Also, there are some edurance-type saddles that have more extended panels, but are not what I’d call ‘radical’ endurance; they appear very much like traditional hunt seat saddles, but are designed for both horse and rider comfort. In addition, if I have a horse that has a tendency to a sore back, I’ll keep a careful eye on it, and have a massage therapist work on it as soon as the horse starts feeling not great.
It sounds as though the saddle may not have fit you well if you were trying to push yourself back off it.
Also, a breastplate if the horse’s saddle tends to slip at all.
And, of course, an appropriate pad can help.
Saddles
I like my Crosby Sofride Event saddle - been using it and hunting in it for 10 years or so now - I really like the deep seat and security and never had any soreness issues on any horse I have ridden on it. And I am over 200 lbs !
I just met a saddle fitter who doesn’t rep any saddles. She is a retired steeplechase jockey who took my OTTB mare for her first hunts a couple of times last month. (This is the mare that I found on the COTH board in June 2005 who was one week away from a trip to the slaughterhouse.) I am going to make sure she agrees with whatever saddle I end up with.
Not to sound like a total incompetent but I am wondering how I try these different saddles. I thought I would go to the local consignment shop to see what they have. Otherwise, for instance, I will probably have to find new saddles and try to get them on trial.
Is that how everyone else does it?
Romany: The Flyover saddles are not wool flocked, they are foam so I don’t believe there is much of anything a saddle fitter can do after the fact.
imissvixen: Besides the consignment shops and checking out new saddles, another option is to find a saddle fitter who reps more than one brand. Some carry 4 or 5. For new saddles, if your local tack store doesn’t have a huge selection places like Dover and Trumbull Mtn will mail you a saddle to try. The problem is shipping runs about $25 for each saddle one way, so it can add up pretty fast when you need to try a bunch of different saddles.
When I was looking at the Flyover I had a quote from a saddle fitter to change it over to wool. It was going to cost about $250.
That’s interesting. I was under the impression that the panels for foam were different than for wool (thicker? thinner?). I had asked about converting an Ashland Saut d’Or but was told it couldn’t be done for some reason or other. Of course that doesn’t mean I was asking the right person, either.
BTW, there is a used SaddleRight pad on eBay now for $180! :eek:
You may also want to try the “Flair” Korrector pad, it has the air panels that can be adjusted to either correct a saddle fit (within reason) or absorb shock. Very useful if you are fitting the saddle to more than one horse.
I have noticed a difference in horses carrying a good amount of weight that I have fitted with WOW saddles and flair panels on standard saddles.
Come to Rolex
If you are coming to Rolex you are welcome try my new Barnsby. I’m outriding there so you welcome to take a spin on it while I am there with my horse and saddle. I’ll probably be bringing my husband’s saddle also as he has a fit question he wants to ask the rep. The Barnsby rep comes from England for Rolex.
Barnsby has lots of panel options including Flair panels if you want them. Since you have an old Barnsby that you are pretty happy with it sounds like you would be even happier with a new one. The Barsnby rep can explain the various panel options and you can come up with one that best solves your problems.
My horses are basically QH breeding so I’m using a MW tree but the Barsby’s do come much narrower.
I am in NC and I know one saddle fitter that reps County saddles and one that doesn’t rep any. I would love to find someone who repped four or five different saddles and let me try them all on my horse. I would even take him somewhere to do this. If I draw a reasonable travel circle from DUrham I could go to Aiken, Tryon, or Middleburg. Does anyone know any reps like this in those places.
I am so gunshy on buying another saddle. The will be my fourth in about four years and I know the problem is that I haven’t just tried four or five at once and compared them. Yet it is a big investment.
I forgot to take a photo of the bottom of my Flyover. There is no side panel on it – only the top panel that runs along the spine. So under your knee there is a very soft knee ___ roll(?) and literally nothing else between you and your horse. It is like riding in a bareback pad to some extent.
Bill Wood “The saddle fitter” may come to your area, he reps as I do four/five different brands of saddles although I don’t think either of us have all of them on our sites yet. IF you google him you should come up with his contact information.
M&M Tack in Raleigh has a nice variety of saddles. I bought an Albion K2 jumping saddle from there that I hunt in. I love it! Mary is the saddle fitter and is very good. You can make an appointment to take your horse and try several different saddles. They also allow a trial period. Check out their website for the different brands they sell, as well as some nice used saddles. MMtackshop.com
Bill Woods is just outside Charlottsville, VA. I don’t know that he goes south but you could ask him. http://www.thesaddlefitter.com/
I know he reps Black Country, Custom, Amerigo and Duett plus I think a couple more.
Another possibility is to do the tracings of your horse, send them to Trumbull Mtn and see which saddles they recommend.
A good saddle fitter can remove the foam and replace it with wool. Some of them charge an arm and a leg for that service, but not all. That’s why I checked before buying it. I actually did buy the saddle, but it wasn’t the right size for me so I resold it (at a profit!) as is.
I was very happy with my Stubben Roxane S. It’s a deep seated jumping saddle with forward flaps, is reasonably priced, and is great for hunting. Got nice thick wool flocked panels, and Stubben is great to work with. Their customer service can’t be beat.
If I were going to spend more money, I’d go with a Black Country. Those saddles are beautifully made and look as if they would outlast their owners by fifty years.
How about a Bates AP ? not expensive, very comfy, CAIR panels for changing fits. I got my re-stuffed with wool and custom fit to my horse.
I second this. When I was in Durham I took my horse over to M&M and we tried a lot. There is also Rockin B in Durham which carries several brands (who I bought my albions from years ago).
The Bates Caprilli all-purpose, or close contact are both very comfortable saddles for horse and rider. The cair panels are designed so wool can be added above the air for a custom fit. They also have adjustable gullets so as your horse changes, you don’t have to buy a new saddle. I love the Albions for comfort, but the flocking tends to shift, so you will need to get them fitted a couple times a year. Good luck!
Albion
I tried an Albion on Saturday. I didn’t like it. It felt thick.
I have gotten very used to my Flyover and I like what a close feel it gives me though it does push me too far forward for general riding.
I looked at M&M’s website. That is where I got the Albion. I didn’t really see anything else at the moment that appeals to me.
Gaahhhh…
imissvixen - I’ve just pm’d you about a super saddle we’ve got on trial from a friend that might work for you!
[QUOTE=Bogie;2305921]
A good saddle fitter can remove the foam and replace it with wool. Some of them charge an arm and a leg for that service, but not all. That’s why I checked before buying it. I actually did buy the saddle, but it wasn’t the right size for me so I resold it (at a profit!) as is.[/QUOTE]
That’s interesting. I was informed by people who generally behaved as if they were really “in the know” – we see this 
– including a then-local saddle fitter that there was no way to replace foam with wool.
Maybe that was because the used dressage saddle I had was not so expensive when I bought it – 7 years ago and then maybe $400+ – and he figured it was not cost effective, and so declined to bid. Or maybe he didn;t have the skills to do it.
Just how much is an arm and a leg? In the horse world that cost parameter is a rather fluid concept.
