Saddle brand suggestions for young wide horse

[skydy]

@Demerara_Stables

This is a personal horse that will be hopefully doing the upper level jumpers (1.60m I hope) and while I don’t need something perfect for me right now, I would like something that I feel secure in, to at least get me through her first couple of years under saddle until she’s finished growing and I can get her something custom.

@Demerara_Stables

She has had some growing pains and recurring tightness in her low back (resolved with acupuncture, chiro, and massage, just pops up every few months) so I want to be particularly careful that the saddle fits her as perfectly as it can. Even if I have to buy something used that only lasts her a few months and then I swap it out for something else used as she grows, I am fine doing that.

Is this the filly you are having the issue with? Sorry I couldn’t figure out how to screen shot. https://forum.chronofhorse.com/uploads/default/original/3X/f/5/f547668f29277cec16e050bfb22d5b03d94929ed.jpeg

Her SI conformation is not that of an FEI jumper and having back issues at 4 years old, I believe could be a result of her conformational fault in that area.

If you expect that your filly has the potential to become an FEI 1.60m jumper, I would consult professionals (not the ones who sold the horse to you) whom have trained and jumped successfully at that height, and ask them if it is fair to your horse to ask her to aim for that height with the issues she has already. They can ride her (or just look at her) and give you an idea if they think she could possibly be capable of the 1.60m level of FEI jumping.

A sore back and that SI conformation at 4 aren’t a good indication that she will have success at the upper levels.

[fivestrideline]

@JB

I also don’t think this horse needs a hoop tree. Something maybe with a more open A frame, maybe just a wider version of what’s sitting on her now.

I’m no fitter but I agree. I have one of those horses that can go in a hoop OR in a particularly open headed tree like a Tad Coffin or some of the other suggestions here. His withers are nothing like the mare pictured, they’re much lower. Think comfy couch but you won’t slide forward low.

I’d be looking for banana trees/curvy options on a generous open tree. Probably with shoulder relief panels - I’m not sure if you’ll find a ton of options used. I’m leaning towards the “buy a saddle a bit wide and pad up” option, if I were shopping for this.

I’ve said to a friend (jokingly, because I have zero impulse control) that I should take my saddle fitter with me when I go horse shopping next. It’d be cheaper and less annoying if they would approve a horse before I bought it!

[Demerara_Stables]

@fivestrideline

I’d be looking for banana trees/curvy options on a generous open tree. Probably with shoulder relief panels - I’m not sure if you’ll find a ton of options used. I’m leaning towards the “buy a saddle a bit wide and pad up” option, if I were shopping for this.

This is helpful, but do you have specific brand recommendations?

[ZuzusPetals]

I’d never heard of a hoop tree and when I did a search I came up w a saddle brand called Chunky Monkey. My day has been made.

https://www.chunkymonkeysaddles.co.uk/product-category/saddle/

[Demerara_Stables]

@skydy

Her SI conformation is not that of an FEI jumper and having back issues at 4 years old, I believe could be a result of her conformational fault in that area.

If you expect that your filly has the potential to become an FEI 1.60m jumper, I would consult professionals (not the ones who sold the horse to you) whom have trained and jumped successfully at that height, and ask them if it is fair to your horse to ask her to aim for that height with the issues she has already. They can ride her (or just look at her) and give you an idea if they think she could possibly be capable of the 1.60m level of FEI jumping.

A sore back and that SI conformation at 4 aren’t a good indication that she will have success at the upper levels.

You need to stay off my posts and mind your own business. You come in here picking a crap picture from a bad angle and claim the horse has SI issues. I have multiple professionals working on the horse as well as a full, clean vetting from two sports medicine vets that are aware of my intended goals.The horse has no such SI issues or conformational faults. You don’t know me, you didn’t know the horse. GTFO.

[fivestrideline]

I’m not sure about the curviness, but maybe a Voltaire (the blue wing is supposed to fit the broad ones), an Erreplus or an Equipe. In my experience, those brands have more “WB” fit options without going full British Cob.

[Demerara_Stables]

Thanks!!

[StormyDay]

I’m not going to quote who you responded to because it’s not any use getting into a fight.
I just wanted to say, if anyone tells you a horse can’t do x because of breed/conformation/(insert here) and it’s not your vet, run away.
I’ve seen and worked with horses who looked like they should be able to jump the moon not be able to figure out how to jump a 2ft oxer. I’ve also seen horses shaped like an actual potato be able to jump 1.60.
A few years ago I was curious as to if there was a certain conformation that all the GP jumpers had. I read everything I could find about the perfect conformation for jumpers and made a ton of notes. And then I gathered every conformation shot I could have horses actually doing the thing (thanks COTH behind the stall door!) and what I found was the horses didn’t follow rules at all. I remember this one horse, who I won’t name because I don’t want to shame it, but holy cow it was CHONKY, short necked, bad hip point conformation, hind legs sickle hocked, and its shoulder angle ‘according to the books’ basically meant it shouldn’t of been able to get out of its own way to jump anything of height.
And yet it had just won a major GP.

So, sorry for derailing, and I will now get off my soap box, but I’ve decided after all of my ‘research’ the only thing about a horses conformation that limits it is that humans look at it and think it can’t do the thing.

