Aussie saddles and Gaited horses

[SarahR]

[QUOTE=walkers;3949898]
There are the saddle bred type TWH and the aussie work well for them but I can’t get Colin to understand most TWH or MFT need a wider tree. These horses need to have a free shoulder to gait and stay sound [/QUOTE]

I had Colin try three times to fit my wide Paso Fino mare, with no success. Fortunately it fits my husband’s super narrow TWH beautifully. I figured the problem was working with a saddler long distance. So, I had a local saddle maker make another one. Absolutely gorgeous saddle, but too narrow again. I finally decided to give flex panel saddles a try, and am now happily riding in a Timberline Southern Comfort that fits my horse! We both love it

Sarah
www.fourcornerstrails.com
“where trail riders meet!”

[jeano]

I have a grade twh gelding and a racking mare–currently the mare gaits best and I have much more security and comfort using a wintec 500 dressage saddle with the next to widest gullet in it.

I think my dream saddle for her at this point would be the Wintec Icelandic, since it looks like it has the straight flaps like a dressage saddle, is obviously built for a very short-backed horse, and has a full complement of d rings…

The gelding can wear anything from a wide western to a narrow aussie, the mare’s wintec, and so on, you just need to adjust the padding on him. He’s got high withers and huge shoulders, but not as huge as the barrel shaped flat withered mare. (On him, I use anything from a 3/8ths diamond wool pad up to an inch thick felt whopper)The mare ideally would be ridden with NOTHING between her and the saddle, sometimes I use the thinnest imaginable wool liner over a nonslip waffle liner, total thickness not even a quarter of an inch, more like 3/16ths.

Not for one minute do I believe that this happy arrangement will last for the mare. She’ll change again. The gelding, on the other hand, I DO expect him not to give a hoot what he’s ridden in. He’s very easy in all ways.

[system]

Aussies can be custom made to fit your paticular horse. That is what is so cool about them. My gaited Bashkir Curly mare goes great in her’s for trail riding.

[Malda]

Aussie saddles are like any other, some people like them, some don’t. I bought an Aussie for my SSH last month. I love it, it fits him great (he’s very wide) and it fits me great. It’s a Muster Master from the Austrialian Stock Saddle Co. I’m only 30 minutes from there so I was able to get a good fit. However, Colin is rather set in his ways so if you don’t agree with something chances are he won’t change it.

You have a gaited Bashkir Curly? I think that’s awesome.

Malda

[QUOTE=Curly_Horse_CMT;4123786]
Aussies can be custom made to fit your paticular horse. That is what is so cool about them. My gaited Bashkir Curly mare goes great in her’s for trail riding. :)[/QUOTE]

[scrtwh]

“I have 5 TWH and a few MFT. Try a nice dressage saddle on your horse and feel how loose he moves then switch to another saddle like a Tucker,Aussie or Steele and you will discover if they are restricting your horses movements. You can really damage a horse especially a gaited horse if you ride a narrow tree. The Aussie horses are much narrower than our horses so please be careful.”

I ride my TWH’s in a treeless dressage and they gait BEAUTIFULLY. The westerns were very constricting, they need to be able to soften thier backs, get thier hind under them and move on a unencumbered shoulder. Dressage saddles are made for the horse to move and use their backs and hind. I trail ride and show in my dressage, we show in the TWH breed shows where everyone has cutbacks and I get some looks until my home trained mare beats thier trainer trained mount … even then I get some looks.

[SarahR]

@Malda;4123921

However, Colin is rather set in his ways so if you don’t agree with something chances are he won’t change it.

I’ll second that (see my post)…! Very stubborn fellow

[Patty_Stiller]

Just bought (two days ago) my first TWH.(YEAH!) he’s light, only 15 OR 15.1 hands and narrow .nine years old but unconditioned.
I only have an aussie saddle, padded type tree that I used on a fat short backed pony a few years ago. I tried this saddle on my new guy and it fits the withers, is plenty wide, has room for the shoulders to move , I can see the tree has nice contact all down the middle… BUT…here’s the ‘but’ the tree is just a little more curved (more ‘belly’) than his back ,so the back part of the tree is off his back a LITTLE without me in it(I haven’t been in him yet) I’m afraid that even though it looks OK, when I sit in it its going to pivot just behind his withers even though it is not too narrow.

So Question…rather than buy another saddle, given that it SEEMS to fit the more important parts nice except for the curve,can I use something like a riser pad under under it to support the tree under the cantle so it won’t rock? ? I just don’t have the budget to go buy an expensive saddle .I can look for a used one but either ways its pain… and this horse was an unexpected purchase.(long story…he was a bargain I couldn’t pass up) )I wasn’t really in the market for a horse at all ( and I may or may not keep him long term.

