Quick saddle fit question

[Draftmare]

Well, somewhat quick. Recently traded for a Circle Y show saddle. This past summer I had a Circle Y Park and Trail that fit my mare beautifully, but was much too small for me. I tried the newer Circle Y saddles and even their wide tree was too small. Thought if I got an older Circle Y I would be golden…well things still aren’t quite right. :no:

My biggest concern is that I can’t easily get my hand down the sides on either side. They will slide down, but its not easy, especially in the concho area. Same thing when mounted. Online opinions seem to vary. Some say that you should easily be able to slide your hand down the front, others say that it is okay if you can’t. I am confused. I would really like for this saddle to work. Horse moves well in it, but we have only ridden in it three times now. I don’t want to find out three months down the road that it has been making her sore. :no:

[Bellabeau]

The best advice I have is to check the sweat pattern after you ride. If there are dry spots under the saddle, that’s a pressure point. You’ll know right away if the saddle is pinching because there will be a round dry circle. If her sweat is even on both sides, you’re probably good to go

[beau159]

Can you post pictures?

Would need pictures with the saddle setting on the horse’s back without a pad and without being cinched up; from the side and also showing how the bar angle relates to the horse’s shoulder.

Is there MORE pressure around the concho area? If so, then you don’t have a good fit. The pressure should be uniform and even all the way down. I like to have my hand slide easily. If I the saddle is too small (even if the bar angle is correct), my hand won’t slide easily and it will take too much effort.

Remember, you do also need to pay attention to the rest of the tree; not just the front of the saddle. Make sure to run your hand along the rest of the tree and see if there are any areas of increasing or decreasing pressure. Again, it should be even.

[QUOTE=Bellabeau;8473550]
The best advice I have is to check the sweat pattern after you ride. If there are dry spots under the saddle, that’s a pressure point. You’ll know right away if the saddle is pinching because there will be a round dry circle. [/QUOTE]

Eh, almost.

Usually the SMALL dry spots indicate a pressure point.

Larger dry spots usually are a LACK of pressure (a spot where the tree is not contacting the back at all, when it should be).

So I agree sweat patterns can be valuable, but they also don’t tell you the whole story.

[Draftmare]

It’s been too cold for her to get very sweaty, in the 20s. Even today after riding her over an hour she was just a little damp on her chest, and dry everywhere else. When I am mounted it is smuggler in the concho area than anywhere else. Unmounted it feels almost even, but still slightly tighter in the concho area. She seems to move fairly well in it, but I don’t want to get a few weeks or months down the road and suddenly find myself with a sore horse either.

Here are pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/9UQF7UgwmYAVBEWL6

Ugh. Beginning to think I should have just stuck with the cheap Big Horn that I trialed, it fit both of us perfectly, but the quality was less than stellar.

[beau159]

[QUOTE=Draftmare;8474142]

Here are pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/9UQF7UgwmYAVBEWL6[/QUOTE]

I think this saddle looks a little better than the previous show saddle you had tried, but I do think it is still just a bit too narrow with the bar angles; especially if you also say you can’t cleanly and easily run your hand down it. It looks better on her right side than her left side. Was she standing square? Is she uneven?

When you add the pad, then I think it is even more evident that it is too narrow of a bar angle. Again, the left side looks worse than the right.

No, it’s not a horrible fit by any means but I’m as picky as you are. I too would be worried it might be pinching or restricting movement. Saddle fitting is such a pain!

[js]

With the saddle pad, I think it appears to fit fine. Without it, to me it looks too wide and is dropping down too low and causing the angles to look bad; once the pad lifts the saddle up in front the angles don’t look bad. Maybe I’m seeing it all wrong but I don’t see it fitting bad.

[Draftmare]

[QUOTE=beau159;8475318]
I think this saddle looks a little better than the previous show saddle you had tried, but I do think it is still just a bit too narrow with the bar angles; especially if you also say you can’t cleanly and easily run your hand down it. It looks better on her right side than her left side. Was she standing square? Is she uneven?

When you add the pad, then I think it is even more evident that it is too narrow of a bar angle. Again, the left side looks worse than the right.

No, it’s not a horrible fit by any means but I’m as picky as you are. I too would be worried it might be pinching or restricting movement. Saddle fitting is such a pain![/QUOTE]

I am beginning to think that I am too much of a perfectionist. :no: I don’t think it is too terrible, but I also kind of feel like there is better out there…

Her left side is more developed than her right side. I can easily run my hand down with the pad while it is girthed up, but it is still just a bit more snug in the concho area.

I may just ride in it for now and see where it gets us. Thinking that I may save up for a Big Horn reining saddle. The Big Horn reining saddle I tried was a really good fit for her. Even though I am a little “eh” about the quality, at least they are built on Steele trees.

[Draftmare]

[QUOTE=js;8475389]
With the saddle pad, I think it appears to fit fine. Without it, to me it looks too wide and is dropping down too low and causing the angles to look bad; once the pad lifts the saddle up in front the angles don’t look bad. Maybe I’m seeing it all wrong but I don’t see it fitting bad.[/QUOTE]

The pad does seem to make it fit better.