[QUOTE=Amym600;7442169]
No wide twist, that’s a big one for me. I like a narrow twist with the rise.
I will look into a courts saddle, seems like I just need an all around type more than a show saddle. He’s not super wide at the wither but the shoulder is large and he has a fairly wide flat back. Typical arab I believe.[/QUOTE]
I think you need to at least sit in a Broken Horn. I have one with a narrow twist (but also a curvy tree… lots of “rock” to it, in Western tree parlance). It was custom made for someone. I’m not sure whether the narrow twist and the curvy free go together. It is one of the old equitation buckets. Coming from dressage world, I have liked the balance in these saddles. They don’t feel terribly constricting, but the stirrups are hung in the right place and the rise to them is comfortably for me and, I think, makes it possible to produce a narrow twist seat on a flat backed horse.
And in general, I’d rather spend my money on a great used saddle rather than a cheaper new one. Same for buying heavy saddles. The wood and rawhide tree is a contributor to all that weight. IMO, the durability and good design of those trees is worth the weight. And I’m riding in saddles that are 30 years old, with no signs of drying out or dying. Buy that old quality and you will be ahead of the game.
