Can anyone provide suggestions for a short, banana shaped back? My mare is slightly butt high, mutton withered and a really short back.
Most saddles bridge on her and/or have a rear panel that is too long. I need a 17.5" seat.
I’ve also been told it might help to try to find something with a front gusset to deal with a hollow she has behind her shoulder.
Any models or brands anyone can suggest?
Stubbens often fit a banana shape
I was just about to post the same thing
Harry Dabbs Hunter or IB trees are made for broad horses with little to no wither. Their upswept performance panel will be great for the short curvy back.
Almost all Black Country dressage saddles are available on a variety of trees, including hoop and curvy trees, and can be ordered with a short panel.
I have been looking at the Black Countrys but would have to find a used one. Unfortunately the local rep is notorious.
I will look into the Stubbens. The couple I sat in years ago had rock hard seats but I’m willing to give it a try.
Black Country with the freedom gp tree and a K panel and full front gussets, (based totally on your info and not photos). They can do a shorter panel by half inch and also shave the cantle to allow for a more open seat for the rider. Baines Pirouette, although not a hoop tree has a broader, more open waist and a good shape for that type.
Didn’t some of the older Passiers have banana trees or am I confusing them for Prestige?
I’m not sure about the tree shape, but you might look at the Passier Compact, which is made for shorter backs.
I just purchased an older JRD and it is a somewhat curvy tree. It is working with my Appendix mare that has dips behind her shoulders. I found with her conformation (medium tree width, but well sprung ribcage) that point billets are really essential to keeping the saddle in the right spot, and many of the older saddles that are banana shaped don’t have them.
@TequilaMockingbird the new[er] Stubbens (2000 models and up) should not be rock hard. I agree with you that the old ones were real buttbreakers, especially if you had a TB that liked to crack his back!
I have a Stubben Zaria for my sausagey, banana-y TB. He is one of those rare TBs that you want to ride bareback on, he’s that wide, and people rarely guess his breed correctly. He does have a long wither though, which made saddle fitting a challenge. Not a shark-fin wither, but a long one. However, he’s long backed.
For a shorter backed horse, my Ainsley worked really well for my round-backed, short-coupled shrimp of a TB.
What’s so funny about the Zaria is that I am using one on my flat, short, fat pony and it fits him great! He’s got a little curve (wore prestige before) but no wither to speak of. It’s a little miracle saddle!
I tried a Custom dressage saddle on this horse, the Santa Cruz, and it was probably the shortest dressage saddle I’ve ever tried. Didn’t fit my horse the way I’d like, but he’s straighter than most, so it might work.
That’s awesome that it’s that flexible. I wonder if it’s because of the tree points? They are so far back compared to normal saddles. I know my gelding loves it. The tree being adjustable is just an added bonus.
My gelding is long in a weird way. His wither is long, but the “loading surface” for saddle area is short – but his loin is long. If that makes sense? So he is a smidge longer backed than people traditionally prefer, but not in the way you think.
This saddle is wonderful. I sat in one and loved the minimal knee role. Did not feel stuck in one spot in it. It would fit your horse’s shape well.
www.passier.com/en/saddles/dressage-saddles/freemove-dynamic/
I own that horse. I put a Black Country Venici on him with a front gusset.
I looked at that on line, it just looks like the surface under the rider’s knee would be very uneven with lots of opportunities for skin pinching.
How does it ride?
@csaper58 It rides beautifully. Very close contact, a bit open in the seat, and no pinching at all. I’ve owned two and never felt any of the exterior billets. I was very sad when one of them was outgrown, as I prefer how that saddle rides to the one I was able to find to replace it (an Albion SLK).
No pinching. I had one custom made and LOVE it, but I think of it as more of a straight tree, and not particularly short.
I have always wanted a Vinici, especially because of the mono flap. I may have found a way to access some Black Country saddles without going through the local rep with the horrible reputation.
I’ve ridden in a Vinici for years. Never a pinch.
You might also try a Roosli Pilatus
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