Black Country Eloquence and Others

[CanteringCarrot]

I am considering a Black Country Eloquence but I am only familiar with their jump saddles. So I have a few questions:

How wide do these saddles run?
Are they good for short back and fairly meaty shouldered horses?

My guy is a medium/medium wide and I’m not sure if he’d fit the wide I am looking at. How much adjustability do these saddles have? I only had to get slight flocking adjustments to my Wexford for my WB.

I think that Black Country makes some very comfortable saddles and occasionally I see used ones for the right price, but I feel somewhat clueless about their dressage models. I have no one in this area that is familiar with Black Country, unfortunately.

[IdahoRider]

I don’t have an Eloquence, I have a VinciX. My saddle fits my round, short backed Arab really, really well. And it is a very comfortable saddle for me.
Sheilah

[jaybird660]

The Eloquence comes in two different models, the Eloquence and Eloquence X. The x has the hoop tree. They can be made with a shorter panel if necessary. I feel they run true to size. My BC dressage saddle has the standard dressage tree and I think it is super comfortable. They can go quite wide and I have fit many wide, “meaty”, short backed horses with them with various modifications, based on their individual needs.

The standard Wexford has a different tree and generally comes with a K panel. The Eloquence can be made with a K panel. Feel free to contact me if you want more info.

[Kathy_Nebel]

I ride in an Eloquence on my short backed Connemara.

[no.stirrups]

They do really well on short backs, most people find them extremely comfortable, and if it doesn’t work you should have no problem re-selling it. They rarely last long on the used market!

[CanteringCarrot]

Hm. Good to know. If it is too wide, can it be adjusted? That is what I am really worried about. I am thinking about going for it because the price is right, but worse case scenario is that it is too wide. I think I have room to recoup my money should I have to resell.

[jaybird660]

@CanteringCarrot

Hm. Good to know. If it is too wide, can it be adjusted? That is what I am really worried about. I am thinking about going for it because the price is right, but worse case scenario is that it is too wide. I think I have room to recoup my money should I have to resell.

It can be adjusted up or down one size.

[CanteringCarrot]

Good to know. I’ll probably just go for it. I think it will have to be narrowed.

I did find another that is more narrow (estimated MW) but it has front gussets. Why do so many Black Country saddles have front gussets? I just don’t think they my guy needs them.

[jaybird660]

@CanteringCarrot

Good to know. I’ll probably just go for it. I think it will have to be narrowed.

I did find another that is more narrow (estimated MW) but it has front gussets. Why do so many Black Country saddles have front gussets? I just don’t think they my guy needs them.

Many horses need them. They’re useful for horses that are downhill, have hollows, are narrower in front, need a wider tree but need the front to have some lift, and so on. They’re not just for Thoroughbreds.

[CanteringCarrot]

Hm, makes sense. It just seems as though I see them on Black Country’s the most. However, there’s could just be more apparent due to the style.

I’ll buy the saddle without, worse case scenario they must be added. If it’s the right price initially, I don’t mind spending a bit on adjustments. Or if it absolutely doesn’t work, I’ll resell.