Saddle shopping again 😭…. Pony-built horse

[MapleFarm]

Well, I’m tall and have wide hips, so I may prefer a wider twist than average!

Unfortunately with a truly wide horse, every saddle will feel wide to some extent. I’ve tried some of the really wide saddles (like detente) and hated them so much. The best for me that fits the horse is the loxley.

I asked Felicitas von Neumann Cosel at a clinic about it - how to work to keep my leg in a better position on an XW horse etc - and she recommended the little balls she uses in some videos in your inner thigh during warmup, but also said, “you’re screwed” and to shorten my stirrups.

So I’m not sure if you’ll find a magic fit that works for both of you if you like a truly narrow twist (Verago), but I would try some more variety before going for one you don’t like. I don’t know what a Verago with a custom XW hoop tree would feel like - maybe it would be the best of both worlds.

[fermecinqsens]

Thought I’d update this to say that I ended up trying an Erreplus Freestyle in a 17" and MW. It felt a bit different than my Wolfgang Solo - the block is slightly different so I have to ride one hold longer, and the seat is round rather than flat so the seat feels smaller and more containing. I quickly felt at home in it, though. For the horses it seems to fit well. It doesn’t have the huge wither clearance like the Solo had (because that was designed for high-withered horses) and sits more low-profile on my horses backs. It’s slightly wide for my one horse so I use a Mattes with a front shim and that does the trick.
When I was trying it I posted photos on the Saddle Fit Questions and Answers FB group and lots of people said noooo it doesn’t fit. Because Erreplus makes other models that they specifically market towards flat toplines. So it seems people assume that the Freestyle will not fit a flat topline. However this saddle sits nicely on my horses backs, does not rock, so it seems it can fit a flat topline too. And indeed this whole experience made me trust my own instinct and knowledge with saddle fitting rather than listen to random people on that FB group who always have something bad to say about everything.

Anyway we are three months in and I don’t regret my decision. My saddle doesn’t move or shift on my horses and I use a normal girth. And I love it for me!