Anyone have any suggestions on fitters they have personally used? My preferred fitter has been retired for a while, and I’m having a hard time finding a saddle that is comfortable for one of my horses.
To make a ((very)) long story short, I have a horse that should not be difficult to fit. We’ve gone through four fitters and five saddles in the last five years. There’s been some very different opinions on what fits. His saddles so far have been: Ainsley XC (M), Kieffer Wein (MW), Niedersuss Symphonie, Stubben Zaria (MW), Stubben Zaria (M).
The most recent saddle seemed to work very well, I noticed a tremendous improvement right away, but now it’s a year and a half later and I’m seeing some symptoms that make me think it isn’t comfortable for him anymore (moving away when I saddle him, lifting his head/being tense while I adjust the saddle, sore over his back etc). It’s been seen regularly by a rep who didn’t think it needed to be adjusted.
My chiro/vet who sees him regularly has noticed in the last few months he has become very sore over his shoulder (where the stirrup bar sits) and sore over his back - both new areas for him to be sore. Chiro saw the saddle over his back and thinks it is slightly bridging and that there is a lot of pressure under the stirrup bar (which is where he is sore). I’m not a fitter, but this was something I noticed on my own before the chiro pointed it out.
I’m not really ready to invest another $5k in a saddle… but it’s starting to look like I don’t have much choice. Chiro suggested Patty from BC, does anyone have any experience or suggestions otherwise?
