I am saddle shopping for a jumping saddle and have found that the Thorowgood T8 fits pretty well. I need an 18" b/c I like a deeper seat and have a long femur and some fluff behind and that saddle doesn’t come in that size. I know the others in that family also don’t come in an 18" so I am looking around to see what others are reasonable to try. Horse has big shoulders, a big wither, back not long or short, normal curve/not flat. I’m not looking to spend a ton of money as I’m only a beginner jumper.
Prestige saddles fit that type of back quite well, and you can find older models for decent prices if you’re vigilant about looking.
Thanks
The Kent & Masters jump comes in an 18": http://www.hastilowusa.com/saddles/by-brand/kent-and-masters-saddles/kent-and-masters-jumper.html
Kent and Master is the “big sister”, quality-wise, to the Thorowgoods. The Hastilows also come in 18", at an even nicer quality point.
I’d reach out to Hastilow USA, who deals all three lines. They also do Black Country and Ideal, have a great selection of used, and may be able to recommend the perfect thing.
Sigh. The Hastilow site lists them as out of stock and if you go to the K&M website it shows that they don’t make the 18" any more. I really don’t know why they have made this choice for the whole “line” (Thorowgood/K&M/Fairfax). Hastilow is an option but is expensive for a saddle for me to learn. I would have loved a Thorowgood.
I would still reach out to Hastilow USA and ask them about the used saddles they have in stock. There are several in 18"s. Some of the British brands and models will fit similar to the Hastilow lines (Thorowgood, Kent & Masters, Hastilow, Fairfax), but I would certainly lean on the folks at Hastilow USA to help you figure out your best options.
If you’re willing to do a final sale, you can get most of the sellers in the UK to ship overseas, and the exchange rate isn’t terrible right now. They have a much more abundant market for these saddles, used, than in the US. There are several 18"s on ebay.co.uk right now.
Hey OP, Middleburg Tack has an 18" Kent & Masters in their All Purpose section for $950. It is technically a GP but the flap is more than forward enough for almost any jumping.
Huh. I’ve sat in the GP Thorowgood and the flap isn’t forward enough for my femur but I’ll go take a look. Thanks!
