Hi everyone, question on a used saddle I’ve come across. I’ve only seen CWDs that were custom and fitted to the horse. This is a very good condition used Mademoiselle with the seat and flap customs that normally fit me the best BUT this has the the standard fitting panels - PA 705, 205, 305 Pro Panel. It appears that it has the standard stock everything in terms of horse fit. Question is, how do these normally fit and what type shoulder/back/wither conformation would go best? I know this is a hard ask, but figured this would be the best place to start. Thanks!
In my experience, nothing with a wither or that requires significant clearance along spine. So for example, I’ve never seen a CWD fit a Thoroughbred (I’m sure there are some out there but I’ve never seeeeeeeen it with my own eyes)
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Do you mean with stock panels or custom fitted? I’ve seen custom fit with the pommel cut back and build up with the panels for with/spine clearance on TBs. That said, they were more solidly built that had fairly good topline muscle and didn’t have a classic large TB wither
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CWD = crushed wither damage
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I personally know them as Certified Wither Destroyers but I’m sure they have many other names
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Yeah the TBs I’ve owned (and in this case seen be attempted to fit in a CWD saddle) all unfortunately had shark fits and mediocre top lines at time of fitting. But mostly it’s the shark fin that DQd them tbh
Thanks all, I ended up going with a Devoucoux Biarritz with more cutback and clearance at the pommel.
The Mademoiselle only has 1 tree size btw - it’s essentially carbon fiber (the tip of the tree points WILL break at some point, after working in a repair shop, this was the biggest issue with the CWDs).
Please do your horse a favor and get any other brand of saddle 
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I ended up going with a Devoucoux, it fits well with a more prominent wither. Horse is a standard medium tree, just needed some more clearance along the wither and spine
Do y’all realize that CWD and Devocoux (and Butet) are all owned by the same company?
All employ pretty good fitters…and there are independent fitters that can give good advice about fitting a saddle to a horse and rider (both are important).
While they are owned by the same company, the saddles and fit are still quite different. Have had both out recently and the standard Devoucoux is def a different fit/construction than any of the CWD.
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Being owned by the same company doesn’t meant they fit the same for every make and model of saddle. The Devoucoux fits completely different and Butets even more so. I don’t have trust in brand rep “fitters”. Independent saddle fitters are where it’s at. I’m also experienced with saddle fitting and comfortable being able to make my own decision on whether or not something fits correctly. The issue lies with anything that needs to be altered, which I obviously can’t do.
Completely agree on this.