[sublimequine]

[QUOTE=Patty Stiller;4149939]
Just bought (two days ago) my first TWH.(YEAH!) he’s light, only 15 OR 15.1 hands and narrow .nine years old but unconditioned.
I only have an aussie saddle, padded type tree that I used on a fat short backed pony a few years ago. I tried this saddle on my new guy and it fits the withers, is plenty wide, has room for the shoulders to move , I can see the tree has nice contact all down the middle… BUT…here’s the ‘but’ the tree is just a little more curved (more ‘belly’) than his back ,so the back part of the tree is off his back a LITTLE without me in it(I haven’t been in him yet) I’m afraid that even though it looks OK, when I sit in it its going to pivot just behind his withers even though it is not too narrow.

So Question…rather than buy another saddle, given that it SEEMS to fit the more important parts nice except for the curve,can I use something like a riser pad under under it to support the tree under the cantle so it won’t rock? ? I just don’t have the budget to go buy an expensive saddle .I can look for a used one but either ways its pain… and this horse was an unexpected purchase.(long story…he was a bargain I couldn’t pass up) )I wasn’t really in the market for a horse at all ( and I may or may not keep him long term.[/QUOTE]

Can you perhaps snap a picture and post it? Aussies are meant to be self-adjusting, so you may not need any fancy padding.

[Guilherme]

[QUOTE=sublimequine;4150268]
Can you perhaps snap a picture and post it? Aussies are meant to be self-adjusting, so you may not need any fancy padding. :)[/QUOTE]

How are Aussies “self adjusting?” I know of some types of saddles will fit a wider variety of horse, but I’d not call them “self adjusting.”

Also, a horse’s back is dynamic environment. The horse changes shape when it moves. A “perfect” fit at rest means a “non-perfect” fit in motion. Which means that you don’t look for “perfict fit” you look for “excellent accmodation” of the sadde/pad system with the dynamic back.

The OP should probably ride the horse with padding that looks to be appropriate, work up a good sweat, then evaluate both the sweat pattern and the back for any soreness. If the horse is moving freely and has no back issues then they’re OK; if not, they have just entered the saddle market.

Good luck to them in solving the problem.

G.

[jeano]

The last time I rode the TW gelding I used the Wintec dressage on him, having since my previous post used the neighbor’s Wintec gullet guage thingy on him and discovering he is actually “wide” by their reckoning. Where the saddle sits, I reckon he is. Alas, the mare measured Xtra wide, which means there’s nowhere to go after I get the Xwide gullet, which I plan to do. She’ll widen again, I know she will.

Anyway, said gelding actually stuck in his running walk better in the Wintec than he usually does in the Abetta. I’m guessing he’ll inherit the Wintec from the mare and I’ll be praying that Wintec goes Wide in more than just the AP configuraton.

[sublimequine]

[QUOTE=Guilherme;4150409]
How are Aussies “self adjusting?” I know of some types of saddles will fit a wider variety of horse, but I’d not call them “self adjusting.”

Also, a horse’s back is dynamic environment. The horse changes shape when it moves. A “perfect” fit at rest means a “non-perfect” fit in motion. Which means that you don’t look for “perfict fit” you look for “excellent accmodation” of the sadde/pad system with the dynamic back.

The OP should probably ride the horse with padding that looks to be appropriate, work up a good sweat, then evaluate both the sweat pattern and the back for any soreness. If the horse is moving freely and has no back issues then they’re OK; if not, they have just entered the saddle market.

Good luck to them in solving the problem.

G.[/QUOTE]

The serge panels are supposed to conform to the horse over a relatively period of time. Thus, it adjusts itself to the horse.

Now, if the saddle just plain DOESN’T FIT, that’s an entirely different story. But minor changes can be adjusted just by letting the saddle break in to the shape of the horse.

Also, for saddle fitting purposes, you’re supposed to ride with a thin pad, or no pad at all. Not corrective padding. If the fit is being questioned, I’d ride with thin pad first, and if there are marks on the horse or the pad suggesting the saddle isn’t fitting, THEN move to extra pads. THEN reassess fit.

[sublimequine]

[QUOTE=jeano;4150681]
The last time I rode the TW gelding I used the Wintec dressage on him, having since my previous post used the neighbor’s Wintec gullet guage thingy on him and discovering he is actually “wide” by their reckoning. Where the saddle sits, I reckon he is. Alas, the mare measured Xtra wide, which means there’s nowhere to go after I get the Xwide gullet, which I plan to do. She’ll widen again, I know she will.

Anyway, said gelding actually stuck in his running walk better in the Wintec than he usually does in the Abetta. I’m guessing he’ll inherit the Wintec from the mare and I’ll be praying that Wintec goes Wide in more than just the AP configuraton.[/QUOTE]

Might I suggest a Thorowgood dressage saddle? They are quite wide, I have an XW AP Thorowgood that fits like an XXW. Their “broadback” line of Dressage saddles fit the same way.

