[QUOTE=carolprudm;7023572]
Actually I have had good luck with County on she who resembles a barrel of Guinness[/QUOTE]
My post came from having a former County saddle fitter telling me I would never be able to get a County to fit will, regardless of model, on my mare because the tree heads are A shaped, not U shaped. I’m in the process of selling my County Perfection for just that reason. I adore that saddle but it will never fit.
I believe Albion has a U tree, and they are great saddles.
[QUOTE=TequilaMockingbird;7024804]
My post came from having a former County saddle fitter telling me I would never be able to get a County to fit will, regardless of model, on my mare because the tree heads are A shaped, not U shaped. I’m in the process of selling my County Perfection for just that reason. I adore that saddle but it will never fit.[/QUOTE]
Interesting as the Innovation is definitely more of a U shape than an A shape (though County seems to steer away from that terminology), I don’t know what’s in the Perfection, though it is also a wider fitting tree (as is the Innovation).
(Oddly FP (Welsh cob) who would seem a candidate for this type of tree, disliked both intensely & voted for
There are definitely a lot of Friesians that don’t need a hoop tree so OP just needs to do some back tracing or have a fitter out :winkgrin:
I too strongly recommend doing a wither tracing. I’m another who has more than one welsh cob who is “typical” of the breed but does NOT need a U/hoop tree. I did a tracing and have finally satisfied my ‘princess’ um, er studly who says he prefers the regular tree of the albion SLK :winkgrin: This after a couple of fitters felt fairly certain due to pictures that a hoop tree would be for him…tracing said, no. Glad I did it. As someone else has said, even the ‘wider’ breeds come in all shapes and sizes. Presuming that a specific saddle will fit because others of that breed seem to be happy with them can and often does lead to a drain on the wallet.
Hi Alto - He’s been out of work for many years actually, so saddle fit is a true mystery. I’m going to be measuring him this coming weekend to see what we’re looking at and I’ll probably take some good conformation shots so I can better evaluate.
I have a Duett Fidelio for my Friesian cross mare, it fits her very well, but I question if it might actually be too narrow for him as he’s a classical built broad friesian.
I’ve been looking at various saddles online to try to get an idea of what might be the right shape, but unfortunately, pictures only tell you so much. I really like the looks of the Custom Advantage, but if it doesn’t fit, then it’s not an option obviously. For me, I really prefer a deep seat with a narrow twist and large knee blocks because I have a bad leg that tends to do what it feels like.
If your Friesian is like many that I see, a hoop tree is a good possibility. For the flatter backs, the Black Country, Loxley and Albion SL are all available on the hoop tree, as is the Frank Baines Capriole Xtra. If your horse has more scoop to the back, something like the Lovatt and Ricketts Ellipse would be a possibility. The flatter hoop trees can also work for the dippy-backed horses if they have a deeper (K-type) panel.
Have you considered trying an Ansur Excel. I been riding in the Ansur for years and my Clyde/TB just loves his Excel; he is very broad.
[QUOTE=kris0227;7025162]
He’s been out of work for many years actually[/QUOTE]
I suspect he’s likely on the chubby side & lacking in muscle so I’d look for a “right now” saddle - if you feel you really need to bring him back u/s - I’d just work him on the lunge/ground work for a couple months before even thinking saddle :lol:
For me, I really prefer a deep seat with a narrow twist and large knee blocks because I have a bad leg that tends to do what it feels like.
This will be a challenge if he really is as broad backed & wide as you think he is - have you already bought this horse :winkgrin:
I’d try a Pessoa Aldea Showtime
Not a very popular saddle however it does tend to fit broad horses very well. Deep seat and big knee blocks as well which I love. It’s also cut back at the shoulder to allow for maximum freedom.
They are a bit more on the expensive side, around $3000 but a very nice saddle.
Alto - Yes I have, but I haven’t picked him up yet (he’s out of state) and didn’t think to measure for a saddle previously. I have a few pics, but nothing conformation or saddle fit worthy unfortunately.
Thanks Everyone for the recommendations! I talked to my trainer who is very familiar with my mare and has seen pictures (again, not great ones) of the gentleman in question and he does not believe my mare’s saddle will fit at all… her saddle is a huge 36cm…
Since he’s overweight, if I can’t find a reasonably priced saddle to fit him now, I may very well ride him in my big wide western saddle until he loses a few pounds. Because of my leg, I’m quite limited on ground work that I can do to help him lose weight and I get the sneaking suspicion that he’s an air fern. Lol.
I think in the end, I would love to get a more custom type of saddle to fit him. I’m frantically looking into all of those mentioned as many are brands or models that I did not know or think of. So thank you all very much! 
