Saddle suggestions for the wide horse

[ERNurseonaHorse]

Hello!

I am having some hip issues with my current treeless saddle, and am interested in moving back to a treed saddle. But my horse is wide!

I measured him today for a Thorowgood all purpose saddle (I read on here that the hoop tree would be a good choice for him), he is XW/XXW (the 2nd widest tree!). Unfortunately that gullet size is only available in the pony saddle. I am afraid 16.5in seat is going to be a bit tight for my leg though. (I’m 5’2”, and slim).

What other saddles should I look into?

I do low level dressage and trails. Something synthetic is fine.

Thank you for the help

[JB]

Duett is a hoop tree that comes very wide, and is more suited to a flatter back.

Black Country also has models that suit a flatter back, and one that is shorter and curvier at the back of the saddle area.

[FjordBCRF]

I believe all Duetts are hoop trees! I really like the looks of their companion model:

https://duettsaddles.com/product/companion/

Ive been riding in a treeless Bob Marshall for several months on my fjord (we know wide backs!) and wasn’t sure how my hips would hold up. They have, and I find it really comfortable and so does the pony so we have one being made for us.

[JB]

@ERNurseonaHorse

I am having some hip issues with my current treeless saddle,

Forgot to ask - what kind of hip issue? Have you ever sat in a hoop tree before?

I trialed a Duett CC saddle once, and while it didn’t fit my guy quite well enough to even consider riding in a few times, the pommel was uncomfortably wide for me, so back it went.

Black Country Quantum (CC model) in the X model of that (hoop style), XXW fit him wonderfully, and was very comfortable for me as well.

He spent the last few years of his ridden career in a 39cm Prestige, which isn’t a hoop shape, but has a more open top than the traditional A frame, I don’t know what the shape is called. If your guy isn’t truly so round that he must have a hoop tree, that’s another brand to look into as well

[Posting_Trot]

I ride an Irish Draught mare, and she’s quite wide. I’ve got two Smith Worthington saddles: one is close contact (the Altair) and the other a dressage model. They fit her well.

Unfortunately, Smith Worthington went out of business a couple of years ago, but there are still many demos out there as well as used saddles. You might contact Pelham Saddlery and send them some tracings. They will work with tracings remotely and they have a number of Smith Worthingtons:
https://www.pelhamsaddlery.net/tack/smithworthingtonsaddle.html

They carry a number of other brands of used saddles as well.

Good luck!

[SimonSays]

I agree I love my Smith Worthington saddles. I have 2 altair jumping saddles. And I’m trialing a dressage model too! They fit my extra wide gypsy geldings great!

[OTTBs]

@ERNurseonaHorse

I measured him today for a Thorowgood all purpose saddle (I read on here that the hoop tree would be a good choice for him), he is XW/XXW (the 2nd widest tree!). Unfortunately that gullet size is only available in the pony saddle.

What? I have several Thorowgood and Kent and Masters saddles in 18" seats and I use this size gullet (R bar) when Miss Mare needs it. She has worn orange, white, and yellow gullets as her shape changes with weight fluctuation.

Thorowgood is definitely not a hoop tree though.

[ERNurseonaHorse]

I got this information from a Smart Pak rep when I called to trial the saddle . The largest gullet size it would accommodate was wide.

[ERNurseonaHorse]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply! I have some saddles to research now Here is a photo of my XW ride, for your enjoyment!

[Lusoluv]

I had a Duett Fidelio many years ago for my table-backed Andalusian. It was very comfortable and we were very happy with it.

[tabula_rashah]

If you can find a used Synergist english saddle in W. They are literally the widest thing I have ever seen. I got one for my Morgan mare who is build almost drafty in the back.

[beowulf]

Do you know exact measurements versus “wide”, “medium”, etc? Different brands have different sizing. My BC MW is four cms wider than my Stubben MW, for example.

I’m in the midst of saddle shopping for my mare, who was also measured as a XW/XXW on template trees and gullets. Saddle fitter said that’s 38-41 cm!

She suggested the following brand saddles for me, citing their XW/XXW trees would fit:
Lovat & Ricketts
Bates Isabella
Fairfax Rebecca
Fairfax Spencer
Hastilow & Sons Bamburgh

I agree that BC has a hoop (called Freedom) tree that might be good enough. Their XXW is wide.

[eightpondfarm]

i have two of these: one Wide one Medium.
The Wide fits my wide-body boys quite well. I’ve never had a complaint from any one of them.

https://www.statelinetack.com/item/equiroyal-newport-dressage-saddle-pkg/E002577/

[ERNurseonaHorse]

That is very budget friendly! I ordered one to try, I hope it fits! Thank you for the suggestion.

[eightpondfarm]

Did you get Wide or Medium?

I have some pretty hefty horses and the two i took to lesson on Thursday are both Wide wearers. So i had to pick one to wear the Wide and one to wear the Medium. The one i put into the Medium did some things for the first time! Like when we moved down the quarterline my coach told me he was STRAIGHT! and that it was a big deal, HUGE. And he took me at a pace (he’s a Standardbred) on a 20m curve, we usually transition at the curves…then go back up on the longs. So i guess he will be wearing the medium from now on!

[ERNurseonaHorse]

I ordered the wide. I will update once I get it

[Festivity]

I also just did the saddle search for an XXXW horse. Now that my Arab gelding had to retire the Friesian mare has become my main riding horse. At some point she grew a whole lot of shoulders and no whithers, I’ve had her since she was a weanling and both mom and dad had some whithers so this was a surprise.

I tried the Duett Companion and it seemed to work for her but was too wide for me. Duett was awesome to work with and suggested an even wider tree and their dressage saddle instead but couldn’t give me a good feel for how much narrower that model would be in the seat and twist.

Next I tried the EQ Saddle Science Encore. They’re local ish to me so I could go to their office and sit in saddles to make sure they worked for me before taking one on trial. We found one that fit her whither tracings and was comfortable for me. I tried it for two weeks and since we were both still thrilled with it I ordered a custom one. EQ was fantastic to work with and I now have my new saddle and it’s great. They have a bunch of options for tweaking the seat and the tree to make sure both you and the horse are comfortable.

Here’s a picture of her back to give you an idea of how wide she is.

[ERNurseonaHorse]

Unfortunately the saddle didn’t work, it was too tight through his shoulders. It looks like a very nice saddle for the price.

But I found a Thorowgood cob saddle on my local FB marketplace, with an adjustable tree, that accommodates the S bar XXW! I’m just waiting on the correct gullet size to come now.

Thank you everyone!!

[eightpondfarm]

@ERNurseonaHorse

Unfortunately the saddle didn’t work, it was too tight through his shoulders. It looks like a very nice saddle for the price.

hope it doesn’t cost too much to return ship! I also have a Thorowgoood with three different bars. I LOVE Thorowgood saddles. I got my first one in the 80s. Which lasted me like…40 years or more. Then i gave it away to a young rider. Now i have a ‘new’ one. (10 ish yrs old). Those buggers last FOREVER!!!

[artisticgold]

I have two wide Lipizzans, went through a few hundred saddles, ended up with a Loxley LX with changeable hoop shaped bars and a Cavaletti dressage with the same bars, they are really wide at the top for the wider withers. Also have a Kieffer Amsterdam which probably is the only hoop shaped saddle they ever made. Designed for a champion Haflinger stallion.