I am considering Thorowgood T8 but saddle fitter I talked to had NOTHING good to say about these saddles. Wondering if that is a common opinion among saddle fitters.
Thanks in advance.
I personally think at that price point they are the best on the market, which is why i sell them. Are they perfect, no. Without knowing exactly what was said, i can not comment on specific complaints.
They are a wonderful saddle in that price range with many fit options and wool flocked. Granted, changing the front width doesn’t change the back angles but they fit a lot of types of horses and the leather and synthetic is a nice option. They are so versatile.
Thanks for the opinions thus far. She was just adamant that they never work out. She was also under the impression that they are foam flocked which is not true. I live in the boon docks so there are not a whole ton of options for saddle fitters.
The Thorowgoods are a great saddle for the price. I personally prefer their dressage models over their jumping, but know several people who love their jump saddles as well. They can be made to fit a variety of horses, which makes them a great option for a buyer on a budget.
Without seeing your horse, I cannot comment on how it will fit him/her. Hopefully, your fitter comes around to your way of thinking!
My saddle fitter recommended one for my husband and my very picky older horse - they both loved it and I was very pleased with the quality for the price.
Love my T6!
[QUOTE=Mukluk;8282987]
Thanks for the opinions thus far. She was just adamant that they never work out. She was also under the impression that they are foam flocked which is not true. I live in the boon docks so there are not a whole ton of options for saddle fitters.[/QUOTE]
Based on those comments, it’s possible that your fitter hasn’t seen a Thorowgood since before they moved to wool-flocked panels + the current Simatree technology with an adjustable gullet system. The older Thorowgoods sometimes did have foam panels. Some of them also had an hokey-dokey gullet adjustment system called the FISH system. Basically, the FISH system was just these little plastic shims that you slid into pockets near the tree point. Those shims to snug up the tree size by 1/2 to 1 full size…but IMO, they didn’t work very well. If your fitter is recalling a Thorowgood from that era, then yes, she might be underwhelmed.
That said, IMO, the contemporary Thorowgood T6/T8 lineups are best buys in their price categories. They share a lot of R&D with the leather Kent and Masters and Hastilow lineups, and they have a lot of gravy features like flexible billet placement. I would not hesitate to buy a Thorowgood T6 or T8 saddle if it suited my needs and my horse’s body.
[QUOTE=jn4jenny;8283524]
Based on those comments, it’s possible that your fitter hasn’t seen a Thorowgood since before they moved to wool-flocked panels + the current Simatree technology with an adjustable gullet system. The older Thorowgoods sometimes did have foam panels. Some of them also had an hokey-dokey gullet adjustment system called the FISH system. Basically, the FISH system was just these little plastic shims that you slid into pockets near the tree point. Those shims to snug up the tree size by 1/2 to 1 full size…but IMO, they didn’t work very well. If your fitter is recalling a Thorowgood from that era, then yes, she might be underwhelmed[/QUOTE]
I think this is likely the case.
jn4jenny: I’ve already added your new blog site to my favorites.
I am NOT a saddle fitter, just a rider with a hard-to-fit horse, and I really love my Thorowgood T4 High Wither (the all-synthetic equivalent to the T8). I’ve had it since May.
I’m actually on the lookout for another used one for my other horse. They’re hard to find because people tend to like them and hang on to them.
The independent saddle fitter I work with has nothing but GOOD things to say about these saddles and the company (they are apparently very easy to work with). I demo-ed the saddles but unfortunately they did not fit horse and me.
My saddle fitter loves them and so do I. I have both the dressage and the GP. Both fit my horse like a glove. Best saddle you’re gonna get without going high end.
Well the overall consensus from here seems pretty positive. I think I’m going to see if I can do the test ride with smart pak and see how it goes. I’d really be happy if it work for both horses since they have different wither sizes (but of course the whole saddle has to work so who knows).
I have a Fairfax built on the same tree and love it. If a Thorowgood had worked for me* (fit my horse fine) I would have been happy to buy one. The Kent & Masters are on the same tree as well and are all leather.
- I found the seat to be too wide even tho the twist was fine. YMMV.
I have a T4 cob. Fits my horse well. I didn’t want to spend alot since it was his first saddle and he was bound to change. I like the saddle well enough as a temporary one. It’s well made and it’s nice to have the changeable gullet. I like that it’s synthetic- it’s so easy to care for (it’s my first synthetic). Does nit compare to real leather.
What I don’t like, is how increadibly open the seat is. Normally, it’s fine but occasionally, I want the extra support for the rare occasion of naughtiness. But the super open seat is only on the cob version.
It is wool flocked.
I have a T4 cob. Fits my horse well. I didn’t want to spend alot since it was his first saddle and he was bound to change. I like the saddle well enough as a temporary one. It’s well made and it’s nice to have the changeable gullet. I like that it’s synthetic- it’s so easy to care for (it’s my first synthetic) although it doesn’t come remotely close to the feel of leather.
What I don’t like, is how increadibly open the seat is. Normally, it’s fine but occasionally, I want the extra support for the rare occasion of naughtiness. But the super open seat is only on the cob version.
It is wool flocked.
I agree. If it had been built to suit me, I would have had a T4 Cob saddle. Fit my quite wide ASB to a T. Unfortunately the flaps were cut too straight to accomodate my leg, so I had to pass. Ended up with County instead. I personally loved the extremely open seat (so much so I was nearly ready to accept that my knee poked over the flap considerably)
A slightly related question: I have a not yet backed 3 year old filly, and want to get a Thorowgood for her as a “starter saddle” (since A) I have heard good things about them, and B) they are easy on the pocketbook! 
)
My local Dover has a couple Thorowgoods that I could take out and try on her, but without being able to ride in them, it’s going to be difficult to determine whether they are a good fit–other than just by eyeballing.
Are there any “reps” in the Northern Va area?? Another possible option is to try to arrange to get a saddle fitter out to take a look at the saddle on her (and go get and “pay for” the saddle that day to take on a fitting trial), but without seeing how it fits under the weight of a rider, a saddle fitter will be limited in terms of what he/she can advise (and is it worth the money spent?)
I have used Bill Wood in the past since he fits a lot of saddles in my neck of the woods, but he is quite thorough–and his fee reflects this
There is a Thorowgood fitter on the COTH who I contacted with questions, but she’s not local, and said she may be up my way in Sept. but wasn’t able to pin down any specific dates yet. (I’m planning to have my filly backed in October, so will need a saddle by then!)
Thoughts?
[QUOTE=Dr. Doolittle;8285615]
My local Dover has a couple Thorowgoods that I could take out and try on her, but without being able to ride in them, it’s going to be difficult to determine whether they are a good fit–other than just by eyeballing.[/QUOTE]
Annette Gavin in Pennsylvania sells Thorowgood, and her saddle-fitting crew sometimes works at a distance. They have a better trial policy than Dover, too (10 days). The question is whether she’ll have one in stock for you to try. They tend to sell like hotcakes. http://www.hastilowusa.com/saddles/thorowgood-saddles.html
