Saddle recs - wide/short-backed

[afjordlife]

Looking for some dressage saddle recommendations for my pony and I. Our current saddle is an okay fit but not great. It’s panels are quite long compared to seat size, and the flaps are very long with a big block which is not ideal for my shorter legs. We’re a somewhat difficult pair to fit as he is very round and short-backed (pretty typical fjord) and I have a big butt (size 12/14 in most pants) so I’m not comfortable in a seat size smaller than a 17.5.

Any suggestions? I’m willing to spend up to 6-7k for a really great fit, though ideally would prefer less!

[joiedevie99]

I’d look into Black Country. They have hoop trees, and a range of width options. They also have options to put a 18" seat on a 17.5" footprint, for example, or to use shorter panels. Even a full custom would be well under budget.

Custom Saddlery can put pony panels on any saddle as well.

[afjordlife]

Thank you! I’ll check them out! 17.5 tends to fit me, but with my current saddle the panels extend a good 2-3 inches behind the end of the seat so I’d love to find something more upswept.

[JB]

I second the BC line. They are a great combination of quality and price.

Also, look at Balance saddles. They are made by Frank Baines, and the whole Balance philosophy of saddle fitting is go wide and use appropriate padding to allow muscle to develop. Prestige is another that may work, but not if he’s really a hoop tree guy. All those have upswept back panels, which I also needed for my wide, short-backed guy.

[DawnJL]

I have wide short-backed horses and have found the Black Country Kur model with a hoop tree (width to template) to be a good match. The Kur has a flatter seat than most dressage saddles which allows for shorter panels relative to the seat size.

One of my mares is super wide (XW hoop tree) and incredibly short-backed with just 14 inches of weight bearing space in front of T18. I had her BCS Kur built with the most upswept degree of panels as possible to further shorten the panels on her saddle since I needed a 17 inch seat. She goes well in it.

Some Passier models may also be suitable – my FEI stallion’s BCS Kur (17.5 W hoop) stopped fitting him about a year ago and we ended up with a used Passier Antares which had a configuration that allowed him plenty of shoulder freedom.

This is one of my Kur saddles. This one is a 17W. (FWIW, the Fjord’s I’ve known with BCS saddles have typically been XW or XXW hoop trees.)

[EventingMaff]

I have a fairly wide (but not ‘table-top’ or barrel-shaped wide) mare with a short back. We have an Albion Ultima Platinum that works great on her. I also found that british brands work great for her as they tend to work for the rounder, shorter back british pony shape.

Harry Dabbs, Ideal, Albion, Frank Baines, Adam Ellis may be some options to explore.

However if you’re looking for something truly barrel shaped, going with a hoop tree would be best and the above may not work.

[enjoytheride]

I have a Bliss Loxley on their “baroque” form which is a hoop tree and short panels. It also came with Serge panels which was an added bonus and a slim tech twist. Brand new custom built with colored piping the saddle cost under 4k

[eightpondfarm]

LOVE your saddle!!!

[luvmydutch]

Equipe makes some of the best saddles for short backed type of horses

[lenapesadie]

Mind saying who you went through? PM if you prefer. I’ve got some Duetts coming for trial but if their tree shapes don’t suit my boy… I’ve been eyeballing those Bliss Loxley saddles.

[DawnJL]

Me too!! I like how open the Kur model is. I am fortunate that the BCS saddles seem to fit my body and my horses too! My leg falls naturally in place in these saddles. I also like the serge panel option.

I rode in an Ansur treeless for about 10 years so the wide twist of the hoop tree doesn’t feel so wide to me!! (I might still be riding in the Ansur if it had let my leg fall in a correct alignment, but alas, it put me in a bit of a chair seat. Until I found hoop trees, it was the only saddle I could find that wouldn’t make my first Arab mare sore.)

[enjoytheride]

I purchased this one used but if you go to their FB page they should be able to give you a saddle fitter in your area. A friend of mine tried Duett but their twists are super wide. What I liked about this one is you can request a slim or wide twist if you’re custom ordering.

[lenapesadie]

I’ve heard that the twists are quite wide. I’ve got two different Fidelio models coming which supposedly have the least wide twist but we shall see!

Super pretty saddle! I’m already wondering if the piping could be purple I’ll check them out on FB! Thanks!

Would you describe your horse as more flat or more curvy?

[JB]

@enjoytheride

A friend of mine tried Duett but their twists are super wide.

Yesssssss. I tried a Duett CC (don’t remember the model) and holy cow. It did fit my guy very well up front, but was too flat for his not curvy but shorter and needed upswept panels back, but even if it had fit perfectly, I couldn’t have stood it. A 39cm Prestige fit him perfectly, as did a Black Country Quantum X in an XXW. The Prestige isn’t a hoop tree, but the X in the Quantum was (it’s not a hoop if it doesn’t have the X, at least that’s how it was 10-ish years ago).

[enjoytheride]

She’s curvy.

[lenapesadie]

Thank you! My guy is a bit flatter, but I’ll still keep Bliss on my radar.

He’s not terribly short backed, but I need a larger seat size so it’s kinda tight.

[DawnJL]

Yeah, Black Country uses the “X” to designate a hoop tree. I have purchased Kur X, Eloquence X, and Quantum X (close contact) models --both built to spec and used.

[J-Lu]

Oh Lordie, I’ve just been through this. My Westfalen has a short back and large shoulders.

I ended up very recently with a Schleese Obrigado. It fits his short-coupledness very well (panel is short) and accommodates his large shoulders and wide “apple” build with the adjustable tree and backward-pointing tree points and cut-back shoulder. Called shoulder relief (SR) on the id. RW (?) panel denoted the shorter panel. They are pricey but I understand the logic of their build and my horse seems to go well in it.

Good luck!!

[afjordlife]

That is a beautiful saddle! I am definitely going to make some inquiries about that model.

[eightpondfarm]

the thing i like the best about how it looks is the low cantle and i don’t see any knee rolls. It looks nice and flat. It does seem…poofier, sitting on a bubble higher up off of a horse’s back? Is it? Or is that just what the two-tone (serge you say) does to the eye?