Can anyone recommend a saddle for the OTTB with shark fin withers? I ride in an older model Dover Circuit. I love the saddle because it fits me like a glove and it has always fit every horse… except my rescue OTTB. The big guy is a rescue, and is still underweight (he has gained over 100 pounds since I got him a few months ago), so I imagine his shape is going to change as he continues to gain. I dream of a custom County… but don’t want to spend a fortune because I do think he will change over time. Any recommendations?
It sounds like he won’t be that way in time. Why not use a sheepskin half pad (like a regular Mattes pad or a correction pad) to help fit until he has filled out? It just seems like it would be pointless to get a saddle that fits perfectly if he is expected to change drastically.
For my sharkfin TB, finding a saddle that actually honestly fit wasn’t going to happen because I will never ever be able to afford or justify a custom saddle. I ended up using my medium county saddle with a thinline sheepskin and this riser pad
http://www.statelinetack.com/item/roma-orig-riser-close-contact-saddle-pad/E006267/
Worked perfectly, you just have to make sure the saddle is wide enough to accommodate the pads.
What about an adjustable tree saddle? Bates, etc.?? Any luck? Perk would be that I could adjust saddle as Roy gains weight and his body changes, but I don’t know enough about them.
[QUOTE=ladyj79;7519845]
For my sharkfin TB, finding a saddle that actually honestly fit wasn’t going to happen because I will never ever be able to afford or justify a custom saddle. I ended up using my medium county saddle with a thinline sheepskin and this riser pad
http://www.statelinetack.com/item/roma-orig-riser-close-contact-saddle-pad/E006267/
Worked perfectly, you just have to make sure the saddle is wide enough to accommodate the pads.[/QUOTE]
I just got that exact pad to go with my used County. The County fits him beautifully but he’s getting a little hollow under his withers so my vet/chiro recommended that pad to help alleviate pressure - works great!
County is always my first choice for a sharkfin-withered beast. 4 of my 5 have extremely prominent withers, but all with relatively different body shapes.
For my TB that has a big wide body and huge withers (and big divots behind his shoulders) I use a N County Innovation. But I’ve also found that my old M tree Clinton Northrup fits him beautifully (though it’s nowhere near as cushy as my County!). On a side note, he was much smaller and less developed when I bought him. I got him his County after owning him for about a year and never needed to “size up.” I think because of how the Counties fit they’re less prone to getting too narrow as a horse develops (though maybe one of the saddle fitting experts on here can chime in and correct that if I’m wrong).
For my mare that’s built like a hotdog with huge withers (and without big divots) I use a N County Stabilizer. But I’ve found that my W tree Stubben Edelweiss fits her really well, as does a M tree Amerigo Cervia (though the Amerigo is a touch narrow). The Clinton Northrop fits her too.
For my Holsteiner that looks massive from the side and invisible from the front (he’s still super narrow) and has big tall withers with the big divots behind them I used to use my N tree County Stabilizer. But I’ve started riding him in the M tree Amerigo Cervia and it fits him like a glove. He’s the first horse I’ve had that I prefer a non-County saddle on (not because County doesn’t work, but because my 2 N tree County saddles are both too wide on him). The M tree Amerigo is surprisingly narrow and fits him great! I can also ride him in my Courbette Stylist M tree.
And finally, my 3yo mare is built more like a “normal” horse than my other 3. Her withers are prominent, but not oddly so, and she doesn’t have divots behind her shoulders. I want to get her a M tree County, but for now she goes great in my Stubben Edelweiss (W tree).
So in summary, my go-to cheaper-than-County saddles are:
-Stubben Edelweiss
-Amerigo Cervia
-Courbette Stylist
-Clinton Northrop
I’m sure there are plenty of others that work, but those are the ones that I own and am familiar with.
Though with that being said, I wouldn’t hesitate to have your local County rep come out and take a look and make suggestions to you on both the horse’s current shape and their feeling on what width tree would make the most sense for now and in the future. Buying an older used County isn’t horribly expensive and I’ve seen some good deals around eBay and on some of the Facebook tack for sale sites.
I spent several months looking for a saddle for my shark finned TB. The hardest part was finding a saddle that was high enough for his withers and had a generous flare to accommodate his large shoulders. A lot of saddles looked like they had a lot of potential but were ultimately too wide and pressed down on his withers when I sat in them.
I ended up purchasing a lovely Barnsby Cirrus II and it fits him wonderfully. I also liked the way a used Jaguar fit him but when I rode in it, he did not move well and I was uncomfortable. I suggest looking into the ‘older’ brands and not so much the trendy brands right now, as they aren’t really made for the TB confirmation.
Prestige Roma Jump. Plenty of clearance for high/long withers, and great balance/comfort for rider. $2100 new.
I have this (front lift) in white. It’s a half pad that has padding in front to lift the saddle off the withers and fill the hollows on either side to evenly distribute pressure. It is only $30 and works wonders!!! It fixed all of my saddle fitting problems. You might as well try the cheapest option before doing a sheepskin half pad with shims or a whole new saddle. I think Wintec makes one too that’s about the same cost, but more firm. I ordered both and liked the aroma because it was a little softer and made a more even sweat pattern.
https://www.smartpakequine.com/roma-protek-wither-relief-pad-5431p
Most TB’s need a deeper front panel often with wither or full front gussets. Some saddles don’t say K, trapezius or skid row in their description but if you turn the saddle over you can often see if the panel is deeper or not. Too many people go too narrow at the horse’s expense to clear the withers. A correction pad can be helpful as long as it pads the side and doesn’t pull on the wither.
It’s hard to make a recommdation without actually seeing photos of your horse and knowing your price range.
I had a couple of thin horses with shark-fin withers; until they filled out and the saddles fit right I used a courbette saddle (tends to have more wither clearance) and a reverse wedge pad by Cashel…the reverse wedge filled in the area around the withers allowing the saddle to fit; once they gained weight I no longer needed the reverse wedge.
Many of the horses with big withers do best in a wool-flocked saddle, esp. one with a k/skidrow type panel and often a full front gusset, which offers more support down the wither. If the horse is built very uphill, a thicker rear gusset can help balance things out. Sometimes a longer tree point is a good option, too. Most of the UK-made saddles can be had with these modifications (though not all offer trees with a longer point).
You have a couple very good saddle fitters in your area, and I’d recommend enlisting their help to find something that works for you and your horse.
