Saddle-fit dilemma

[maddyiy]

I’ve been trying to find a new saddle for my horse for a little while and the first doubts are starting to come out.
For context, he hasn’t been ridden in 18 months since we were sorting out his lameness, it’s been a long process but I can confidently affirm that he’s never been better since I own him.
This is why I’ve been wanting to reintroduce a bit of ridden work. He’s turning 16, has kissing spines, and he’s worked enough in his life so I’d just like to hack around and do very very light flat-work to keep his condition, I plan on riding him like once a week max and only if he feels good about it.

All of this to say that I’ve been searching for a new saddle, the one I previously used with him was absolutely wrong and certainly part of the reason he was in pain when ridden, and I really don’t want to make the same mistake.

All of the saddles I’ve tried on him for now don’t fit, he has a prominent wither and big shoulders. His back is nicely muscled but it’s not completely straight unfortunately, so finding a saddle right for him it’s been pretty hard.
I honestly would like to find a good compromise between a saddle that fits, and not spending much money since I don’t even know how much I’ll use it.

I’ve been to my local tack shop and the owner suggested a Wintec 2000 ap, it’s in the budget but after a bit of research I don’t know how to feel about it.
On monday she’ll come and measure for the gullet since the standard one was too narrow for him ( not horribly but still too narrow and caused bridging in the middle ).

Now my dilemma is: If the saddle fits nicely with a bigger gullet do I buy it and hope for the best? Or is it better to search for another one and avoid the Wintec?
I liked that it’s very lightweight since I don’t want him carrying a lot of weight, but I’ve been pretty scared from all the negative opinions.

Anyways sorry for the long post, I’d really appreciate some insight!

[dmveventer]

There’s nothing wrong with Wintecs IF they fit your horse correctly, but there’s more to correct fit than gullet width. If the saddle was bridging the tree could just be the wrong shape for your horse and a different gullet isn’t going to fix that. I would get a competent fitter out to look at him and suggest some options. Some will do virtual fittings too if you have trouble finding someone locally.

This isn’t what you asked but I’d be careful about only riding a horse like this once a week, you’re not going to build or maintain condition on that schedule. Adding good groundwork on other days might help but definitely check with your vet on what kind of program makes the most sense.

[islgrl]

I have a very expensive dressage saddle. I also have a wintec for jumping ( can’t remember which model). I have to tell you I love the wintec. Its a nice saddle. Its very very comfortable, its super lightweight. I have zero complaints about it.

[LilRanger]

You might want to look at a saddle that doesn’t have gussetted panels. Plain panels often curve a bit more.

Edited fir clarity

[maddyiy]

The horse does groundwork 4/5 days a week already, he’s in a rehab program and will continue to be as long as I can keep up with it. I very aware that he needs a specific type of exercise to be happy and healthy but thank you for pointing it out!

Regarding the bridging I had a feeling it could happen nonetheless but I still want to see how it goes with a different tree…

[maddyiy]

Good to know!! It seems like it might be an option to consider if it fits well with a different tree

[sheltona01]

Wintecs are quite flat from front to back, so if your horse has a curve in their back, that might pose a bit of a challenge.

Just a heads-up: once you get your horse feeling comfortable under saddle, there’s a good chance they will change, and you may need a different saddle sooner than you expect. I’ve seen this happen time and again.

[cayuse]

I had a mare built like this and the WIntec wasn’t the best option, what worked for her was an older Pessoa. YMMV tho.

[maddyiy]

This is a pretty good picture of him, do you think it’s a particularly hard back to fit?
Obviously if the Wintec doesn’t fit I’ll wait and search for something else, I have the option of an online saddle fit, I just let it as the last resort since she’ll have to ship me saddles and it’s not very practical.

[RedHorses]

Ride in the Wintec before committing. The last time I rode with a Wintec I couldn’t get off the horse fast enough, the saddle was so bad for me. Fit the horse though.

What about treeless options?

[Festivity]

It’s not a cheap option up front but the EQ Saddle Science saddles might be a great option. They are adjustable and spread the saddle pressure out more than a traditional saddle. I have one and can use it on three of my horses and they all love it. They have a saddle trial and a rehab program that might be worth looking into.

[maddyiy]

I’ll try to at least sit on it then!
I’d say a trelees is a no go since he has kissing spines, I think he needs more support and stability.

