Whaaaat? $192 to ship a saddle?

[JB]

@MrsFitzDarcy_amp_Feliks

There is a Prestige with a 4" dot to dot measurement at the barn that fits him well. Is 4" narrow?

dot to dot is unreliable, as they aren’t in the same place with every saddle, and can even vary a bit across the same brand. And, as stuffing/flocking compresses, will widen a little.

Prestige comes in cm widths, you need to use that as a starting point, but it’s really only useful when comparing Prestige saddles, or for getting a ballpark idea with other brands.

I don’t know about new Prestige saddles, but older models do not have plastic trees

Your guy looks like he needs his back muscles “fluffed”. It looks like there’s a “ledge” above his withers where he flattens out - is that reality? I don’t see why a Prestige isn’t a good start. His back is flatter, but he does have an upward slant which is where the upswept Prestige panels come on handy.

Prestige has “cathedral” pommels, meaning lots of nice wither clearance. But he also looks to have hollows along his withers, which often goes hand in hand with that “ledge” along his back, either due to long-term incorrect riding, or poor saddle fit, causing muscle atrophy. Shims are very useful for that, and MUCH easier to manipulate over having “trapezius” flocking added (something Black Country does a lot of). You may be looking at a combination of some extra padding, and shims, for a saddle that is the right shape, but currently 1-2 sizes too large, as he develops his back and wither muscling.

[MrsFitzDarcy_amp_Feliks]

@JB

Prestige comes in cm widths, you need to use that as a starting point, but it’s really only useful when comparing Prestige saddles, or for getting a ballpark idea with other brands.

Unfortunately, the close contact Prestige (Nona Garson) isn’t stamped anywhere on the saddle or billet covers, which seems a little odd. Could it be an imposter? I had a dressage Prestige Appaloosa that was 34 cm and it gave him enough wither clearance, even with a square and Ogilvy pad.

[MrsFitzDarcy_amp_Feliks]

Here is a picture from above. Sorry about the sweat.

[Spud_amp_Saf]

The nice part about the Prestige trees is that they are SO adjustable. So, if the tree shape works for the horse, it can be adjusted for width up or down as muscling changes, an infinite number of times. They also have panel options that offer a lot of trapezius freedom and also do flocked panels on a lot of models.

The other thing about Prestige saddles is that when they are widened, it is not just the pommel width that changes. The entire tree is widened, not just the points, so that is a truly unique function of the Prestige tree.

They are also nice to ride in for the rider, have different leather/seat/flap configurations available, and are attractive looking and not insanely priced. If you have a hard to fit horse, I would definitely look at these before going fully “custom”, where a lot of brands who use the same tree that they allege can be made to fit every horse by slightly modifying a foam panel.

I have an insanely hard to fit horse (big shoulders, wide, short backed and curvy), and the Prestige is the only saddle she has ever been so free moving in. I wish I had invested in one way sooner.

[JB]

@Spud_amp_Saf

if the tree shape works for the horse, it can be adjusted for width up or down as muscling changes, an infinite number of times.

Up or down, yes, but definitely not an infinite number of times. I’d never make adjustments based on regular muscling changes. Buy, or adjust once, to the biggest size the horse will be, and use extra padding and/or shims to make up the difference during less muscled seasons. Or, if you’re buying for a fat horse, buy for that size, and then assuming a smaller size is still the right shape, use pads/shims to accommodate him. If he loses enough weight to be 2 sizes smaller, then consider adjusting down 1 size, and use pads/shims.

No reputable saddler will adjust a tree more than about 2 times

If you buy to fit the size your 10yo is currently, in pretty good work but then you put him in REALLY good work and he needs a size up, then by all means, if that saddle can be properly adjusted up a size, go for it. But then leave it there, and use padding to accommodate a less muscled version of him if needed

If he’s 4, I would find the size that fits now, and buy the next bigger size, and use pads to accommodate things as he grows into that size.

[MrsFitzDarcy_amp_Feliks]

@JB

If you buy to fit the size your 10yo is currently, in pretty good work but then you put him in REALLY good work and he needs a size up, then by all means, if that saddle can be properly adjusted up a size, go for it. But then leave it there, and use padding to accommodate a less muscled version of him if needed

Bennie is 12 and well could muscle up a bit as he gets stronger over his topline.

[BITSA]

@MrsFitzDarcy_amp_Feliks

Yep. You read it correctly. I paid that much to return a trial saddle to a tack shop. I now despair that I will ever find the right saddle We have no tack shops in Tucson. One in Phoenix. I can’t afford to do this over and over. I have a hard to fit horse and trying is a must. Help!

