Too flat for this back? Collegiate Alumni vs. Diploma

[bookjockey]

Hi, everyone! I think I’ve trawled through every mention of the Collegiate Alumni and Diploma saddles in this forum, but if I can find any pictured examples regarding fit for horse and rider, the post is so old that the pics are long gone.

Two main questions:

1. Guesstimate on back shape
2. Go deeper seat w/ forward flap or flatter seat w/ straighter flap?

Background: I’m a 5’2 adult rider with a 18.5" femur. I currently ride in my trainer’s 17-inch Crosby Centennial with a short flap. It’s rock hard and my seat bones actually teeter on the edge, plus my knees go right over or to the edge of the flap in shorter stirrups. Since it’s winter, I’ve started riding in a fluffy seat saver, which helps both my butt and knees, but it has some downsides too. Overall, the saddle fits my lesson horse well (who I’ll likely partial lease this spring when he’s available), but it does pinch him a bit at the shoulders (he’s asymmetrical), so this has motivated to see if I can find something that makes us both happier - even if he’s not mine - within reason.

So, I’m eyeballing Collegiates, but I often read they’re flatter trees but then I also see people listing off the wide variety of horses they’ve “fit”. I realize there is a good chance I might have to turn around and sell a saddle if it doesn’t fit (trying to get a saddle fitting, consignment trial, etc. is a story for another day).

This is the back in question:
https://i.imgur.com/b83QM6B.jpg (the pic wouldn’t show up or linked version, so plain text it is)

Link to document with pictures and commentary: saddle comparison I’m too newb on actual posting to link to more pics.

Does anyone have pictures of themselves in either of these saddles? Or can weigh in on back shape? I’m mostly concerned about bridging (and I’m not just going to shim up, I’d resell and try something else or let my butt suffer and work on a solution for his shoulder).

[js]

I always thought Bates had flatter trees? FYI resell on Collegiate saddles is not great, you might want to look at Ebay etc. and see what used (or newer used ones are selling for). You might look at HDR or Dover Saddlery Circuit saddles.

[bookjockey]

I thought I’ve read Bates are flatter too. Also, yes, I’m only looking at used saddles.

[mojo7777]

I just sold an older Alumni, and it had pretty flat panels. It would not have worked on a horse with a very curvy back.

[bookjockey]

Thanks for that assessment!

[bookjockey]

What about the old school Collegiates (RD era) - do those tend to run flat? I know those can easily be had between $75-100, I just haven’t pursued them mostly because the flaps often didn’t look forward enough or the gullet channels ran narrow (or I could tell from measured pics the tree was going to be narrow). Plus they remind me of PDNs, which I’ve tried and hated on the butt. I like the minimalist part except for my poor bony bum. But I might just have to suck up half my budget being destroyed by shipping w/ consignment trials. Or I just suck it up and go w/ with his Crosby.

Local options have been well beyond my price point or the tree had a slight twist (plus one whole side needed reflocked, but the tree was the issue)

[Bristol_Bay]

Can you take any of those saddles on trial to see what works best? Then even if one was the wrong size for you or you needed a more forward flap, you’d know what to look for on eBay or other sites.

(I want to darken the leather on those Amerigos so bad)

[LovieBird]

I have a Collegiate from 2000- it did not work for my horse, who has a curvier back. The channel is pretty narrow and the panels themselves are hard.

Maybe try looking at black country saddles. If you figure out which model would work, you might be able to get a good deal. My gelding (same one) has a Solare, which is supposed to have a curvier tree, fyi.

[bookjockey]

Nope, my trial options would be from places like Pelham, Log Cabin Tack, etc. The very thirsty orphan saddles at the local tack shop are not remotely in my budget. So, technically, I could trial the Amerigos, but there is no way I could afford them.

[BootsAndCoffee]

Smartpak has a few of the adjustable Collegiate saddles. The test ride models seem to be out of stock until March for all but the monoflap, but it could be a good place to start.

[mfglickman]

The older collegiate diploma was a winner in my barn, fit two teens around your height and they loved the saddle. I had bought it for my growing daughter and it put her in a chair due to the placement of the stirrup bars but was beautiful for the other girls, one of whom bought it. She re sold it 5 years later for what she paid ($600). It fit both my daughter’s flat backed wide pony with a big shoulder and teenager’s 15.2 QH with a much more prominent wither (still a good shoulder). Different gullet plates and flocking configurations required to fit these two horses but the saddle adjusted nicely and the fitter found it easy to work with.

Now that my daughter is grown and riding western I’d love to find another of these (the older model you have pictured) to see if it fits her and if so, to have around for when she inevitably wants to play around in English tack again.

My favorite English saddles that she had were a Pessoa A/O with flocking and the xch system, and an Amerigo DJ Jump that I found used for under $1,000, they are around…