That can happen when the saddle is too narrow. Possible the horse got wider in the past 8 weeks?
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Have you talked to Annie of Strafford Saddlery? She is a wealth of info.
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He has definitely gotten wider (he was 6 weeks post return from 4 months of rehab at the initial fitting, after 8 weeks of return from 7 months of rehab 
) though that was thoroughly discussed with the fitter and was taken into account. Hopefully, removing the half pad will work…
We didn’t go with a wool flocked at the time because the original saddle was pinching him so badly, he needed a new one asap. The fitter felt that waiting for the custom would be detrimental and thought the one we ended up with would work long term.
I honestly, don’t know how these horses expect us to buy new saddles every few months! Someone really needs to reset their expectations…
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If you have a long femur, you need to try the saddle, end of story. The flap configuration is only half of it. You need to see where the stirrup bars are placed on the saddle. If they’re in the wrong place to accommodate your thigh, you will end up with a chair seat. Ask me how I know.
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They become accustomed to and expecting of this treatment because we spend hundreds of dollars every 6 weeks for new shoes for them. All of my shoes are over 5 years old. The horse, 6 weeks max. It’s hard to live with someone wearing a tiara. :).
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I have ordered 3 custom saddles that did not fit, the most recent one was so bad the fitter is having to pay himself to have it redone. The other one had to be redone before that (and ended up fitting great), and the other I managed to get a refund only because my trainer at the time was sponsored by that company. If a fitter is telling you you can return a custom saddle no strings, get it signed and in writing.
I will never buy another custom saddle. My best advice is find a used saddle that fits. There are a bunch of great saddle resellers and if you know what you are looking for Facebook groups as well.
Also, if you can get your horse to a big show, where a bunch of saddle sellers are they always have used saddles. You could try them on while you are there.
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UPDATE! Turns out the problem wasn’t the forward flap but the seat size. A 16 - custom. A 17 - not. That I can deal with, so I ordered the 17, since I was a little on the fence about a 16 anyway. All’s well that ends well and have to say the fitter has been awesome throughout. Like I still have the trial saddle awesome. Fingers crossed that the 17 fwd will work. If not, I have options. Whew! Thanks for all the support / comiseration.
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I ordered 2 custom saddles from Patrick Saddlery. The horse was a hugely challenging fit. A few saddle manufacturers said they couldn’t do it. Stubben returned my deposit once the master saddler saw the pictures of his back. I think Patrick considered it a professional challenge. I didn’t even to get to ride in one before I ordered it. I didn’t pay a dime until I decided I liked the saddle. I loved the first one but lost 100+ pounds after weight loss surgery so had to go from an 18.5" to a 17". I liked the second one ever better.
I will admit for the second on the fit was way off. I sent him pictures. He had me ship it back and took the return shipping off the price of the saddle. He turned around the replacement saddle quickly. Class act all the way.
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Well… yeah. A 16" is a very small saddle-- most often sold to kids, someone under 5’ tall and no profound bootay.
It sounds odd to me that going up a whole seat size would work, as that changes a lot of the saddle’s geometry that relate to the rider’s balance.
You didn’t start in a 17"?
I will say I find it odd that someone
I did start in a 17 and that’s usually what I ride in (or 17 1/2), but Prestige runs big and I felt like I was swimming in it at first. The more I ride in it, the better it feels, and I think with a fwd flap it will be great. We’ll see - and the horse is just going better and better, and can’t argue with that.
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agree the prestige seat sizes are a little weird. The 16 is really more like a 17, the 17 more like a 17.5. I’m petite and the 16 works for me, but I am certainly not small of behind and they ride like a regular 17.
Glad it all worked out and your horse is happy!
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I sat in a dressage saddle with that kind of tree once. The rep said horses either love it or buck you off 
I don’t think it ended up being a very good seller for that company and I doubt they sell it anymore. No advice other than, if I can’t trial it, I am not buying it. a 30 minute ride isn’t going to give you a good idea if it’s a long term fit. You need a good solid 7-10 rides to really know.
