Saddle fitters. 3 fitters, different opinions

[Raymundo]

I’m trying to be as informed as I can and make the best decision I can to help my mare and I.

Initially, I got a routine flocking that put my saddle out of balance. I then tried to shim it in balance to get by for a bit, but began noticing behavioral issues in my mare on the day of that first flock and after. Bucking, occasional kicking out, odd walk steps when asked to move ribs. I decided to investigate.

Then I had an independent fitter come out who did back drawings and was supposed to reflock but concluded that my saddle was not appropriate for my mare. Suggested she needed a hoop tree, which mine is not. She said we need a hoop tree wide with very flat tree which will be hard to find so suggested I order new custom saddle which will run approx ~2k. She suggested used brands we could look at like Duett, Black Country, and Chunky Monkey. My mare is 5 and I don’t really want to order custom saddle but it does seem like that fit is hard to find used within a lower price range now that I’ve been looking.

Her current saddle is a MW hulsebos balance +

I also have had two independent fitters say my saddle is out of balance and offer to reflock since it is overflocked.

I’ve also had a saddle fitter in a KS support group recommend a hoop tree.

I am not sure what to do. My mare has been on vacation. I figured if back sore from change - time to reset.

I should note that she is 5 and has kissing spines. I am told they can be pickier on fit.

What does everyone think? Can this be reflocked? New saddle? Photos with no pad are how it is now, after flocking where it was out of balance. Photo with pad is before where it looks like an appropriate angle.

Was recommended to post here.
Thanks

[SBrentnall]

Have you thought about trying a Port Lewis Impression Pad? They’re about $250, and will tell you exactly where (if anywhere) you have pressure points with the current flocking. That way, you can take out the guesswork about where the problem lies, and you might even find that the saddle isn’t actually a problem.

[luvmyhackney]

Horse is shaped similar to one of mine that goes beautifully in a Kent and Masters. Flat back and moderate withers.

I don’t have the impression pad suggested above, but my fitter uses one and it’s great.

[endlessclimb]

Well that’s cool. If I were a fitter I’d buy one of these in a new york minute.

[LadyB]

Can’t really provide advice but I can commiserate with you.

I have been using the same saddle fitter for the last 10 years, and the most recent saddle is around 7 years old. I use an independent fitter because I refuse to drink the kool aid with the french brands that seem to be about the name and not the fit.

Anyways, a girl at our barn, her best friend just went independent so I had her take a look as I felt my saddle tipping in the front. I have two saddles as I event. I was told to never put these saddles on my horses back ever again as they do not fit at all. I should go and buy this brand or that brand because my understanding is she came from the one brand and was beginning to carry the other brand. Not so independent as we thought.

Another fitter was coming to the barn, recommended by my dressage coach. I was going to hop on the appointment, but last minute wanted to opt out because I was tired of constantly throwing money at things in that month for my horse. He is 20 years old, OTTB, still eventing at Training level, He’s like Benjamin Button, getting younger each day. He also has KS. Both my saddles are Prestige and he moves like Patrick Swayze in them. He says they fit, but I know the balance has been off. He doesn’t lie when he’s not quite right, he won’t keep his opinion to himself.

My coach came for the appointment, as another student was using the fitter. She asked the Independent fitter to just take 30 seconds to look at my saddle. The woman was so in depth and down to earth. She said options were to pad up until he re-developed the shoulder muscle that had disappeared or look at getting a different saddle. I then mentioned he was 20, she stopped and said, nope shim him up, as it develops we can remove the shims. He has been going even better, and my position is thankful for the re-balance. She does sell Loxely by Bliss - which is 100% customizable. IMO with the world today, you really need to do your own research because everyone is out to make money off of you.

Is there a point to this little novel, my point is, find the fitter who can explain why and what can be done to work with your 5 year old who is about to change shape 10 times. Will this saddle potentially need to be sold in the long run? Is this something that they can work with in the meantime until she/he begins to develop more muscle and less of the round shape? I want a fitter who can explain everything and really dumb it down for me.

Follow Saddle Fitting US on Instagram or FB, she is constantly posting information on fit. I believe you can do an online fit with her as well, she seems to be very independent. I would definitely follow her though, super educational!

[enjoytheride]

She does appear to need a hoop tree. However, if she liked that saddle before the flocking was messed up I’d have someone fix the flocking and go wth that and be prepared for a new saddle at some point.

For hoop I do like Loxley. They have a FB w used saddles and I got a hoop for under 2k.

[SBrentnall]

I just got one, and it was eye-opening. Saddle was actually more balanced than I had thought except for one spot. I adjusted the shims in my pad and my horse loves the result.

[fivestrideline]

Can you talk a little about this pad? How it works, how you use it, how you interpret the impression? Any limitations in your opinion? I’m intrigued

[Pico_Banana]

You can rent the port Lewis impression pad from EQ Saddle Science if you don’t want to buy one. I have one. Super easy to use. Just make sure it’s even to start (use a rolling pin) and then use it instead of a saddle pad. Ride 20-30 min in all three gaits. Try to use a tall mounting block to mount and dismount and be careful to try to keep from putting your weight unevenly on the saddle. When done, hold it carefully up to the sunlight and assess any depressions or unevenness. You can put it on your car windshield and look at it that way.

[Posting_Trot]

I’m not a saddle-fitter, but to my eye the saddle looks both overstuffed (from the back) and like the tree is riding too high at the withers, which suggests a too-narrow saddle. It looks like the saddle’s current balance point for the rider is back behind the stirrup bars and that, combined with the relatively deep seat and the overstuffed panels, is placing the bulk of the rider’s weight on a narrow part of the saddle. In other words, the saddle isn’t doing a good job of spreading the weight of the rider over a wider area of the back.

I think hoop trees are great. I have an Irish Draught mare and use a hoop tree saddle. Both of my saddles are Smith-Worthington’s and they’ve recently gone out of business. You can still find them used (and some of the lightly used demos are being sold as used), but not all Smith-Worthington saddles are hoop trees, so you need to know which models to look for.

I also rode for many years in Balance International saddles. They are all hoop trees, and they have several different dressage models. Their saddles are made by Frank Baines to Balance’s specs. There are used Balance saddles out there, but you should probably look at the company’s website because they have a slightly different fitting strategy based on their ideas about how a too-small/narrow saddle hurts the horse.

About us

[atr]

My immediate reaction is that the shape of the panels at the back is all wrong for the shape of the horse. All the weight is being put onto two “pointy” bits. I’d look for a flatter panel shape.

[Lunabear1988]

I agree that pad sounds pretty dang cool! For in between saddle fitter visits anyway…

[no.stirrups]

You may have thought your horse was comfortable before the reflock, but she shows some troublingly incorrect muscle development (and atrophy) indicating that she has not been moving correctly in a way that might very well have been caused by her saddle. I’d plan to sell it and replace it with something much more open in the channel.