Amerigo Saddle Fit

[LadyJ526]

Hi COTHers! First time posting…but I’ve spent a lot of time trolling Just being honest lol

Anyway, I’d love to get some saddle fit opinions. Like many of you I’ve been through a saddle fitting saga, and I took this Amerigo CC out on trial last week from my local tack shop. I’ve read many posts on here stating that this saddle may work for my horse’s build - TB withers but also has a short back.

To my eye it looks like a pretty good fit. One thing I did notice is that it sits a tad bit pommel high so it might be a smidge narrow. It’s currently set as a M tree, but I could get it widened to a MW. It’d be worth it for me to spend the money to widen it if everything else works in terms of fit because the saddle is a steal of a deal!

Thoughts??
https://www.flickr.com/photos/80599628@N05/

[Rescuer]

I had an Amerigo for my TB. Loved it. Good balance, fit him well - except that he had that typical TB dip behind his withers and we had to use a bit of shimming to fill that gap.

I’m really not qualified to comment on your saddle’s fit - I’ll leave that to someone else - but what I noticed in the pictures you posted is it looks like there may possibly be some mold on the leather? What caught my eye was the dots on the seat leather at the back. Looks like black mold to me though I could be wrong.

[LadyJ526]

[QUOTE=Rescuer;8292389]
I had an Amerigo for my TB. Loved it. Good balance, fit him well - except that he had that typical TB dip behind his withers and we had to use a bit of shimming to fill that gap.

I’m really not qualified to comment on your saddle’s fit - I’ll leave that to someone else - but what I noticed in the pictures you posted is it looks like there may possibly be some mold on the leather? What caught my eye was the dots on the seat leather at the back. Looks like black mold to me though I could be wrong.[/QUOTE]

My TB has the same kind of dip behind the withers. If I purchase it, I’ll get the tree widened and look at using shims also.
I do see what you’re saying about the dots on the leather, but I don’t think it’s mold. When I had it on trial it definitely didn’t smell moldy or have any residue, so I don’t think it’s that, but the saddle needs some TLC - part of the reason it’s so cheap. The seat is a super soft material, almost like nubuck, so I’m wondering if it wears differently.

[jaybird660]

It looks ever so slightly pommel high and the girth is pulled a little forward. Other than that, it looks pretty good to me. The side shot, though, has many pads that might be deceiving me so I can’t make a true judgement. These saddles are said to have a forward balance point which is another discussion but I would be curious as to what the saddle does without the pads when mounted.

[LadyJ526]

[QUOTE=jaybird660;8293043]
It looks ever so slightly pommel high and the girth is pulled a little forward. Other than that, it looks pretty good to me. The side shot, though, has many pads that might be deceiving me so I can’t make a true judgement. These saddles are said to have a forward balance point which is another discussion but I would be curious as to what the saddle does without the pads when mounted.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the reply! The slight pommel high and the girth pulling a bit forward are 2 things I noticed too. A previous fitter had recommended an anatomical/shoulder relief girth for her because of where the saddle needs to sit, but I’ve been waiting to invest in one until I had the saddle issue figured out since all the billets sit differently. I’m hoping that an anatomical girth can help solve some of that issue. The red pad is a Saddleright pad, that again was also recommended by a previous fitter. The way this saddle fits though I don’t know that it’s really necessary and was thinking of going with something slimmer. I’ll try a different pad set-up and see how that works.

[lecoeurtriste]

I have Amerigo Vega Dressage and Monoflap jumping saddles–I love them both. My horses have very large, meaty withers, so I use a 1" riser pad under the seat to bring it up to level. The jump saddle could probably use a 1/2" riser under the seat too, but since I ride with very short stirrups and it is basically a flat saddle with thigh blocks, it’s fine. I’ve also been really impressed with the longevity (both are 9 years old and each used on two horses 3-4 days/week).