Hi Everyone!
I need help!! I have a super cute very flat backed, wide, no withered quarter horse that we are having saddle fit issues with… I had a county stabilizer that was an xw or xxw (I can’t remember) but it did fit a horse beautifully that was built exactly like her… But I had the tree narrowed.(I know big no no):mad: To fit another one of my other horses… Then go figure I get another quarter horses that I need a saddle for… She is a resale project so I would like a saddle that could be adjusted. Once she is gone I want to still be able to use the saddle on my big warmbloods. Can be adjusted by a saddle fitter. I have never had good luck with the customer adjustable ones. I would like a higher end saddle… But I realize I might have to go to an HDR QH saddle :eek: Any suggestions? I have tried Wise-air, which every person that rode in it LOVED it but the horses weren’t jumping the way they normally did. Flat was okay but something was off in the jumping. I have tried Smith-worthington, but no one really liked the saddle on people or horse part. Then I tried the Brand new Passoa with the exchange system, it fits all the warmbloods pretty well and the people like them, however you put it an the qh and all sudden no one can ride and she hated it!!! So I need help! I have sat in Voltaire and I feel like my booty died and went to heaven in that saddle!!! HOLY MOLY but I am worried would it even go wide enough for her? If it does how difficult is it to narrow is once she is sold? Should I try an find another county? Because I will always be ab avid county stabilizer supporter! I LOVE MINE! and use it always… To the point where all of it has to be redone its so warn!! Sorry for the long post I am just frustrated! 
Most, but not all QH are quite broad and rounder with large shoulders and often do best in a hoop tree. If you put an A shaped saddle on a round horse it is like putting a V upside down on an o. Somewhere it is going to pinch no matter how wide and just won’t drape around the horse as an upside down u would. If the horse feels restricted in the shoulder or back, it won’t jump as well. Many saddles can be adusted by someone qualified with a tree press, up or down a size but it shouldn’t be done repeatedly. Black Country hoop trees, maybe a Duett jump saddle, Killington saddles are ones I would check out.
I have a couple friends with horses built just like this.
One got a Heritage saddle with a hoop tree (made in the UK, but I found her one nearly new here in Ontario). The horse went great in it - you could really see how she could use herself better. Unfortunately the saddle didn’t fit my friend at all (it was an event saddle with very forward flaps and her leg just wouldn’t sit in the right spot). She ended up selling it to another friend whose horse also loved it immediately.
The other just got an Excelle Debut (adjusted by a saddle fitter). I went out last night to set fences for her and her horse was definitely moving much more forward than any other time I’ve seen her (that’s a good thing - this horse tends to be very lazy).
Have you tried an A5 or A5G Tad Coffin? I have had two no-withered WBs, and an A5G fit them both wonderfully.
[QUOTE=Bonne Vie;7616447]
Hi Everyone!
I need help!! I have a super cute very flat backed, wide, no withered quarter horse that we are having saddle fit issues with… I had a county stabilizer that was an xw or xxwd [/QUOTE]
I have a wide flat/straight backed horse & the Stabilzer is his dream saddle too :lol: (he actually hated any attempts at hoop trees)
She is a resale project so I would like a saddle that could be adjusted. Once she is gone I want to still be able to use the saddle on my big warmbloods. Can be adjusted by a saddle fitter.
Not likely - you really need 2 very different tree shapes for a straight vs a curved back … you can try the Adapt tree technology that Schleese & Hennig offer (but even these have limitations)
Then I tried the Brand new Passoa with the exchange system, it fits all the warmbloods pretty well and the people like them, however you put it an the qh and all sudden no one can ride and she hated it!!!
See above - tree shape that suits the curvy backed horses is not going to suit the straight backed horse … depending on the horse you may be able to get by with some clever shimming & panel adjustments, but you’ll want a good saddle fitter involved.
I have sat in Voltaire and I feel like my booty died and went to heaven in that saddle!!! HOLY MOLY but I am worried would it even go wide enough for her? If it does how difficult is it to narrow is once she is sold?
Talk to Voltaire (though I suspect tree curvature may limit you even in their widest, unless they offer more tree shapes now)
Should I try an find another county? Because I will always be ab avid county stabilizer supporter!
County does NOT support tree adjustments (& there are valid reasons for this choice) but they will re-tree so you can always investigate that cost … if you buy a demo or used that fits horse now, & then invest the $$ in changing out the tree??? except I suspect you’ll need a fair bit of panel rearranging as well, so I’d be rather hesitant to actually go this route: it might work, but might not be much cheaper than tracking down 2 used saddles that fit both sorts of horses - and then you actually have 2 saddles rather than a single frankensaddle.
Amerigo does offer a wool/foam panel & an somewhat adjustable tree (no idea how often you can play the tree widen/narrow game & retain tree warranty & integrity).
Prestige, Passier, Equipe also support tree widening/narrowing - again ask for written confirmation of how much/how frequent.
Duett!
One thing to also check when you are trying saddles is the width of the channel (at least 4 fingers wide). I have a very wide-backed paint horse and even though the gullet fit, the channel wasn’t wide enough to give enough spinal clearance. I ended up buying a Paramount, which was also able to be adjusted and re-flocked for a custom fit.
I had a warmblood mare like this that I had a horrible time fitting. The Tad Coffin with no padding fit her like a charm.
