Saddle Fit, High AND Wide Wither - Is it a thing?

[bubxjade]

I am always seeing saddle fit discussion regarding Tall Narrow withers. But what about tall wide wither, is this a thing? Of course I’m asking because of saddle fit doubts with my own horse. I don’t feel like saddle fit should be such an issue with this horse and I feel like she has a pretty normal back profile. But she’s kind of big, not huge by any means, but I’m not sure the upside down V shape of most trees is working anymore. She is 5YO, has grown quite a bit in all directions since I had her “saddle fitted” almost two years ago. I don’t have access to any independent saddle fitters in my area. County probably makes visits up here, but I’m not sure if I should get that spendy on this horse. The saddle shop that does fitting in my area set me up with a toulouse with a genesis tree. So that’s what I’m working with right now. As of right now, it dosen’t seems like an awful fit and I feel pretty confident the panels are making full contact with the back. I have wither clearance, but it does seem like we are pinching at the top.

Horse has had some time off. So ya, training could be, likely is, a factor here, and I have been having the struggle of my life to get trot undersaddle from this horse. Wasn’t really the case before time off. Without getting too far into it, the horse is fit has been doing groundwork all summer, works beautifully and willingly all three paces on the longe or freely in the round pen. When asking for trot I get a lot of no and sometimes biting the girth, saddle pad, her own shoulder etc. I’m not an over cincher, although my girth could stand to be a couple inches longer, but I’m using a shearling girth with double elastic ends, it should be comfy enough. So yesterday after I was exhausted from trying to kick this horse into trot forever, I discontinued my ride and I switched saddles. A friend has a Trilogy dressage saddle, wide tree so like 6", I saddled up with that and a nice half pad. I’m not going to say it was a night/day difference but, I was able to ride 3 circles of trot pretty darn easily vs hardly being able to get 3 strides when riding in the toulouse.

I don’t love the toulouse for myself either. I regret buying it often but I have to admit it has proved useful a few times, allowing us to ride some pretty different horses in a pinch. But all that is adjustable on this saddle is the tree points. It’s like an upside down V, vs the more parallel tree profile I think I see on this Trilogy saddle, and the top of the gullet is more open on this saddle also. It also has shoulder gussets. I feel like this shape/fit is so common in dressage saddles but not so much in close contact saddles. I have been looking pretty hard at Black Country saddles (online of course) because some of them seem to have more of the upside U shape vs the upside down V shape and I think this could work but I’m not so confident in my own opinion. Still not sure if I am making things up and making things more complicated. I don’t think this horse should be hard to fit. There is a saddle shop about 4 hours from me that deals BC saddles, but that would mean buying new and I’m just not sure I should spend 4K on a saddle for this horse.

I don’t think this horse necessarily has a high wither but when facing it, I feel like I’m staring at a wall and its just seems like a big area and so vertical. Am I over thinking this??

[BAC]

I am no expert on saddle fitting but Jay from Trumbull Mountain is a saddle fitter that works remotely with people when no independent saddler fitter is available and has had many positive reviews on these forums. I would try contacting her although I can’t remember her screen name, so I’m not being very helpful. I think there are one or two others also on this forum who could be of help, if only I could remember their names.

[woodstock]

Yes, it is absolutely a thing. My horse was a bear to fit and finally we found the right fitter and solution. Turns out that though I knew he was wide, he actually has high withers as well-- it’s deceptive and due to how low his ribs tie in. So we ended up with a wide tree Black Country that has front gussets to hold it up off of his withers. (He incidentally needed back gussets too b/c he’s a bit dippy.)

[Mayaty02]

Definitely a thing… fitter said, not only does your horse have a high wither, but it’s a huge bone, very wide. Lots of saddles later believe it or not we bought a standard model Bruno Delgrange saddle in medium/wide tree.

[IPEsq]

Yes, mine is this way. A wide tree is too wide, though. At first, the panels needed to provide enough lift, but the gullet clearance was a major factor. As his shoulder has gotten bigger, we have opened up the panels in the front to accommodate that, and wither clearance has remained good. Narrower, more shallow channeled saddles do not work even if they’d have the vertical clearance for narrow, sharkfin withers.

Stirrup bar configuration can also be a factor as well as the tree points. But ultra flexible tree points were not necessarily better (for example, tried the Voltaire Blue Wing with super flexibility in the front plus super fancy tree technology and like you could not pick up a trot).

[jaybird660]

Many horses have broad and high withers. They are often the type that need a more open or rounder pommel arch but also panel support. Panel support would be options such as k or trapezius panels and front or full front gussets.

[no.stirrups]

Harry Dabbs Avant XL is designed for this conformation. Does great on warmbloods and draft crosses. It’s a variation on their Avant tree which was designed specifically for OTTBs (I’ll be at the Thoroughbred makeover competition at the Kentucky Horse Park again with them this fall). The XL version essentially cut the Avant in half lengthwise and reattached the pieces farther apart for a wider channel. Lots of wither clearance above and to the sides, lots of panel support, lots of options for rider comfort.