What would you do now? Saddle saga continues!

J

Jingleballs

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You all must be fed up of my moaning posts about saddle fittings!

It appears that the fitter that I paid £105 at the weekend has also fitted a saddle to my horse that does not actually fit him. Add that to the £280 I've spend on the saddle itself and it's been a very expensive weekend!!

I'm hoping that Derby House will take the saddle back - I've only had it since Sunday, the tags are still on it and it has been sat in twice.

I have another saddler coming out today to give a second opinion on both saddles and also to bring some other saddles to try - I've specifially asked her to bring a Thorowgood.

I don't doubt that both fitters that I have previously used have done what they think is a good job so I don't feel like I've been conned but I am now in a position where I don't trust anyone to fit a saddle to my horse!

So what do I do? I honestly don't know how to move forward from here and I am getting myself in such a mess about it - I was in hysterics at the yard last night when I tried the Wintec again and saw how bad it was (why does the saddle always seem to fit when the fitter is there but the instance they leave it doesn't???)

I've received some suggestion that I should measure him up myself for a Thorowgood but I know that my knowledge (or lack of) is not enought to guarantee that I won't end up doing just as much damage as these saddlers!!!

Any advice/suggestions welcome - I have a HW cob with surprisingly narrow withers (due to muscle wastage) a wide back and surprisingly small shoulders?
 
Oh and thank you to everyone who has PM'd me with help and suggestions especially CBAnglo - I just wish you were closer to me and you could come and fit a saddle for me!
 
I love my treeless saddle, none of these worries for me now
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i would agree that if he has muscle wastage (as my TB type has) then a treeless is a fab option to allow the muscle to build up. Had this problem with my boy and went through 3 saddles in 6 months- bought a Torsion Deluxe which fits him like a glove as it changes shape with him (and is the most comfy saddle i've ever sat on!!) and saddle worries are over now.
Why not try the treeless route for the time being?
 
What saddle cloth did you have under the saddle when the fitter fitted it? Did she ask you what you usually put under the saddle. Lot's of fitters will fit a saddle with no numnah or pad underneath, then when you put on for example a thick polypad or sheepskin the saddle doesn't fit. Once the saddle had arrived did she then check the fitting? She should then come out a couple of weeks later to recheck the fit as if you have flocking in it, this would drop a bit and may well need a bit more putting in.
 
I had a similar problem with my old mare and went down the treeless route, she was dales X with a short back, no withers and a very upright shoulder. Saddle fitter fitted her with standard saddle, two weeks later she wouldn't even let me in the stable with it nevermind put it on her back.

Although I would still say that it's not a case of one treeless saddle fits all horses (her torsion rubbed after a while so I changed to a freeform).

Jo
 
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