Best of luck to you Crotchety 
I too am riding in an extra long flap and the seat is too big. Feels better than anything else Iāve ever ridden my horse in tho. We are in love with this saddle! I cannot wait until I get one with the correct seat size and the correct flap. Gonna be burninā up the dressage arena!
FWIW, I have been told that dry spots on either side of the withers (especially if they are symmetrical) are not a big deal IF said horsie isnāt reacting badly in the saddle. I have (almost) hand sized dry spots on 2 horses right now that are ridden in the same saddle and they tell me everyday how much they love their saddle. Of course, your mileage may vary. 
Good to know, they were freaking me out more than a little bit. A brand spanking new one in the right configuration is coming for me to try early next week. I have been busy girding my loins for the hit to my pocketbook.
Aaaannnd . . . I bought the new Hermes. It fit like it was made for us, and is absoloutely sublime to ride in.
Now I have to go stock up on Ramen noodles. That is all I can afford anymore. :ā(
[QUOTE=CrotchetyDQ;8149017]
Aaaannnd . . . I bought the new Hermes. It fit like it was made for us, and is absoloutely sublime to ride in. [/QUOTE] Those are foam panels arenāt they? How do you adjust them when the horse changes? What do people do that buy a used foam saddle?
They are foam panels, and by nature foam is a little more forgiving fit wise than wool. If the horse changes drastically, this particular company comes out and makes a computer scan of the horses back to manufacture custom ones. It does cost a few bucks, BUT you do not need to make little adjustments every six months like having a wool flocked saddle. IF the horse changes shape enough to need new panels, you change them. IMHO it all comes out in the wash cost wise.
In my mareās case, she made a lot of changes last year when we put her in a wider tree but has been very stable in multiple saddles for the last six months. Also, she made it VERY clear she greatly preferred the foam. We had trouble with her shifting the wool flocking around to suit her in the old saddle, which will not be a problem with the Hermes. It was getting REALLY expensive fixing the rockered wool panels every six weeks.
I know folks who ordered built-from-the-tree-up-and-I-sat-in-plaster customs for their horses who did not get a fit this good. Beloved trainer, a die hard County man, keeps texting me about how much he loves this saddle.
The horse spoke, and I (finally) listened.
