Yes, she likes the Alpha as much as her Wolfgang. We just found out that your saddle fitter can use a mallet on a new seat to break it in more and make it a deeper seat!
I have an Arab/Hano cross with a big shoulder and short back. After trying many saddles ( this sounds like a refrain here!) we found a Sommer Diplomat. It has short points and shorter panels- fits us both well. It came with synthetic flocking which we switched for real wool, we have a MW tree but tree is adjustable down the road if necessary.
Interesting. I’m considering taking a look at Sommer since there are fitters around here familiar with Sommer (quite popular) and a few that sell them as well. I have a Fairfax but it’s a bit chair-seaty and almost too long.
On the topic of deep seats and somewhat shorter panels, Kieffer saddles come to mind. The Lusitano is fairly deep as well as a few others. Not so buttery soft and trendy at the moment, but a well made saddle nonetheless. Adjustable too.
I switched from a Custom Wolfgang Solo to the Custom Advantage R Monoflap for my Lusitano. Same feel, better fit for the shorter backed Luso.
Try a Custom Everest R with pony panels. The Everest R has shortened tree points which most (all?) of their other saddles lack, and the pony panels shorten the length and create a bit of an upward curve at the back which is best for short backed horses.
I had a well fitting Kieffer Lusitano and Ulla Salzgeber for my Luso. It fit him well and I loved the flocked panels, but it put me in a slight chair seat. Then I finally switched to a Devoucoux Makila, monoflap. I was hesitant with the foam panels, but the tree fit/shorter panels very well. It was a relatively deep seat with moderate external knee rolls. With the stirrup bars set back slightly, it helped me hold a much more vertically correct posture.
A friend with a very short-backed Lusitano cross uses a Duett, I believe.
My trainer rides Lusitanos and I believe she orders her saddles from Chunky monkey. I don’t know anything about cost though.
I am a relative dressage newbie but I would try the pony panels for a Custom. I totally understand what you mean about being able to sit back in it – My Icon Flight somehow gives me the confidence to “lean back”, i.e. sit up straight. It is really too long for my fat, short QH, though she tolerates it so far. I kept my old Stubben, though, because it fits her much better. My 17h TB loves the Custom.
I ride my Andalusian cross in a Takt TSD-37. It’s the first saddle I’ve found that fit her short, banana shaped back.
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Just finished riding my second day in a trial saddle - Erreplus Freestyle. WOW! I have a hard to fit gelding with a short banana back. I have worked with 6 saddle fitters from Stubben, Custom, Sommer, and others, and now Erreplus. And my vet has been involved with caring for my horse’s sore back and advising on the fit of various saddles. Nothing has fit my horse, and myself, like the Erreplus Freestyle. My horse is happy in this saddle. He jumped up into a flying change like I have never felt before. He volunteers a stretch, his trot has more cadence, and he is more supple and receptive. For me, at first, I was not use to such a deep set and felt confined. But now, I feel supported, that the saddle helps me support my posture, my thighs no longer rest against the blocks, my leg lays very long and my knees are not hugging the saddle. My aids are lighter and my horse responds with ease. Finally, after a long, long, long journey to find a saddle that fits. P.S. Never had such a hard to fit horse before. And never came across a saddle fitter with such a depth of knowledge about the horse, his skeltal, musculare, and movement in regards to a proper fitting saddle and a riders position in a saddle. Happy horse, happy rider.
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Try the Passier Compakt.
I have a Dresch saddle with the short angled thigh blocks for my long femur. My PRE just turned 5 and I owned this saddle for my previous horse and he grew into it. I think you just have to try a lot of saddles!
