so you're less likely to have to change your saddle. They're not for everyone, but I really like the ethos behind them, and they've done wonders for all of ours- from the ex-racer coming back into work to the ISH that's a lot more established.
 
Amerigo close contact and Stubben Edlewiss (sp?) fit my girlie, she is narrow, but not high withered........... But again like above depends on your horse and you....
 
I found the kieffer ones fit my lad a treat - although he is wider than your average TB & has big shoulders, but with withers! & as my saddler always tells me - very strong through his back! In fact he does get mistaken for a TB cross a lot!

Anyway, so I started with Kieffer Garmisch GP, then moved onto Kieffer Norbort Koof jumping & Kieffer Malmo dressage......

keep trying lots of different ones - you will find one that suits you & your horse! x
 
My tb started in a meadowcreek middleton which fitted him nicely in the begining and as he muscled up he is now in a kings blenheim which is soooo comfy :) The little tb project I sold is now in a xw throughgood cob saddle :D
 
lymeregis said:
I found the kieffer ones fit my lad a treat - although he is wider than your average TB & has big shoulders, but with withers! & as my saddler always tells me - very strong through his back! In fact he does get mistaken for a TB cross a lot!

Anyway, so I started with Kieffer Garmisch GP, then moved onto Kieffer Norbort Koof jumping & Kieffer Malmo dressage......

keep trying lots of different ones - you will find one that suits you & your horse! x
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Sound like mine - he even once got mistaken for a warmblood :(
 
Ah will be watching this thread...have to buy a jumping saddle for my boy. He had a cheapy from Argentina that fitted him well when he first came off but is now terrible.

On the other hand, his dressage fits him alright and that's a pfiff. Also used to use it on my previous ex-racer.
 
Wintecs didn't fit my boy, nor did the T4 High withered TB thorowgood.
Black country, Falcon Hawk events and anything with drop panels fit mine. He has a Frank Baines omega dressage saddle.
 
alesea said:
I'm a bit of a broken record about it, but I love Balance saddles. They're also designed for horses that will gradually be building up correct muscle etc. with work, so you're less likely to have to change your saddle. They're not for everyone, but I really like the ethos behind them, and they've done wonders for all of ours- from the ex-racer coming back into work to the ISH that's a lot more established.
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Totally agree - except that I don't understand why everyone doesn't have a Balance!!
 
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