Wide natives and synthetic saddles

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tye_bo

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I had a saddle fitter out about 10 years ago and he said that synthetic saddles just wouldn't be the right fit for my horse (dales x welsh d) and so I ended up getting a leather one. Fast forward to last year when the saddle needed replacing and I get another saddler out. I had thought that in 10 years things would have moved on a bit and there would be an option to have a synthetic saddle but this saddler said that synthetic wouldn't be the right fit and she made me a saddle.

The saddle is ok but I just don't really like the look of it (If I had known that before I agreed to have it made I wouldn't have gone ahead) and its starting to rub her as she has lost weight since it was fitted. So my question is have I had the wool pulled over my eyes and are there wide synthetics available?? I am wondering if I should get another saddler out to see if they could fit a synthetic one and part ex the leather one? Because the leather one is hand made I don't know if it will have held it's value (£800) as it isn't a known brand? It feels too expensive/good for me when I'm just a happy hacker?

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Natives are notoriously hard to fit and most will never fit an off-the-peg saddle, which is probably why your saddlers have always recommended a custom saddle. My saddler managed to get hold of a second hand leather saddle for me that had been custom made for its previous owner (a 16.3hh ISH!) and modified it to fit my 14.2hh Welsh D. It was a working hunter style saddle which was straight-cut in front which is an ideal style for natives as they tend to have large active shoulders but no withers.

I don't see why you shouldn't be able to find a synthetic one that fits, what with all the changeable gullets and things, but you might have to make a compromise with it as they are not so easily modifiable as a leather one (apart from changing the gullets, it's hard to remove or add flocking). They certainly do make very wide gullets for them and there are specialist cob saddles that you could look in to.
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Wintec make a 'wide' saddle especially for the wider horse, which might be suitable, depending on how much shoulder your horse has.
Ideal make a Highland and Cob leather saddle, which you might be able to get in part-ex for yours depending on saddlers. They're about £700 new.

Most synthetic saddles aren't suitable for the wider horses because they have thin gullets. Even if you put a wide fitting into the front of an adjustable wintec, the back of the saddle gullet could potentially press into either side of the spine.
 
My pony doesn't fit in any synthetic 'off-the-peg' saddles, nor the other off-the pegs for that matter! I tried an X-wide the last time (before the inter-changeables were on the market), but it was still perched. Even the widest gullet on the changeables interferes with his shoulder. Having a flat as a pancake made-to-measure gullet was the only way to go!
 
There are synthetic saddles designed for wide horses, and I must have tried every make over the years, and never got one to fit properly.

I have found a couple of cheapish options that work though, one is an XXW imported leather saddle I bought on ebay, the leather isn't great and it would probably make most saddler wince but it does fit every extra wide horse I try it on, doesn't slip or revolve, and has good spinal clearance throught the length and nice flat panels. I also have a Silhouette w/h type saddle which is very wide (nice show saddle) which also sits nicely and am currently getting the Saddle Company person out to fit one - there are options out there.
 
Our RDA Welsh D has a Wintec in XW, he seems to rather like it and it fits him fine. The saddler knew we were on a budget as we're a charity so was more than happy to find a synthetic to fit him.
 
The reason that synthetic saddles dont suit natives is because they are built on the wrong shaped trees. For example, Wintecs have a banana shaped tree which do not suit flat backed horses. They also are very narrow - so even when you adjust the gullet, the actual tree of the saddle is exactly the same width.

Thorowgood cobs are better - the tree is flatter and wider. It is possible to fit these to cobs. They also have FISH inserts which you can use to adjust the width of the gullet. Some models also have interchangeable gullets. But again, the actual shape of the tree remains the same.

If you want a truly adjustable saddle, then you need to look at a Saddle Company or a Kieffer. I would also look at the Native Pony Saddle Company saddles as well as these are specifically made for natives.
 
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