Adjustable saddle or wide saddle for growing horse?

[CanteringCarrot]

I recently purchased a Dutch Warmblood gelding. He just turned 7, and I have a feeling that his shape is going to change a lot. I can already tell he is going to be building a lot more top line muscle, and will fill out more. That being said, I am not sure what to do about a saddle.

I am in a fairly horsey section of Europe, but it’s really hard to get a saddle fitter out here. I am still working on that. In the meantime I have a friend’s Wintec dressage saddle on loan that fits ok with a good half pad.

I am really missing my jump saddle! My Albion is far too narrow for him, and I’m not sure that it can be widened enough for him. He’s not super wide, but for whatever reason that saddle is very narrow for a regular tree.

Would you…

1. Buy a Wintec jump and use that for the next 6-months to a year while he fills out. It’s cheap, adjustable, and would probably do the job. Not my favorite, but doable.

2. Buy a saddle a bit wide for him and just make it work with a good half pad, and see if he grows into it. Atleast there will be some room.

I am not sure on other options. I am working hard on getting a saddle fitter, but it may take awhile and I want to ride consistently if possible.

When I tried him at the breeder I bought him from they had a 30cm Stubben Porto on him, it was alright.

[Bogie]

There are a number of saddles that have adjustable saddles – Schleese, Prestige, Kieffer, etc. Of course that only applies to tree width, but those saddles are fairly easily adjusted.

I’m pretty sure that my Jeffries JMX monoflap jumping saddle has an adjustable tree, too. Those will be easier to find in Europe and it’s a nice saddle for a very reasonable price – and should be easy to resell if your horse outgrows it and you don’t want to have it adjusted.

The Kieffer “glow” trees are a nice option because you can adjust them many times without impacting the tree. Those are also more popular and easier to find in Europe. I have a Norbert Koof FL and think it’s a very nice saddle, also the Dublin is one I like.

You can go slightly wide and pad up. it’s less ideal for eventing because if you’re not careful, the pads can slide around a bit, but it’s certainly do-able with a shimmed pad.

The older style Wintec Pro Jump saddles are surprisingly nice and well balanced, although I don’t like the newer ones. I have one as my “rainy day” hunt saddle and like it quite a bit.

You can also look at the newer Thorowgood saddles, like the T8. Those are a hybrid synthetic/leather saddle and lots of people like them better than the Wintecs. I tried one and found it was too much saddle (felt perched) but it was nicely made.

I try to buy saddles that have the potential to be adjusted and currently own a Schleese monoflap eventing saddle, a Kieffer Norbert Koof FL, and a Jeffries JMX along with the old Pro Jump.

[Hilary]

Check out the wow saddles. They are sort of self adjusting, and you do not need a fitter. I think of he isn’t extreme on either end (narrow/wide) it could work for a growing horse.

[Bogie]

[QUOTE=Hilary;8681657]
Check out the wow saddles. They are sort of self adjusting, and you do not need a fitter. I think of he isn’t extreme on either end (narrow/wide) it could work for a growing horse.[/QUOTE]

I owned one of those a few years back and it was interesting. My horses at the time wasn’t crazy about the FLAIR panels, but the modularity of the saddles is pretty cool.

[jaybird660]

There are saddles with adjustable gullet plate systems and then there are some that can be widened in a tree press which the “lay” person can’t do on one’s own. Some can be widened repeatedly, I’m told, and some should only be done once or twice and only up or down a size. It’s wise to work with someone that can help you figure that info out.

As said, only the front widens which is helpful and many WB’s get very broad mid back, laterally so if the lateral shape or rails are a little like airplane wings to begin with, I would shim the rear to get more contact but if you have that going for you and the ability to widen the front, your saddle should fit longer than one that is too angular laterally, even if you can adjust the front.

Also keep in mind longitudinal shape. No matter how adjustable the saddle is, if the shape doesn’t match the general topline, it isn’t worth the adjustable option.

[CanteringCarrot]

Hm. Since I am in Germany I have noticed a lot of used Kieffer’s and Stubben’s at good prices. I used to have a Kieffer Arlene (now the Dublin, I think) that I quite liked. I will keep an eye out for the brands mentioned.

I know in the states I could at least send a wither tracing in ans get a saddle sent to me or a recommendation on sizes and saddles, but I am not sure that is a thing here.