Looking for saddle suggestions for a wide Cob. I’m an older, short amateur rider. Have been looking at Black Country or Kent and Masters. Not sure of the quality of Kent and Masters. I’ve ridden in a Black Country jump saddle and found it comfortable. Hoping to find a used saddle for less than $2000. Any experience with either brand?
I love my Kent and Masters but reach out to fitters in England, they were able to get me a lovely saddle for my almost hoop tree shaped QH for a great price, then local fitter worked with them on flocking, etc.
Kent and Masters wasn’t the right tree shape but mine had a curvier back.
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Check out two saddles by Detente - either an Highland and Cob (what I used on my Welsh Cob) or a Manta Ray. The Manta Ray is WIDE, but I got used to it and really ended up liking it. I think they have a new one called the Cleo but not sure if its widely available yet.
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How short of a back does your Welsh Cob have? For those with more real estate I prefer Albion SLK or similar models including Black Country dressage saddles, usually the Eloquence, that have options for shorter skirts and the like. For my very short backed guys/gals I’ve ended up with Prestige dressage saddles semi custom made on pony panels. For my widest of wide (a mare I owned) I ended up with a Cardanel dressage saddle from the UK. It was awesome. I sold it after selling her.
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Andrea Hicks specialise in saddles for ponies, wide horse and cobs:
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I too loved my Kent and Masters but even more than that was my dear little Arab loved it. AND, after a Bates Isabell, a Lovett & Rickets and a few more I cannot recall right now, what was amazing about the K&M is it stayed put and didn’t move forward on him like every.other.saddle.
And then he lifted his back and sought the bit. Ooooh. Now there’s a feeling.
But, that doesn’t mean it will work for your horse and you. The K&M is a lesser quality leather than others. But it’s good enough. And if it fits - that’s all that matters.
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I have one with a very short back and another whose back is a little longer. Am hoping to use one saddle on both, but know that may not work. The bigger boy is still growing and maturing so I know he will change significantly over the next few years.
For these horses that are really round - is there hope that if the saddle is just right that the girth doesn’t have to be overtightened? I have plans to get my Morgan refitted (she came with a saddle) and this is one of the things I would dearly like to accomplish for her. She does have withers, at least, and there is no problem with front-to-back movement in the current saddle. I know this is hard to answer generally without having the horse in front of you, but am curious, because I have no experience trying to fit a wide horse.
@poltroon - Yes. I had two wide Arabs and with the right fit the saddle will be stable with a normally snug girth.
Depending on how wide and the back shape you might need a hoop tree. I also had to play around with billets and girths. One of mine did much better with a point billet on his dressage saddle.
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Did you buy your K & M directly from the UK? The Saddle Bank has several used ones available but I wasn’t sure about shipping from the UK.
I’ve used Prestige with adjustable trees for my short backed, table top QH.
You might try Lovatt & Ricketts…
I worked with Anne at Hastilow saddles and had an in-person fitting.
https://www.hcsusasaddlery.com/about-hastilow
This was back in oh my 2010 or so. Many moons ago.
Look for an Exselle - I have had a few Exselle Debut models for jumping in the past. Hoop tree, made in England for those cobby types. Quality and comfortable saddles. I paid $600-$800 for mine.
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I have Lovatt and Ricketts Ellipse dressage saddle. I really like it and so did my chunky horse. They are built on a hoop tree and make an extra-wide model. My Hennig also fits a chunky monkey.
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Loxley/Bliss works great on my wide shorter-backed horse. I have an XWide Hoop tree with upswept panels, (and a “comfort twist” to help with the wideness) - and it fits great.
I had a Detente, which I just sold - it was super comfortable and super wide, but it was also constantly putting me in the chair seat. It might work well depending on your (and your horses’) conformation though - I sold it through my fitter to someone who is very happy with it.
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Another vote for Bliss of London/Loxley. I previously had a Connemara/Arabian that required a wide hoop tree. I struggled for years to find something that worked and was quite pleased with my Loxley monoflap.
Another vote for Bliss/Loxley. Their hoop trees are good for cobby types, and they can do short panels.
Another one who also really likes the Detente I have for my Morgan. It was a custom for a mare I lost last year, but with frequent attention from my fitter it has been surprisingly adaptable to my new 4-turned-5 year old, who has grown and changed so much since this summer that the fitter has described her as a “new horse every time she visits us.” As her back has gained muscle and she’s grown up through her withers, it’s kept her pretty comfortable with increasing work. And I love the security of it.
Last winter when I was taking lessons I loved the feel of the Chunky Monkey brand dressage saddle used on Morgans my instructor had.
DP Saddlery may be the answer. Our farm owner has meatloaf shaped Hafflinger and nothing would fit that mare. Someone suggested DP, which ended up with not only the owner buying one but several other boarders buying new saddles for their similarly loaf-shaped horses. 10 out of 10, would recommend.
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