THAT is a gorgeous saddle, @soloudinhere ! My trainer has a Coda with pony panels that she’ll let me try and I also have the Advantage R to try, which I’ll sit in tomorrow.
I really did love the Alpha, it is a lovely saddle and was perfect for me…just not so much for her.
As I said, I haven’t seen an Alpha. It would be great to see the underside of one.
So I rode in the Advantage R today and liked it for me. The back did not pop up and down as with the Alpha. BUT it slid forward…gah!!!@@!!! Fitter is out of town so isn’t available to help me with it for 10 days at least. Anything to do in the meantime?
Check to make sure your girth is not pulling it forward. Is the billets in the girth grove or slightly behind it?
Make sure it is not too narrow.
My girth is shaped for elbow room… maybe I’ll try going back to my regular fleece girth.
You may want to try an anatomic girth (County logic or similar) if the billets are lined up behind the girth groove. This can pull the saddle forward with a straight girth.
Also look at the width and flocking. I’ve had this happen when the saddle was overflocked or slightly narrow.
If it’s sliding forward, it may be too wide…if the billets are pointing back slightly without a girth, it’s too wide…if they are pointing forward. it’s too narrow. They should hang down straight when the width is correct. This is my tell-tale sign when my saddle needs adjusting (of course there may be other saddle fit issues but this is a good basic principle to work with if your saddle fitter is away for 10 days). You may want to try a non-slip pad under the saddle for now to help with movement or a half pad depending on how the saddle is sitting.
I ride in an Advantage R as well and when my saddle is fitted perfectly, it’s the most comfortable saddle I have ever sat in. When it’s slightly off I can tell right away.
Pocket Pony, I have a Dutch warmblood that had all the problems you are describing. I just bought a DT Butterfly saddle after riding in one for a month. It’s been an entire game changer and I have had just about every saddle imaginable for this horse. The front of it has hinges so it wraps around and adjust to your horse. You don’t need a saddle fitter just a good saddle fitters shim pad. My friend is the new US representative/distributor for the company. She can work remotely and send you a saddle to try. She has endless patience and can help you get the right fit and troubleshoot any issues you might have while you try it. Honestly, my horse had to use shims in the front of the pad and a month later she has changed entirely in her back. The Facebook page is Butterfly Saddles USA. You can contact her through there and at least pick her brain. Before you actually buy something I would definitely talk to her.
I know they’re not fancy, but if you’re tearing your hair out about saddle fit, you might try a Bates/Wintec. Affordable, mega-adjustable, and surprisingly comfortable. If the “Isabell” is good enough for Isabell Werth…!
I think the Advantage R is not the saddle for us. Pony has lost her forward and I’m having to use way too much leg.
On a whim I got out my husband’s old Reactor Panel jump saddle and brought it out to the barn to ride Pony in - she was very forward and I didn’t need as much leg to get her to go. Her canter was also better and she held it and didn’t get tired.
I’ve had five RP saddles over the years and they’ve never failed to help my horses . Soooo… I’m going to try the EQ Saddle Science saddle and see how that goes.
@Pocket Pony I have a Welsh Cob that, like yours, isn’t barrel shaped. He’s wide, but has good withers and a decent front-to-back curve to his spine. What I’ve found is that there are entire brands that just don’t work for him based on front-to-back tree shape, and the symptom is that “popping” in the back you describe - it is NOT an “incorrect size” issue, it’s a fundamental shape issue. It’ll look perfect when he’s standing still, no bridging, great fit, and then when he starts moving it pops up in the back. (Also we only have this problem with Dressage saddles, he’s way easier to fit for jump).
I’ve tried multiple models/sizes/fits in the following brands and had the popping with all of them: Stubben, Prestige, Ideal, Albion, Wintec, Thorowgood, Amerigo. Then County and Devoucoux were okay but not perfect. The only two brands that have fit him perfectly without popping are Adam Ellis (multiple AE saddles fit beautifully) and CWD.
Good luck! I’ve been here for years and it’s frustrating. My Adam Ellis fit him perfectly but stopped fitting me after some position changes, so I’m currently waiting on a custom CWD to be made to the exact specifications of my absolutely perfect jump saddle that fits him so well. Pricey, but I was so tired of the revolving door of saddles that didn’t fit, it seems worth it at this point.
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