[maddyiy]

I’ve never heard of it! I’m not is the US so I don’t know if it’s present in Europe, I’ll look into it, thank you!

[maddyiy]

Update:
The shop owner came by today to measure the gullet on my horse, the one that fits him in the Wintec range is the red one but I’ll have to see it on the saddle to actually get a better feeling.
She said that my horse’s back might be particularly hard to fit and that she’ll contact the Wintec fitter to see if we can get the middle part of the saddle to be more cushioned and less straight ( I don’t know if it’s clear written like this sorry ).

Seeing the picture I posted before what would you say about his back? Is it actually THAT hard to fit a saddle on it? I’ve seen plenty of horses with backs that are not straight, like quarter horses for example, and that’s just how they’re built, so I was surprised when she remarked on it. I’d really like more opinions!!!

[fivestrideline]

@maddyiy

she’ll contact the Wintec fitter to see if we can get the middle part of the saddle to be more cushioned and less straight ( I don’t know if it’s clear written like this sorry ).

So… I’m sorry to say but no padding and flocking can make a too-straight tree fit. If the tree is the wrong shape, it WILL negatively impact the horse. You can pad/flock a saddle that is the right shape but needs to fill in some wither hollows, for example, but you can’t make a straight tree fit a curvy back, and vice versa.

Looking at the pics of your horse, I wouldn’t expect a wintec to fit. Remember, a tree that bridges will put immense pressure at the front and back of the saddle. At rest, without rider weight, you may be able to shove some padding under there to make it look okay, but once the rider is up and the horse is in motion the saddle is creating a major issue.

@maddyiy

Seeing the picture I posted before what would you say about his back? Is it actually THAT hard to fit a saddle on it? I’ve seen plenty of horses with backs that are not straight, like quarter horses for example, and that’s just how they’re built, so I was surprised when she remarked on it.

Nah, your horse doesn’t appear to have anything ridiculous like a sway back or something. You just need a more “banana” shaped tree, maybe some upswept panels. You should have good options in jumping saddles, but it probably won’t be a wintec or Bates.

I’m not a fitter so I don’t have specific recommendations (my current horse is FLAT, I have options that wouldn’t fit ), but one fitter has posted here and someone may have suggestions for a remote fitter.

[dmveventer]

Is the shop owner actually qualified as a saddle fitter? I suspect the Wintec may be the only thing she carries in your budget do she’s trying to make it work regardless of fit to make the sale.

I’ll second @fivestrideline that this isn’t something a different gullet or flocking/padding can fix. Your horse’s back doesn’t look that complicated though, hopefully some of the posters here can give you some ideas to try!

[maddyiy]

Thank you very much, both of you!! I feel pretty reassured about his back I thought I was going blind for a second… Seeing him everyday and knowing his problems sometimes makes me think that I’m not able to look at him objectively, so I really appreciate unbiased opinions!
I’m pretty sure she’s not a saddle fitter but she’s trying her best I guess, and with the best intentions but it’s not working for now.

I think at this point I’m leaning towards continuing with the fitter I contacted with an online format and see what she sends me. I just wanted to explore options closer to me since she’ll have to ship the saddles but I don’t want to get a saddle that doesn’t fit or push it if it’s clearly not the best option!

[GraceLikeRain]

I am not a saddle fitter

To me that looks like a tricky back to fit. You’ve got a deep set of withers, a curvy short back, and at least in this picture not an overly broad back. Finding something that doesn’t impinge on the withers and has adequate gullet clearance but also upswept panels and a panel design that distributes pressure feels like good bit outside of a “standard horse” fit. It definitely isn’t a Wintec back.

[maddyiy]

He’s also pretty wide I fear…. He has wider shoulders than most horses and thankfully has a pretty muscled back now so he’s not a slim horse.

I really hope it’s not too much of a challenge, I really don’t want to do much with him but I also don’t want an ill fitted saddle, that would be the absolute worse. Not having a big budget is also not great I guess… It’s pretty discouraging sometimes ahah

[sheltona01]

He doesn’t appear to be too difficult to fit, though my perspective might be influenced by my own experiences. He does have broader spinal processes and a moderately low wither, along with a gentle curve from front to back. Most of the rise is located behind where the saddle would ideally sit.

I think a Thorowgood might be a good option. I’ve had several clients in similar situations who were really pleased with them. If you’d like more information, just send me a PM!