This is an old thread but I thought better to add to it than start new. I feel the need to tell you what I learned from 2 years of painful saddle shopping for my Friesian X. He’s 17.1, 1400-1500 lbs, not drafty but sporty, short backed (for his size but not for a normal saddle, overall doesn’t need a saddle for a short backed horse - maybe some miscommunication about that below?), he has a huge set of shoulders, flat as a flitter back longitudinally, laterally it is fairly flat and wide, sizes fit between a wide and XW in his back, BUT built uphill, medium and wide-ish withers and huge laid back set of shoulders… to get a mental picture for the build, he is so well proportioned for his size he doesn’t look like a “big” horse in pictures. My many years of riding have been mostly large OTTB’s and similar types. My build is tall, slim and very long legged, granted not a good body match for this horse, but he was my baby and I was determined to take him as far as I could. For this guy and for me we found, after a ridiculous weird mystery-riddled search involving a number of saddle reps who called themselves saddle fitters, unbranded saddle fitters, many saddle sellers, both new and used, suggestions from my dressage coach, other horse people, Friesian websites, et al, I found on EBAY of all places the perfect saddle for my horse and me - an older FRANK BAINES. Victoria at FRANK BAINES identified it for me as 15 years old, a “Working Hunter” model no longer made… but they have others, and they all look the same, beautifully well balanced, well made saddles. Without asking them, I would say their saddles, especially the older ones, are for experienced riders who don’t go for or need a lot of unnecessary trappings to “help” them ride. . It’s in beautiful perfect condition, black for dressage, butter soft leather, just the right amount of cushiness for comfort, yet still gives you great contact with your horse. It has an ever so slightly forward, yet still looks like a dressage saddle (for a minimalist), long 16" flap, and very open seat so I’m not pinned into a spot that may work for other horse and rider pairs, but not for us. I’ve ridden a long time, like 40 years, and I am picky. I’m telling you this is a well made saddle, like maybe by someone who has also ridden 40 years, not sure, but seems like it.
The key for this kind of horse, especially in a dressage saddle, is that the stirrup bars be set slightly forward, the seat is open, and the flap gives you room for your legs to hang naturally. A standard dressage saddle simple doesn’t work for this build unless you are a stick lady with completely bowed legs from crotch to ankle. “chair seat?” Forget it! Forget those words. Sit on your Friesian or similar type horse where you can get some leg contact without torcing your hip joints backwards. I believe it’s anatomically impossible to get comfortable in a normal dressage saddle on a horse with this build. Plus - this is the most well balanced comfortable saddle I’ve ever sat in on any horse!.. well there was that Neidersuiss I used to love for my OTTB’s, but this beats it. I’ve seen others made by FRANK BAINES and had decided FB was probably the one, after learning much about our needs from several months of bareback riding (AND GIVING UP ON SADDLES COMPLETELY), and was going to go for a newer FB or Balance International made by FB, then this one popped up for a ridiculously low price, and it is absolutely perfect. After all my research and study, I knew it was right, grabbed it, and we are living happily ever after, and I’m telling you it was painful - I ended up riding bareback all last summer, which was a turning point. Ride your hard to fit horse bare back for a bit, focus on sitting as straight and still as possible and then pay attention to the position you are in to make this happen. That will lead you to the saddle that is going to work for BOTH of you. Why was this one right saddle so hard to find??? I think it’s lack of knowledge about the specific needs of this particular type of horse, and too much sheep-like thinking that we have all developed and been marketed to by same… Anyway, YIPPEE - I’m done saddle shopping!!!
I have been eyeing your shop for some time as I have been unsuccessful in hiring a fitter local to me. My horse is a Friesian cross and inherited the large set back shoulders. I have yet to try a hoop tree on him as I have heard that they generally aren’t suitable unless the horse also has low withers. My boy doesn’t have a shark fin, but he isn’t mutton withered either. Do you find that saddles built on hoop trees offer enough wither clearance for horses with high ish withers? Particularly the Duett?
Bother. I didn’t realize this was a zombie thread
I looked for years for a saddle to fit me and my Friesian. I thought my Friesian would be the one difficult to fit, but in the end it was me. Found a Custom Saddlery Wolfgang Solo that fit us both. The CSWS is made for horses with larger shoulders… a more “baroque” horse. My Friesian is not baroque by Friesian standards, and is classified as a “Classic” body type. The saddle really freed up her shoulder movement and made a huge difference in her movement. The saddle can be adjusted so will continue to fit with conditioning. Good luck in your search… I know how frustrating it is to be ready to move on to that perfect saddle and not be able to find it.
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