I am looking at various trail saddles for my TB/App cross gelding who has fairly high withers. He takes a medium tree in a dressage saddle but I don’t even know where to begin in choosing a western saddle. He has a slight dip to his back (he is at least 18 years old) and his shoulders and barrel flare out quite a bit. I’d love to find something fairly lightweight and cushy for my aged body but fitting him is the most important consideration. Any suggestions? And thanks, in advance, for your help!
I have the Tucker Western Endurance and it fits my TB like a glove. My TB has high withers, big shoulders and a pretty broad back. He is also 18 with a dip to his back and he wears the extra wide tree (but could possibly get by with the wide as well). He wears a wide (32cm) english tree.
Thanks - I went to a tack shop yesterday and sat in some Tuckers. I do want a horn so the endurance model won’t work for me, but I really liked the regular High Plains round skirt model. It seemed to have a higher cut front (gullet??) than some others and looked to be the right shape. I know that the Tucker website recommends the original models (not Gen II) for horses with some dip to their backs. Wish I could find a place that has a demo model of it to try out!
I put my western saddle on several different high withered warmbloods. I use a western pad that is built up with an inch or so of felt to “relieve wither pressure” as they will tell you in the tack store. It lifts the front of the saddle up so it clears the withers. It fits from a 17.2hh Dutch warmblood gelding down to 15.3 mare with pretty spectacular withers.
I would suggest a sway back pad with the bars area built up, if he has a dip in his back. I can put a semi-QH bar saddle on my high withered Tb combined with a sway back pad underneath and it works pretty well. I prefer the Tacky Too sway back pad myself.
Thanks for these suggestions - it sounds like I can make a western saddle work for my horse with some experimenting. Appreciate your input!
cdalt, I’m in the same boat as you right now. I’m looking for a comfy trail saddle for my older TB gelding who has prominent withers.
I was browsing horsesaddleshop.com and found this:
http://www.horsesaddleshop.com/gaited-horse-saddle.html
It has a raised gullet to accommodate higher withers. What do you all think? Would it be a bad idea to use a saddle with gaited horse bars on a non-gaited horse?
I have the same “model” as above, a high withered Tb (older) and I would wonder if the gullet in that fabtron is too wide, even if it is higher? I really only found that semi-QH bars fit him and thats with very heavy padding (sway back pad) You might try Southern Trails website, Kevin is very helpful.
Hmm, maybe. I’ll do some more saddle searching. Thanks for the tip!
I have the Tucker western Endurance, and it is VERY comfy, and fits my mare to a tee.
Love the way it fits both of us, and is very secure seat as well. I do use a breast collar when riding the mountains and canyons though.
Steve
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h84/siseley/horses%20and%20riders/groupatredrock4.jpg
I have the Simco Rusty Taylor gaited horse saddle, and it fits all 3 of my TBs beautifully - they range in height from 15.3 to 16.3; one has moderate lordosis (dip in his back), one has a somewhat QH build with average withers, and the third has a moderately high wither. It is VERY comfortable for me and for them, and a nice looking saddle to boot! Two minor complaints; the seat is SLICK! (I wear full seats or chaps to ride in it), and the dye under the flaps (for want of a better term) could have been a bit more thoroughly done). All in all though, I wouldn’t trade it for ANYTHING!
http://www.chicksaddlery.com/page/CDS/PROD/SIMCO/SC1003
Dee
