If you’re in Texas check out Laurie MacDonald. She helped me custom shim a half pad to make some small adjustments to help my saddle fit. She doesn’t push a brand, even when I mentioned buying a possible new saddle she said just “don’t let those reps talk you into a bunch of panel adjustments, this horse doesn’t need them” & to send her what they were planning on making.
It’s 1000% the fitter though (mine wasn’t Patty) - I had a custom Black country made for my ottb. She said we needed a wide, and that no, I don’t need a forward flap. She’s the expert, so I trusted her. It’s a beautiful saddle, but from day 1, it never fit me or my horse. No combination of shimming or pads alleviated the pressure on his withers and because I had no where to go in the front, I pushed myself to the back of the saddle, behind the balance, causing more soreness. So, moral of the story, prioritize fitter over brand
I’ve used Laurie before! She fit my shimmable to my current saddle