Saddling the Arabian whose saddle wants to hug her neck.

[dangerbunny]

I know there have already been approximately 10,000 saddle fit threads on here but I need some product suggestions and I’m going crosseyed from searching.

My little Arabian mare has always been hard to fit, she has the typical arab barrel shape with a very forward girth groove which pulls allllllll saddles forward on to her shoulders. I just got a good saddle for her (Lovatt and Ricketts, All Purpose Dressage, wide tree) and it fits well and only slides forward a little bit, I think for ring work it would stay better but the riding I’m doing now is all hilly trails. She is also a bit plump right now. Here is a sorta conformation type photo from a couple years ago http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii42/dangerbunny/Joy/754c214c-4e84-46ec-aa6c-877f61fa6ce0_zpsb963f984.jpg

I’ve been looking at anatomical girths and sticky pads but would love to hear some product reviews.

The girth needs to be long, come in a size 46 and (preferably) be black. I’ve been looking at ones shaped like this http://cotswoldsport.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=92&products_id=485
but am slightly confused on how effective it would be as it’s different than the short dressage girths that are shaped more like a letter C

I’ve been using a Mattes pad on her and been happy with it but maybe something with more stick might help?

Any advice appreciated!

[Lilykoi]

Cute mare! I suppose you may not want to show in it, but we used to use a crupper on a QH hunter pony we had. Her saddle always went forward and the crupper solved the problem. Not so unusual in pony classes, but not sure about dressage. Would be fine for trails or endurance tho.

[chicamux]

So your L & saddle has short billets? It usually helps to have long billets with a forward placed point billet. I used to have an Arab gelding with the same conformation. I tried everything I could think of to keep the saddle back but nothing really worked. I finally gave up and switched to an endurance saddle built with flared bars that allows the saddle to sit further forward. The horse’s shoulders will move under the front of the saddle with this type of saddle and the rider sits in the sweet spot just behind the withers.

You might ask for ideas in the endurance forum where there are many Arab owners.

chicamuxen

[dangerbunny]

thanks

I’m very much hoping this year to (now my son is a toddler) finally show and lesson more. I wouldn’t mind a crupper, does it effect jumping at all?

[dangerbunny]

Yup, it has short billets.

[Lilykoi]

[QUOTE=dangerbunny;7335672]
thanks

I’m very much hoping this year to (now my son is a toddler) finally show and lesson more. I wouldn’t mind a crupper, does it effect jumping at all?[/QUOTE]

A crupper doesn’t affect their way of going at all, but they do need to get used to it. Does your mare drive? If she does, it won’t bother her at all. We used to put a bandage roll under their tail to get them used to having something there. Then put the crupper on and longe her first. Taught horses to drive and have never had a problem with them accepting it as long as it was fitted comfortably.

[baxtersmom]

Jake and Cinder both have very forward girth grooves; they have point billets and anatomical girths. You should come look in person… :winkgrin:

[dangerbunny]

BXM- I will!

[Rainier]

I used to have that problem with my previous gelding. I found first of all that a truly well fitting saddle helped (and it had to fit snugger than I would have thought … like a wet t-shirt) and then the anatomically shaped girths. With those, my problems went away. Before that he would almost shoot the pads out the back too?!

[Old_Mac_Donald]

I have the same issue, compounded by the fact that any girth that is pulled forwards rubs on a girth scar, rendering the horse at best, short in stride, at worst unrideable.

Best solution (going on 7 months without any worries) for MY situation was:

• Leave the girth looseish. At the end of the ride, I can fit a fist between the mare and the girth. I know the dangers; but the mare’s wither “holds” the saddle quite well. Trust me on this…
• My saddle is a Bates Caprilli (dressage) with long points. I cross my points and attached the back point to the front point of the girth first, then before I mount up, I tighten the girth, attach the front point to the rear buckle of the girth, and mount up within a few steps.
• Absolutely no lunging or groundwork saddled; saddle ends up over the ears.
• I use a 100% mohair string girth (straight not contoured). Best girth ever.
• I can’t use any sort of sticky pad due to the mare’s skin; so I use a plain cotton dressage square with a thinline on top.

I do rides between 2 - 3 hours on varied trails and rarely have to adjust my saddle. It’s been a marathon six year effort, from western, Aussie half-breeds, treeless, and a variety of dressage saddles, to find where we are right now. The girth issue didn’t help things…

Again, this is what I do. I’m not saying “go ride with a loose girth”. It’s what works for me and my horse.

[saratoga]

I can’t see the photos but it sounds like my mare. I have gone thru so many saddles and pads and girths with her. I finally settled on a Wintec Wide for dressage and an older but nice AP saddle called an Antill that I found on one of my many perusing ebay and buying saddles that looked like they might fit her missions. Honestly if the saddle slid forward on hilly trail work I would consider that not fitting (been there, done that) and I never found a pad or girth that I felt fixed the problem. It is very frustrating. Also I think in my mares case that she got a little less round when she got to be about 10 or 11 years old and that helped.