[jeano]

[QUOTE=sublimequine;4150891]
Might I suggest a Thorowgood dressage saddle? They are quite wide, I have an XW AP Thorowgood that fits like an XXW. Their “broadback” line of Dressage saddles fit the same way.[/QUOTE]

I had forgotten them–that’s an excellent idea for when Her Wideness expands in the future.

[cloudy18]

Patty, try the Aussie with lighter padding like suggested and check for sweat marks and soreness. The saddles can conform somewhat, but I think your horse could be sore in the meantime if it’s sensitive. Aussies can also be awled, so maybe that could be done to move some padding around. I have never done it, so can’t help you there. There was a short thread on it awhile back. The fit might change quickly too once your horse gets into better shape, so watch for that.

[Malda]

Since we’re talking about Aussie saddles…

I may have made a mistake, I bought my saddle right when my horse went into training. The saddle fit well when I got it, but the last two weeks it’s been sliding pretty far back when I ride. (We have very steep hills on our trails.) I’m using a breastplate now, but does this mean my horse has toned up and the saddle is too wide? Next week when school is out I’ll take the saddle back, to Colin to see what he can do, but is this problem fixable or do I need a new saddle??

Malda

[system]

Aussie saddles are like any other, some people like them, some don’t. I bought an Aussie for my SSH last month. I love it, it fits him great (he’s very wide) and it fits me great. It’s a Muster Master from the Austrialian Stock Saddle Co. I’m only 30 minutes from there so I was able to get a good fit. However, Colin is rather set in his ways so if you don’t agree with something chances are he won’t change it.

Whooo boy, I bought a Muster Master too and though I love it the saddle is too narrow for my horse in the front. I thought you could get adjustments but I can’t even get Colin to return email, he just walked away from me when I met him in person and asked what could be done. The saddle pinches the horse and leaves dry spots. He said “dry spots are good under a saddle and it means that the saddle isn’t touching that area.” I am so disappointed and I have an expensive saddle that doesn’t fit. Suggestions as to what to do?

[SarahR]

That’s the same way Colin treated me. After my experience I told the friend who recommended him to me and she said “Oh, yeah, he is that way”

It wouldn’t be so bad if the guy weren’t so incredibly arrogant and out there telling people there’s never been a horse he couldn’t fit and that he has fit over 75,000 horses…!

I am still happy with my Timberline flex panel saddle, and bought an Orthoflex for my husband.

[Guilherme]

[QUOTE=Walkerlove;4804768]
Aussie saddles are like any other, some people like them, some don’t. I bought an Aussie for my SSH last month. I love it, it fits him great (he’s very wide) and it fits me great. It’s a Muster Master from the Austrialian Stock Saddle Co. I’m only 30 minutes from there so I was able to get a good fit. However, Colin is rather set in his ways so if you don’t agree with something chances are he won’t change it.

Whooo boy, I bought a Muster Master too and though I love it the saddle is too narrow for my horse in the front. I thought you could get adjustments but I can’t even get Colin to return email, he just walked away from me when I met him in person and asked what could be done. The saddle pinches the horse and leaves dry spots. He said “dry spots are good under a saddle and it means that the saddle isn’t touching that area.” I am so disappointed and I have an expensive saddle that doesn’t fit. Suggestions as to what to do?[/QUOTE]

I, personally, don’t like Aussie saddles. They can fit my mare fine but don’t fit me at all. Different strokes, as they say.

If the saddle does not fit the horse and the vendor won’t take it back then you’re stuck with e-Bay or some other seller or maybe working a trade. That rates an SUX but what else is there to do? You could sue the vendor but that’s expensive and the result is not at all certain.

So move it on down the road and chalk up the whole event to experience.

Not very satisfying, I’ll admit, but maybe the best of a group of poor options.

G.

[spookhorse]

@Walkerlove;4804768

Whooo boy, I bought a Muster Master too and though I love it the saddle is too narrow for my horse in the front. I thought you could get adjustments but I can’t even get Colin to return email, he just walked away from me when I met him in person and asked what could be done. The saddle pinches the horse and leaves dry spots. He said “dry spots are good under a saddle and it means that the saddle isn’t touching that area.” I am so disappointed and I have an expensive saddle that doesn’t fit. Suggestions as to what to do?

You may be able to move the stuffing around yourself using a small hand awl. Search this forum for awling as I have previously posted an explanation on how to do it. I have used that method to make one saddle fit multiple horses through the last ten+ years.

There will also be some compression of the panels as you use the saddle, it may be that’s all it will take as they never fluff back up like new no matter how much you awl.

Or you could take it in to someone who works on saddles and have them remove a little bit or move it where you need it. You open up the panels where they meet the flaps.

HTH!

[pnalley]

Sorry I missed it, but who is Colin?

I traded a new Wintec AP 500 for an older Aussie. I have only used it twice but so far so good. This particular saddle has a straighter flap than most, more of a dressage seat, but with the poly’s. I think it’s a cheaper saddle, but since I despised the Wintec w/cair it was a good trade.