So I am going through what you are, or I was, I just found a saddle. A couple of suggestions. Do tracings of your horse you can give to the tack shops. Highline, Double Oak, and Redwood Tack will all work with you with photos and tracings. Also actually measure your leg hip to keep and knee to foot. If you arent balanced in the saddle it can affect your horses back. Also, try on every saddle in the barn on your horse, just to try and get an idea of what might fit. Hopefully with all of these things you can narrow it down.

[candyappy]

It just cost me $ 27.00 to mail 4 paperback books and a small bag of chocolates to my mom, so I am not surprised!

[Layananda]

My newest TB has a back more or less like yours, but way dramatic/ impossible to fit.

I have three Prestige Meredith saddles in different sizes… Wonderful saddles. Have had one adjusted from one size to another. Whatever the tree is made of, I doubt if it is plastic. If it IS plastic, the plastic works just fine. A couple of my saddles are pretty old and the trees are still perfectly fine. Prestige’s website says the tree is made of “synthetic fibers”, whatever that means.

My TBs and Warmbloods mostly go in my 33 cm. I don’t know what that is dot to dot. I have a 34 cm, which even for my semi-fatso Warmblood is almost too wide. The one I had widened to a 35 is more of a QH size now. The cm measurement thing is different across the different saddle brands, as far as I know.

While a couple of the Merediths do fit my new TB OK-ish, there is slight bridging. But with the right pads, the saddles work just fine. But there could be a better fit. So, started a saddle hunt.

First had reps out for a couple French brands. Nope. Nothing fit. And I wasn’t comfortable. LOVE Prestige saddles, so tried out a brand new demo Prestige Michel Robert. While my horse’s back looks like no saddle could possibly fit it, somehow or other, this one does. So ordered a new one, with larger blocks like I like (and need.) And I ordered a 33 cm. The 34 was too wide for my problem horse. (Yours, of course, might be different.)

Prestige saddles cost less than a comparable French saddle, if the two French brands I compared are any indication. Plus, personally, I like them better, fit-wise for me. (And my horses.)

[AAHunterGal]

He could be a good candidate for a County saddle. They have options that are great for high withers, but if you can find one with a regular tree also have a lot of openness in the back. He may be too narrow for their Skid Row panels, but high withered TBs do great in them.

Another great thing about a County is they are wool flocked. If you live someplace where saddle inventory is tight, but you have someone who can reflock it to his back, maybe look for a medium tree County Innovation or Solution.

[IPEsq]

4” is medium in some brands (e.g Butet) and narrow in others (e.g. County, Equipe) But that point of measurement doesn’t take into account shape and fit in his shoulders.

Suzy at Highline is easy to work with and will send a return label if you request it. She also has a pretty good policy regarding shipping costs and trials especially if you do eventually wind up buying one from her. I periodically stalk that site and she’s got a good variety of brands at the moment. Closer to you as for shipping is Goldfinch Fine Tack (contact via Facebook). She tends to carry mostly French brands but some might work for this horse because there are several models and options with shoulder relief that could fit bigger withers. The rest of his back conformation looks relatively uncomplicated.

[4horses]

Shipping usually costs $45-80 with Shippo. Usps is the most expensive. I always check UPS and Fedex. Fedex used to be cheaper but lately UPS has been cheaper for shipping.

[js]

If you don’t mind limited choices, Smart Pak, Dover Saddlery have free returns, I know that that’s not a huge help when trying to fit a saddle on a hard to fit horse and you are doing it on your own. I also live in a tack shop free/saddle fitter free area, it’s quite frustrating trying to find the right saddle and I’ve spent enough on return shipping fees over the years to have paid for several saddles.

I have also used Highline Tack, they are wonderful to work with. Maybe look for tack shops with free returns, a few have them.

[Impressive_Star]

Try Pelham Saddlery, you can send them pictures and they will steer you in the right direction. You can also take two out on trial at a discounted shipping rate, and they include the return label

[no.stirrups]

Tack shops usually have accounts with a shipper (FedEx, UPS) that gets them reduced rates. Choose tack shops that provide the return shipping label for you to avoid the shock of return shipping cost. Even my little one-person shop does that.

[Paint_Party]

Such a good point. Although not a saddle retailer, Riding Warehouse gets the majority of my business because every order includes a return label. Smartpak used to do that. While I still use Smartpak, it’s frankly a hassle to go online, explain why I need to return something and then fire up my printer and use my ink to print a label.

Oddly enough, my last two packages from Dover have included return labels. Is this a new thing?

[Nance_Tapley-Peck]

That’s what I was thinking about doing with R______ T___ but she wouldn’t let me drive there to see, sit in saddle, pay her, and take it home. Have friends I could have visited with and haul horses on side, so drive easy for me. She declined. Red flag.