Custom Saddlery for back sore horse?

[LCDR]

The stars and planets aligned, and I was able to get my vet, trainer, Custom Saddlery fitter, my sore-backed horse and me all together for an hour, and was able to find the right dressage and jumping saddles. The back soreness has never returned.

Now I have a half dozen Mattes pads and gel pads that I have no use for, plus six old ill-fitting saddles as tack room decor.

[Long_Time_Lurker]

@LCDR

Now I have a half dozen Mattes pads and gel pads that I have no use for, plus six old ill-fitting saddles as tack room decor.

You are not alone!

[Pezanos]

Second Ann Forrest. She is very, very good.

[2tempe]

Re Custom…I had one for WB mare, she had a forward girth groove and this seemed to work well for her and for me. BUT the quality was somewhat iffy;I wore small holes in thigh blocks due to short legs and too much knee grip; Also the seat got ripples. . Couple years later bought new one for Lusitano - worked well for the horse, but put me a bit in chair seat. Same issue with thigh blocks even though shorter, and the seat actually cracked/split so I had it recovered. I am currently riding in Trilogy and having none of the above problems.

[Rackonteur]

@Scribbler

• You need to let the back recover because even a saddle that fits will be uncomfortable

@Scribbler

Why is the back sore? If it is kissing spines, a cracked rib, ulcers, or a pulled muscle no saddle will help.

@Posting_Trot

If the horse is still backsore after the underlying causes have been diagnosed, then there may still be more issues you want to pursue. You might want to do 4 to 6 weeks of rehab type ground work to get the horse to use its back properly. Many times when a horse has had significant backsorenss, the memory of that pain keeps them from really using their backs properly, even if the cause of the soreness has been successfully addressed.

Why are you asking about saddles when your horse’s back is sore? I don’t understand. Shouldn’t you be asking about treatments and therapies instead, and spending your money on those? You can’t ride wirh any saddle as long as your horse is sore.

[Unfforgettable]

I looked at Custom last summer. The rep was mostly concerned about selling me something off the truck, and the one model a few friends suggested was one she said wouldn’t work for my horse. However, of all we tried, that one was the only one he didn’t completely object to. I wasn’t comfortable in any of them, the thigh blocks were just hard lumps that were miserably uncomfortable. I wasn’t impressed with the quality or workmanship either. Hard pass for me, although a lot of people seem happy with them.

[Mondo]

nwjumper - in addition to my PM suggestion, I also highly recommend the Skeeto Equalizer pads. I’ve been using them for years and have never found anything that works better. ETA: I got called by my boss so didn’t finish the thought. I have had a horse with a sore back that I put an Equalizer pad on the dressage pad, but under the saddle. At the end of the ride, the horse’s back was no longer sore. They are expensive but last forever and are so worth the money.

[blue_heron]

One of my Trilogy saddles is 20+ years old. I’m the second owner. It has split seams in the seat (the woman I bought it from admitted she rode in jeans all the time) and they haven’t gotten any bigger. It has some scuffs and stuff but looks better than my friend’s Custom she bought brand new two years ago. She’s been so disappointed with how its aged. I think the balance of Customs doesn’t work for a lot of people, too. It put my leg way out in front of me and I see this with other people riding in them. I have no idea how they ride like that.