I purchased a lovely TB a few months ago. I love everything about him, except that he is super narrow and I find it harder to feel stable when I’m jumping especially.
-I was wondering if people had specific tips for this/improving my balance on a narrow horse
-I was wondering if people had saddle recommendations that would both fit him but perhaps provide a little more support for my seat bones/make me feel like I’m not sitting on something so narrow.
Thanks in advance!
Have you tried shortening your stirrups a hole or two? I struggle on the really narrow ones, and it’s worse if the horse is slab sided. I find it helpful to go a little shorter with the stirrups as I think it helps me close my leg on the horse’s side and gain stability from that.
I would also recommend doing lots of work in two-point, in your galloping position, and otherwise out of the saddle. Really solidify your legs as your base of support, and the narrow won’t be as big of a deal.
I agree with Equisis, having ridden mostly narrow horses up until the last decade. Hike your stirrups up, and practice two point. Mix up 1m of posting, alternating the diagonal every other stride, and then add 2m of 2-point. Do this 3x a day.
On jump days, work on cavaletti.
It always helped me with narrow horses to think of my heels sinking down as if bowling balls were attached to them and I was trying to “cross” their chains under the horse’s barrel. Everyone is different.
As far as saddle recommendations… we’d have to know more about the horse’s back conformation: short back, long back? Flat back, round back? Most of my TBs have actually been MWs or Ws, but I did have two MN/N TBs who were in a Kieffer Aachen and Stubben Zaria.
Another tip - because it’s that much easier for your leg to creep back on these types, staying back is even more critical. Imagine that every fence is a drop - how would you sit? Or, imagine showing the soles of your boots to the fence on approach. Really pay attention that you’re not pinching with the knee at all - if you do you’ll feel loose as a goose.
My late mare was very narrow/not sprung. I wasn’t perfect always, but it did get better. Keep practicing, you guys sound like a good match!
I agree with adjusting your stirrups. Way back in the day when I was just a lesson kid in a hunter/equitation/western barn, that was one of the things I was taught - shorter stirrups for a more narrow horse and longer for wider horse. I remember thinking it was counter intuitive because wouldn’t I need shorter stirrups on the widers horse because my leg has more to get around? But nope, longer on the wider horse, shorter on the more narrow horse will put your leg in a similar “spot” on their side and really does make riding each type easier.
I rode a super narrow TB mare. The best saddles were a CWD jumping saddle, very flat, and a Passier dressage saddle, don’t remember the model.
Especially jumping and hacking out, I did a lot in 2 point.
Thanks! I have been cranking up my stirrups, unfortunately my knee goes over the flap of my current jump saddle when I do that so I think I’m going to need to search for a new one.
I obviously need one with a more forward flap, but can anyone advise on how some of the rider features of a saddle, like the twist, mono vs duel flap, knee blocks etc would affect things (ie make riding a narrow horse feel better or worse)? I know ultimately I’ll have to just try some different saddles but hoping to narrow things down a bit.
Generally, tall riders do better in forward flaps (think XC type saddles) or saddles with further stirrup bar placement. It depends on where your height comes from. I am not abundantly tall but I have very long femurs. I’ve felt my best in a Black County Vinici and a Stubben Zaria; both have a forward flap that accommodates tall riders well.
Mono versus dual flap should not affect too much other than rider’s feeling of close contact. Some monoflaps have important billet systems that are an improvement over older style 3-billet systems, some are adjustable, some are not. The billet alignment in a monoflap can sometimes not jive with the barrel shape and girth groove of a horse, so always something to keep in mind. Having ridden in both I’d say I prefer monoflaps for their closer contact feel, but I do have a few standard flaps I like.
Knee blocks really depend on rider anatomy, can’t say too much there other than try around.
I recently went dressage saddle shopping for my upcoming young mare. I tried a lot of saddles and truly felt like it was a Goldilocks Endeavor. This one is too deep in the seat! This one’s thigh blocks are massive! This one perches me forward! I learned I don’t tolerate a saddle that holds you in with deep seats and a lot of blocks; which is disappointing, because it seems that’s all the nice saddle brands are making these days.
All of that is moot if your horse doesn’t agree with the fit, which is a whole other layer to the mystifying and sometimes frustrating journey of saddle fitting.
You’ll have to play around. Do you have any fitters local you can call and explain your dilemma to who would be willing to lend you saddles to try? If you share your area I’m sure COTH can help with recommendations.
You likely need a longer flap than a forward flap. I spent many years looking for a forward flap to accommodate. my long femurs only to find out, what I actually needed was a longer flap. Just something to keep in mind when you’re saddle shopping.
I have my narrow girl in a Butet narrow tree…works really well. Mine is a monoflap but their jump styles all fit similarly.
I had a wb mare that felt like a stick to ride.
I had a Berney Bros Monoflap xc saddle for jumping that I liked a lot on her. I also have long femurs and it accommodated my leg well.
For dressage I had a Passier GG which I liked because it was simple and not too much saddle. On a narrow horse the bulky saddles can feel like you’re riding a saddle rather than a horse.
My current horse is also a petite mare with no barrel (Lusitano). I’m trying to find a new dressage saddle for her that I will like. Right now I’ve got an Albion Platinum which is quite nice and not terribly bulky. But contemplating going Monoflap (black country) or back to a simple Passier.
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