Saddle for a horse with FLAT withers...help

[Thoroughbred_in_Colo]

A friend of mine recently asked me if I would start her filly under saddle and show her at a few breed shows. The filly is sweet, has tons of show miles on her already (was shown at halter as a yearling & 2yo), and is built well except for the fact that her withers are just about non-existant. In fact, I’m pretty sure a picture of this filly is in the dictionary next to the definition of mutton-withers:lol:.

Ideally, I would be showing her in WP and HUS at APHA and PtHA breed shows. I think I have an english saddle that will fit her ok enough, but I need to find a western saddle that will stay on her and not pinch. We tried a FQHB roping saddle on her the other day and if fit fine through the back, but it wanted to slide around no matter what kind of pads we used and it looked like it was pinching her shoulder.

Anybody have suggestions for a flat backed, no withers horse?

[paulaedwina]

Mule tack?

Paula

[Thoroughbred_in_Colo]

Possibly, lol. This is a picture of my friend showing her at the Pinto World Show last month. As you can see (if the link works), barely anything in the wither department. https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=604871109532514&set=pb.100000288922596.-2207520000.1375124860.&type=3&theater

[aktill]

Pft…I’ll see your that and raise you this lol: http://www.easphotography.com/Tindur/Nikkel_Tracing_Apr2012/BackBehind.jpg

You’ll be lucky to get much off the shelf that wide. In the wither pinching dept, most forks max out at 95 degrees, and the horse above needed 107. Custom tree modified was my route. Getting enough rock was even more challenging than getting enough width.

Going with mohair cinches back and front also helped so that the saddle had some chance of staying upright. Works great.

[NoSuchPerson]

[QUOTE=paulaedwina;7098180]
Mule tack?[/QUOTE]

No. Saddles made for mules typically don’t have enough rock for horses and the bar angle isn’t necessarily going to be any greater than your standard semi-QH or full-QH horse saddle.

[WildandWickedWarmblo]

Good looking horse, withers or not.

[mvp]

Sigh. I just got done putting the first 30 days on a mare built like that one-- she was paint, too.

Is the little mutton withered thing fat? Let’s hope so, working off some of that can help.

I didn’t like the feel of any lift pads I tried with western saddles. That put me way up above her back and the whole thing wasn’t stable.

In the end, my favorite solution was to ride her in my CC saddle. I stayed nice and close to her back and it didn’t hurt her.

Later, this mare’s owner got some kind of Circle Y-made “Rebel” saddle. I think it’s one of their slightly-less expensive brands. It looks iike a Park and Trail saddle. Nothing to write home about and probably a good deal used, but it did a better job on the mare than anything else.

The good thing about the mutton-withered types is that you are less likely to make them sore with ill-fitting, too narrow tack than if you were asking a narrow horse to go in a too-wide saddle. Ride in what you have and keep palpating her back so that you don’t cause a problem.

[Cindyg]

No suggestion on the saddle, but a Midnight Dixie Pad + a mohair string girth eliminated the saddle rolling on my roly poly guy.

[Melelio]

Yup, my Wade saddle that is, incidentally, for sale Made it for my 55 gallon drum barreled QH mare. I’ve since found an oldie Arab saddle that fits her nicely, so I can sell my custom made, show Wade saddle. I don’t need so fancy anymore (but no bling on it…it was made to do foundation stuff)

[Thoroughbred_in_Colo]

[QUOTE=mvp;7099585]
Is the little mutton withered thing fat? Let’s hope so, working off some of that can help.[/QUOTE]

She is halter fit, so muscled-up but not fat. She is WP bred, so not as muscle bound as some halter horses. Just no stinkin withers…

[QUOTE=mvp;7099585]In the end, my favorite solution was to ride her in my CC saddle. I stayed nice and close to her back and it didn’t hurt her.

The good thing about the mutton-withered types is that you are less likely to make them sore with ill-fitting, too narrow tack than if you were asking a narrow horse to go in a too-wide saddle. Ride in what you have and keep palpating her back so that you don’t cause a problem.[/QUOTE]

This is what I was thinking. My CC is wide, so I think it will work for training rides. Hopefully I can beg or borrow a wide enough western show saddle when the time comes to take her in the show ring.

[Thoroughbred_in_Colo]

[QUOTE=WildandWickedWarmbloods;7098655]
Good looking horse, withers or not.[/QUOTE]

Yes she is. She’s also for sale, but out of my price range. And I’m not really into the breed show thing anymore. She’s almost nice enough that if I had the money I’d consider doing breed shows again.

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

I don’t know if these folks are even still in business, but a decade ago when I was trying to fit a western saddle to my little leg-at-each-corner paint, a National Bridle saddle was the only thing that worked for him. I think I remember the tree was made by Crates. It was really heavy, though - weighed like 45 lbs.:eek: