I am trying to sell an 18" Verhan Odyssey saddle – I had it at Pelham Saddlery but it didn’t sell in six months, I’m having it shipped back to me. The saleswoman said that Verhan’s are a “specific fit” which I take to mean they fit a specific type of back. The saddle worked well for my horse (who I’d consider a fairly generic fit), but I wanted a narrower twist and ended up with a narrow seat albion.
Can anyone explain to me what type of horse the Verhan works best for?
Thanks for any info!
I’m curious as well.
The only one I have had was made for a warmblood type back, not too broad at the pommel but flattening out toward the cantle. But they may have been made on more than one tree. Most were made by Harry Dabbs so if you PM me the serial number I can probably find out more.
My saddle fitter said they were better for narrower TB types when I asked. I have two fairly round mares and she didn’t think it would work for them.
I had one that came with my Lusitano, didn’t fit me (I think it was ordered by the previous owner to fit the horse). It was a 19, also at Pelham, and I think it took well over a year to sell it. But they got it done, and for my price (well, the price that they suggested).
I have one and it worked well for my warmblood gelding who developed a bit of a sway to his back due to muscle wasting from cushings. The panels are more curved than the average saddle and they accommodated the sway perfectly. Also, the gullet of my particular saddle is wider up front and gets significantly narrower towards the back, which fit this horse fine because he had broad shoulders but his back became narrower as he lost muscle from the cushings. That being said, this feature has caused problems with other horses I’ve tried the saddle on because it looks like it fits in front but it’s too narrow in the back. In my experience, it’s a bit of an odd-fitting saddle but, if I were going to market it to a particular group, perhaps those with narrower horses or aging horses might be a good fit. This saddle would have never fit my gelding in his younger years and I’m sure I’m going to have trouble when it comes time to sell it.
I also think some riders with shorter legs have a hard time with the large thigh blocks. All of the shorter riders (under 5’6") that have ridden in my saddle say the thigh blocks hurt their knees. Taller riders seem comfortable. Mine has an 18" seat though so perhaps a smaller seat would fit a shorter rider better. Just my experience…
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