[cmdrcltr]

I have a Tekna shaped girth for my Paint with a forward girth groove. It’s very wide and helps stabilize the saddle. This is it: http://www.statelinetack.com/item/tekna-pressure-eze-girth/E000444/ and it comes in both black and brown. The only downside is that it gets super stiff when it’s cold out. In the Maine winter I have to bring it home from the barn and have it be warm from the car ride to the barn. Well, I suppose I don’t have to, but my boy really appreciates it!

[Kitt]

Cute mare!

Can’t tell for sure if your girl needs a hoop tree, but many Arabs do. Based on the conformation shot, she’ll need a flattish tree, something with a minimal rear panel (to accommodate the upslope to her croup), a deeper front panel (like a K) and a full front gusset to support the front of the saddle and help keep it back. She’d also benefit from a point front and swing rear billet, which would keep the billets in line with her forward girth groove. If your L&R fits well in all other respects (and some photos of it on her, girthed to riding tightness over a thin cotton quilt pad would be a help in assessing the fit), it’s not a big deal to retrofit it with the point front and swing rear billets.

[shall]

The K panel works for my Arabians and paying attention to the curve of their back. The more panel contact there is, the more the saddle will lock into place. I’ve tried pads and girths, but saddle fit makes the big difference. My mare is the hardest of my three to fit. She has her own Trilogy Debbie Wide and surprisingly she fits into a wide Albion Kontrol. I didn’t buy that last for her, but she goes very well in it. The make or break for us is her canter. If the saddle doesn’t migrate up her neck, we are both pleased.

[melody1]

I love your mare! She reminds me a bit of my own little Arab gal!

I can definitely empathize with this post. I’ve been through more saddles than I can count trying to find “the one”, which turned out to be a Custom Saddlery Advantage, which was a very lucky eBay find.

Someone early on in the replies suggested a girth with point billets, which I was going to suggest. My Custom provides by FAR the best fit for my Arab who appears to be of a similar type and shape as yours (I’m curious about her breeding - she’s darling!) I’m not convinced that anatomical girths do much at all as far as saddle placement. I’d be very interested to see where your saddle sits on her before it slides forward and where the billets fall in relation to her girth groove. That, I suspect, is the root of the problem.

Here’s a photo of my mare tacked so you can see how the point billet allows the girth to sit forward of the saddle (which could still go back a hair) without pulling the saddle up with it.

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/303373_10150891646725028_1790748739_n.jpg

Another poster mentioned riding with a loose girth… Interestingly, I find that my girth is often VERY loose as well and I have no issue with saddle slippage.

[Keg-A-Bacchus]

The girth you posted looks great and similar to the one we found works with our similar built mare! Ecogold non-slip pad plus that girth was a lifesaver! However, like your mare she had a very short back. No saddle was short enough to sweep up fast enough so her croup was pushing the saddle forward when she engaged her back. The girth/pad and a point billet helped but in the end we had to get a custom saddle with really short panels. Once the saddle fit it never moved even without the pad. Try that girth and if possible post pics in the saddle. I’m wondering if it’s too long. If it is I feel for you…finding short saddles for around horses is a b!tch!! Gorgeous mare Btw!

[dangerbunny]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I really appreciate it. It has been very challenging finding tack that works with her especially with my tiny budget. I will try to get some tacked up pictures soon and post them (just so long as nobody laughs at my fuzzy yak or her mohawk.)

Kitt- interesting about the panels, I never thought I’d be learning so much about saddles.

Melody1- your mare is lovely! This is Joy’s pedigree, I don’t think there is anything fancy there. http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/midnight+joy+ride

Keg- yup, her back is postage stamp sized!

[ambar]

OP: Joy’s dam’s pedigree is CMK with the “Double R” (*Raffles and Rissalix) cross popularized by the late, great Bazy Tankersley of Al-Marah Arabians. Her sire is half Saddlebred and half Egyptian, with some Babson and Pritzlaff breeding leavening the “new Egyptian” Morafic lines.

[arabiansrock]

I also have a pear shaped arab mare. Upswept panels on the saddle, front wither gussets, point billet and rear swing as kitt said, all helped. But her saddle still moves up. Need to get anatomic girth also. We do have the Barnsby grip pads and they also help some (similar to succes no slip pads). Barnsby pads have grippy stuff on underside next to horse (looks alot like the shelf liner grippy stuff) and has neoprene on top to grip saddle, so it holds from both top and bottom.

My mare loves her sheepskin pad, but the saddle seems to slip less without it. You might try using a thinline or something grippy instead of the mattes.

[dangerbunny]

Now with terrible pictures!

I know these are not ideal but this is the best I can do for a bit, crappy weather and all.

Yesterday I went for a ride in a slight snowstorm, mare would have rather been hanging out in the shelter eating hay but she was a good sport and it was my last opportunity to ride for a bit so I was determined.

Just saddle on
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii42/dangerbunny/005_zps3188e3ff.jpg

Tacked up like normal
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii42/dangerbunny/008_zps81952ea9.jpg

Post 2.5 mile trail ride in the snow
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii42/dangerbunny/010_zps84400a00.jpg

Saddle doesn’t slide forward much and she seems comfortable, I worry that I am restricting her shoulders a bit but saddle any farther back feels like it is on her loins.

I know these pictures suck, as she is hairy, wet and a little pudgy but any advice is appreciated!