I have been eyeing it with interest for my pear-shaped almost-pony. She has withers, very laid back shoulder, etc. Every saddle seems to climb up her shoulders. Yes, saddle fitter has strip flocked, fit and re-fit.
16.5 inch, 1984 County Competitor is great for us when I use it from time to time, but I worry about the lack of panels - and have been advised the panels are not right for her long term.
I’ve got an extremely pear shaped arab mare. Combined with a foreward girth line, nothing wanted to stay in place. The only thing that came close to fitting her was a Passier Grand Gilbert. Even then, I had to get it reflocked a bit to account for her wither shape.
Sliding forward is usually a symptom of the saddle being too narrow. Though you don’t say what size she’s wearing, you might tree a wider hoop tree.
Thanks - Alters, I have been thinking it might be time to go back to our GG and try different non slip pads. It was great for us, but once mare developed a little bit of muscle it started climbing up her shoulders and tipping me waaaay back. It is not too narrow when it stays in place. Oy.
I was eyeing the compact because it has the W girth system, but it seems to be pretty deep/big blocks which doesn’t work as well for me…
Agree with no.stirrups that being too narrow can contribute. I had a Stubben Tristan that was great on my guy until he muscled up in the shoulders - then it was pommel-high and would creep forward every ride. We now have a Custom Icon Flight and I don’t know if it’s actually a hoop tree, but it’s less V-shaped in front, has a lot more room, and stays in place.
The Passier GG was an OK fit on my guy when I tried it before I bought the Stubben, but the flaps are way way too long for me. I’m guessing it also would have been too narrow once my horse muscled up.
I have that mare, too. Once we found a saddle and got into regular work, she slowly developed a wither and outgrew a succession of saddles. To keep the saddle from going forward, you’ll need lots of panel contact, so the curve of the tree, length of the panels and depth of the curve need to match her back. I varied girths many times and am liking what I have now for her forward girth groove which is small, inexpensive and neoprene (a Ventech).
The first saddles had an almost hoop shape. The current one not at all.
the problem that I ran into with the Passier Compact is that it was still too long for my mare’s short back. so even though it fit the ‘front end’ and didn’t want to move forward onto her neck, she bumped it with her rump at the canter which drove it forward. which made her feel claustrophobic which then made her buck which put if further up on her neck!! yeehaw! so, be sure to check the length carefully if you demo anything - as I’m sure you will.
The Schleese fitter told me that bottom line was dressage saddles were never built to fit our little pear horses. My response was that it’s time to change that!! :lol:
I hear you on the bucking when the saddle moves up the mare’s neck at the canter. She used to put her shoulder back and the flab would be displaced and the saddle would ski jump forward up her neck.
Some of the saddles that fit along our way: Thornhill Klasse (young horse), Fairfax cob A/P, Trilogy Debbie (custom), and lastly Hulsebos WB4 (custom). The Debbie was to fit to her as a more cob type without wither, straight back and more flab around her middle. She developed and it was too wide.
My mare at 11 has dried out and is no longer a true pear, though. She still has a short back, but now has a wither plus a slight curve to her back. The flab is gone.
Have you looked at the Keiffer Lusitano?
Made for a bigger shoulder/shorter back.
NJR
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