[JB]

Conformation has been studied enough, especially more recently by Judy Wardrope who compared conformation to actual performance records. She called this “functional conformation” which is a huge improvement from simply looking at a horse standing still and drawing lines and boxes. Some of those lines and boxes still hold true for functional conformation, some do not (like top of withers to top of croup to determine if a horse is “downhill” or not)

As with ALL things Horse, just about nothing is black and white. There are some conformational train wrecks who are happily and soundly competing at a reasonably high level into their teens and even 20s. There are textbook “perfect” conformation horses who can’t stay sound to save their life. There’s simply more to how a horse holds up than ligament, tendon, and bone length and placements.

Don’t use either of those 2 ends of the bell curve to define anything, or throw out the middle of the curve, which is the VAST majority of horses whose functional conformation really does dictate how they move, jump, and stay sound.

A peaked croup like above doesn’t make or break what a horse can do. There’s simply a whole lot more to it than that.

[Renn_aissance]

That back profile looks pretty similar to my horse, breadth included. He goes in a standard Devoucoux with wide hoss panels. It sounds like that might not be your fit, but if you want to experiment, try a Biarritz S (used to be Socoa). They do a good banana tree and it fits wide.

I second the recommendation to look at Amerigo (harder to find used, but try the Vesuvio and DJ Largo for this body type.) I did not get to try a Stubben on him but was interested in the Portos.

[fivestrideline]

@JB

the VAST majority of horses whose functional conformation really does dictate how they move, jump, and stay sound

Agree with your whole post! I think Nosey is a great example of this: someone with an eye for functional conformation (and a great eye in general) was able to see past her condition at the time and picked up a ridiculously NICE horse. A lot of people would (and did!) overlook her.

When choosing a prospect - rather than a going horse with a record - it makes sense to look at the physical structure (conformation) of the horse to hedge your bets. We know what is and isn’t likely to allow the horse to do one job or another. If buying something doing the job already, one can overlook some imperfections! At the end of the day, ride the horse you like and that makes life fun. After all, ANY horse can break a leg in the stall, good conformation or not.

FWIW I liked the Amerigos I rode in and they seemed to have a ton of options.

[IPEsq]

For my giant horse, I wound up with a Voltaire Stuttgart with AO tree after he was done with the EKGO. He can also fit into a Forestier with wider tree and gullet. He objected loudly to the Blue Infinite. Blue Wing with the TC tree is no longer made. Blue Infinite is definitely not a curvy tree. The Stuttgart is slightly more so in that it has a bit more spine clearance. With the panel configuration of the Voltaires and Forestier, I wouldn’t particularly suggest them for a horse as curvy as the OP’s. My horse was a bit curvier when he was going through the growth period that I used the EKGO for than he finished.

[Demerara_Stables]

@IPEsq

My horse was a bit curvier when he was going through the growth period that I used the EKGO for than he finished.

That’s an interesting antidote, thank you! Obviously backs change as they grow and it makes sense they get curvier as they get butt high, butt (pun intended) I never really thought of that before.

[ATXmom]

Your horse looks similar to my daughter’s horse and he goes well in a Devoucoux Biarritz. Might be worth trying

[Dubyuhnell]

I ended up with a GFS Monarch for my very wide, young warmblood mare. Our independent saddle fitter (east coast) had several brands to try and this one fit the horse and me best. The horse loves it and we get minor adjustments every 6 months on it. It’s very reasonably priced as well and the adjustability in tree and flocking makes it great for a young, shape changing horse. I imagine availability on the west coast for this brand is minimal, but wanted to mention it.

The person behind GFS is Geoff Fieldhouse.

https://gfssaddles.com/desciplines-list.php?title=Jump

[albytb]

Looks like she might appreciate the Antarès evolution with its cutback tree, maybe in their medium wide

[Festivity]

I’d look at the EQ or reactor panel saddles, that way you can tweak the fit as she grows. If you do tracing you can get tree width and angles which make it easier to shop for used saddles. They have a database with specs for most of the saddles either company has made and both are happy to repeatedly look up used saddles if you ask. It took a bit of searching but I ended up with a used EQ that met my specs exactly.

I’ve also had issues with Duett fitting the horse but being too wide for me.

[Demerara_Stables]

@Festivity

I’d look at the EQ or reactor panel saddles

A client of mine had one of these and her mare liked it for a while but I think the foam panels were a bit too hard for her back, we ended up swapping to something else. However, I had forgotten about them so maybe I’ll give that a try - thanks!

[Festivity]

Interesting, I’ll keep an eye on panel life and stiffness on mine. So far everyone has been happy even the princess with 2-4 hour trail rides up and down hills multiple times a week.

[Demerara_Stables]

I don’t think it was that it got harder over time, this horse is definitely princess and the pea. She went through three saddles in 3 years. 🤦🏻 She’s been going really well in a county for a few years now so I think it was just that the construction of the EQ with the harder foam panel wasn’t as comfortable for her as a wool panel. Interestingly, I do think it fit her well and had it been recommended that she could try a fleece half pad, that may have been just the amount of cushion she needed.