Even short upswept panels shouldn’t “post” with you. They just are a way to fit a bigger seat on a smaller back! A loose girth actually might make this less obvious - if the tree is too curvy or wide a snug girth will pull the points down into the shoulders and pop the back up. To me this saddle looks too wide (which I understand was intentional - understandable with a 4YO!) but also potentially too curvy in the tree. No amount of gussets or flocking or shims will change that - so here’s hoping it’s just a tad too wide and that’s the only issue!
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I unfortunately agree.
Had my lesson, trainer doesnt like it. The fitter has been notified and is arranging an appointment with more saddles. I have already said I am not ordering another “custom” one
Ugh that’s frustrating! Hopefully the fitter takes care of y’all and has something that will work.
I am in a position of “needing” custom (short back horse + tall leggy rider + wide spine + hoop/U tree shape + narrow twist + darn it the hunter princess in me wants it to be pretty) but have heard so many stories of people not being happy with their new saddle that it makes me nervous.
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Did you try it with a half pad for your lesson?
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Yes, slight (ever so) improvement. I will try it with a prolite pad with front shims friday.
It’s possible that the tree shape and panels are wrong for this horse, but movement at the back of the saddle can be because the saddle is too wide (in front). So front shims would be an interesting thing to try.
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Better late than never.
*he was high as a kite from just having is teeth done so not standing perfectly square
That doesn’t look like a radically unusual back shape.
Half pad made a huge difference with shims. Still a touch rocky. I have contacted a different fitter who does Amerigo’s warranties to just double check it and then fix the flocking. I’d like an opinion from a fitter who didn’t help sell me the saddle even though he too is an independent.
This. My Fairfax has upswept panels and there was an incredible amount of motion at the back of the saddle. My fitter assured me that this was normal. Also told me that the front of the saddle needed to be “flocked up to take the place of his wither.” He doesn’t have a shark fin but he’s certainly not mutton-withered either. The saddle felt like it sat a foot off his back and I physically couldn’t get my leg on him.
I had our vet out for chiro about 3 weeks after the saddle was re-fitted. I tend to be a worry wort so she and I have a running joke that she’ll tell me when it’s time to hit the panic button. She palpated his back and said, “go get your saddle.” Took one look at it and promptly told me that it was time to hit the panic button re: saddle fit. I needed a second opinion from a different fitter and likely a new saddle.
New fitter took a look at my current saddle and said absolutely not. The motion at the back wasn’t because of the panels. The saddle just didn’t fit - period, end of discussion.
Moral of the story - trust your gut and don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. If you’re unhappy with the fit now, don’t wait and see if it will fit.
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To update and end the thread:
I had a second opinion who said the tree was fine but the panels would need shims. She also said it really needs to be broken in to assess fit better. So I dumped 3/4 of a bottle of oil all over it and rode the snot out of it for a week shimmed up. Then the OG fitter came out took 1cm of flocking out of the back and added it to the front under the stirrup bar-ish area and it’s perfect. Horse went from a shuffly QH to a handsome dude who will now get a piece of the hack!
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join the club. I got taken for a ride to the tune of $7000 by CWD. Never fit my horse & 4 years later her back is messed up particularly because of it.
I am trying Black Country at my saddle fitters suggestion. Ricochet & Wexford.
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