I’ve been curious about them and the ‘fish’ fitting system. I’ve used an older thorogood, and it’s comfy and fits a wider backed horse, they are very affordable. Apparently they have gel in the seat. Would like to hear from anybody who has experience with them.
Sorry, mine is pre-fish. But I love it! I actually had a bit of a bronco ride today in it (maresie is in heat… and quite ornery :eek: ), and the fake suede seat has once again saved my ass from hitting the dirt. :lol:
It also fits my tank-like bulldog QH well. 
My husband has two Thorowgood dressage saddles. The older one doesn’t have fish, but does have a gel seat. The newer one didn’t advertise as having a gel seat. It does have fish, but not the changeable gullets they now offer. The quality is really nice in a synthetic and they look more like leather saddles. We have the high wither saddkes for our TB’s and the fish are really easy to use. You insert a pair of red shims, the “fish” into pockets located on the front panel under the flap, choose the thick or thin pair, or leave them out for the widest position. It’s an interesting idea, especially since it changes the width at a lower position than if you were to just change the gullet.
Well I personally hated the Thorowgood I had (pre-fish), but that’s not to say that other people don’t like them. Everything about the saddle was awful from look to feel to fit. The saddle fitter told me the Fish system is awful because it’s a hard plastic shim that creates pressure in one tiny spot against the horse’s back. She quit selling the saddles in her shop and recommends people to steer clear. But I have no personal experience with the Fish. I only know what she told me.
I love Thorowgood saddles. I actually have 3 now! A dressage for my Tb., and an AP and dressage for my Arab mare.
One has the Fish system, but honestly, I’ve never changed the fish out or done anything with them, because the saddle fits so well that I dont have to. The other saddles are pre-fish.
I love them because they fit so well and are so comfortable, correct, and CHEAP! I am going the dressage/jumping/eventing route with my mare instead of endurance for now, and it was so great to be able to pick up a dressage saddle that I love for $200. When you have 3 horses all different sizes that cant wear the same tack, and you do different disciplines with them all, its hard to buy expensive saddles.
I also think they are fabulous for wide horses.
I only had one bad experience with them. About 5 years ago, I bought a Jill Thomas endurance model for my gelding. It appeared to fit him but his back was super sore after the first 50 we did in it so I sold it and bought a DeSoto, which I love.
I had the Jill Thomas model. Probably one of the first saddles I bought for my mutton -withered Morab. I used it with a Skito pad and LOVED it.
It really ended up being to small for my keester, so I sold it to my dear friend and riding buddy, and she LOVES it. Does not do endurance in anything else, and uses it on multiple horses.
I wish I could have gotten another one, but they do not make them (the Jill Thomas one) in 18". Most say I do not need an 18", but I like the comfort they offer.
Dover distributes them in the U.S, and they are on ebay from time to time. Dover says you can order the Jill Thomas ones if you prefer. I got the one in an x wide tree.
Oh, all pre-FISH. Was not real keen on that new system, anyway.
That is interesting about the 18", because that is usually what I buy, not because my a$$ is huge, but because i have a fairly long thigh, and the smaller saddles usually put my knee over the roll at jumping length. It was a dressage model I sat in in the store, and it felt pretty comfy. I have to buy on the sly though, and hide it from my snobby daughter.
My daughter has a Thorowgood Maxam that she loves. Bought it cheap on ebay and it’s held up pretty well.
Used Thorogood Saddle
I have a Thorogood and LOVE IT. Its a Lucinda Green, great shape. I dont think you are allowed to post items for sale, but this is just in response to your email, and it happens to be for sale, cheap. The Thorogoods just always seem to fit so well, and fit a variety of horses.
The Galloping Grape
65 East Franklin Street
Warrenton, VA 20186
540-428-1002
I have the Jill Thomas and love it. My friend has an all purpose and just loves hers. We call them our sticky saddles. More than once we have been saved from the ground after a big spinning spook.
Sonata,
Where did you buy yours?
I have a very ancient Thorogood saddle which I love, one of the very early synthetic saddles
made in the mid-1980s. Model is a Coventry, the model being bought and made by another
company later, I gather. This saddle was bought for a short backed and wide arab whose
owner was then doing endurance in a dressage saddle. The saddle is still in very good
condition today after carrying many a beginning riding student around. I’d love to get
another, epecially an all purpose or jumping model but have never seen one for sale.
Saddle has simulated pigskin seat made of something like neoprene and easily replaceable
long billets. Cutback. Wool flocked. Wish I could find another.
Diamond Jake. I got mine at Jupiter Tack in FL. Don’t know if they still carry. My friend got her All Purpose at Dover Saddlery. Her saddle has longer flaps than some and they seem to be straighter. She says it is very comfortable. Took her a few rides to get used to it because she always rode in a close contact forward knee rolled saddle.
Careful! I had a used one I bought on Ebay. It was very noisy! I have a Wintec and I prefer the Wintec seat. I felt like I was on top of the Thorowgood, as opposed to seated in the Wintec. For the price I could have gotten used to that, but the noise was awful! Very squeeky! When the saddle was used on a lesson horse the kids couldn’t hear the trainer most of the time!
Very interesting replies. I would love nothing more than to have my very own Thorowgood T4 High Wither Dressage saddle, but Dover has been telling me for almost 5 months now that the 18" seat is on back order. They said, wait “until April”. So, April arrives, I send Dover my order for the saddle, they email me back with great news! The saddle is IN STOCK and will arrive in 2-3 business days. Whooppeeee!!!
Then 3 days later, I get another email from Dover, saying the saddles are STILL on back order and won’t be shipped until MAYBE July!!! The problem is that I want the 18" seat. They have plenty of smaller sizes in stock. Why, oh why does NO RETAILER realize that we are not all little teenee, tiny petite riders with no butts???!!!
I guess Dover didn’t want my Economic Stimulus Package Rebate Check, which I was totally willing to spend on a beautiful new Thorowgood dressage saddle. I got so mad I just cancelled the order and bought something else.
But I LOVE a nice, cushy, sticky Thorowgood over a Wintec any day! Too bad they are so hard to find (in larger sizes).
I have a Thorogood Griffin saddle that I found on eBay about 2 years ago now. I absolutely LOVE it!!! I used to jump in it all the time, it went for many gallops with my pony and I (and sometimes just the pony :no: ). It doesn’t fit my horse that great right now unless I have just the right pads (it was bought for a super wide pony), and it probably won’t fit the new horse I’m looking at at all, which has me sad already. But, I refuse to sell the saddle, because I am so in love with it. Everyone that has sat in it has loved it, and we are all different builds/have different preferences, so I was surprised that everyone liked it. It is very comfortable, has those removable blocks (that I removed last fall and now I can’t find…a problem because I want to jump and refuse to without those!). I got it lightly used, it was a true find.
