Who makes saddles for curvy backs these days?

[Renn_aissance]

A few months ago I posted a thread about my re-rider mother, who was struggling to find her position in a saddle that was built for a very different conformation. She has finally decided that she wants to buy her Very Own Saddle.

Here’s the catch: She’s buying it for a horse for whom there were no stock options the last time I was looking. Right now, he is the only horse she rides, but in the future, when she’s ready to move up, she’d ideally use the same set of equipment. If this is not possible it is not possible.

A photo to give you an idea is down at the bottom of the thread, but here’s basically what I’m looking for. Who’s making something like this in something I can find used for $2000 or less?

Horse is:

• Short-backed
• Big-shouldered (pushes everything back)
• Mild wither hollows, can be solved with a shim pad
• Curvy back
• Will want a medium-wide tree (he wears a Devoucoux medium tree, which runs wide, and may need room for a shim pad)

Horse prefers a wide gullet and significant wither clearance- a full 4 fingers between pommel and withers while the rider is in the saddle. He can take a trapezius panel to make this work.

The rider, thank goodness, is easy: a 17" (could probably do a 16.5 with a long working center) and a bog standard flap. She probably wants blocks and she prefers a flatter seat with a narrow to medium twist. She takes 1-2 lessons a week and will probably jump 2’6" for the rest of her life.

Right now the horse is very happily going in a Devoucoux Biarritz D3D4+ with no panel modifications.

On my list now is the Stubben Portos and Phoenix. Anyone think I’ll have any luck with Prestige? I’ve heard that the newer PJs are running wide on a medium tree; anything to that? Any other ideas?

Here is the culprit. This is obviously not a decent conformation shot but it should give you an idea of what I’m working with here.

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[RiderInTheRain]

My husband horse mare is a very short and curvy backed, and downhill QH. She wears a Dublin Jumper saddle from Berney Bros. We sent measurements of both mare and husband to Berney Bros and they sent us a saddle that has worked very well for them. We asked for it to be made a bit wide (to accommodate a half pad) as she can change a bit when hunt fit vs not. A new one would be under your budget even with shipping. I’d be happy to take some pictures of it if you’d like to get a general idea of shape.

[Backstage]

I wonder if an older Delgrange might be worth looking at - I tried two when I was shopping. Both were too curvy for my horse but wide enough for him, and allowed for his big shoulders. I believe that both of the “curvy” models I tried were ~2005 models. I’ll try and see if I can track down the ‘specs’ - I was fairly good about taking photos of flaps on everything I tried.

[Renn_aissance]

@RiderInTheRain I am never going to sell my mother on a brand new saddle no matter what it is. :lol: We did try a friend’s Berney Bros and the feel was not what she was looking for.

@Backstage I had the PJ Delgrange on my list- I think I remember them running on the curvier side- but I hadn’t thought about the older non-PJ Delgranges. Great suggestion, thank you!

Mom has informed me that her favorite saddle made in the last 30 years is a CWD (my sister has a SE01.) I think she may be out of luck on this one, unless someone can tell me that there’s some fringe CWD that’s made for banana horses. She likes the flat seat, the balance, and the fact that that nice long working center meant that she wasn’t swimming in a 3C flap. And that is all she knows about how she feels about modern saddles, so we’ve got some work to do before she can articulate what she likes. I threw out the Stubben suggestion and she said “we used to laugh at people who rode in Stubbens and said they ‘sat on couches.’” I had to smile at the thought of an old Edelweiss being a couch while she’s riding in a Devoucoux now!

[IPEsq]

Well I was going to suggest Devoucoux. I don’t remember what is wrong about yours for her. Would just a different Devoucoux be an option?

Equipe also makes some more on the curvy side but I’m not sure how many used jump ones you will find in the US—they seem to be more popular in Europe.

Hmmm…maybe Antares?

[RodeoHunter]

I went through 4 saddles (purchased, plus tried a few of my trainer’s) with a very similar horse and the CWD 2gs was the winner”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹. I think because the carbon fibre is somewhat flexible plus we did thinner shoulder panels. I still have to be careful to not set it too far forward but my horse moves sooo much better now.

[lindsay.anne]

I would definitely look into the Equipe. Lesser known in the states but truly is up to par if not better than CWD, Devoucoux, Voltaire, etc.

[Renn_aissance]

@IPEsq

Well I was going to suggest Devoucoux. I don’t remember what is wrong about yours for her. Would just a different Devoucoux be an option?

Mine is just plain the wrong geometry for her. She might do better in a Socoa - she wants a flatter seat and narrower twist than the Biarritz. The primary reason I’m not seriously looking at another Devoucoux is that I don’t think her price point is likely to get her one. That said, I know the panel configuration I’d be looking for, so I could buy from a private seller (lower prices than consignment, no trial) with greater confidence than other brands.

This horse used to own an Antares. (He actually had two, but I sent the second one back because the “fitter” failed basic geometry.) I’d have to do some serious research into their panel configuration to know if I could make this work.

I’ve been fascinated by Equipe saddles since they came out. If I have the right brand, they used to have a stock line that was sold at Dover. That did not work, but that was also almost 15 years ago. I would love to get my mitts on one of the new ones with the carbon tree, which I’ve never seen in real life. Have you tried one?

[IPEsq]

I’m not sure which jump models I’ve sat in but I own one of the dressage saddles with the carbon tree. My horse was a super hard fit, but he took a flatter tree shape than you are looking for. It’s a really nice saddle.

A friend was selling her jump saddle (I think the Synergy model?) and I tried it on my new guy who has a less complicated fit and it rocked really badly so too curvy for him!

[enjoytheride]

Stubbens have curvy trees. I have one for my Arabs

I also like the Bliss, Loxley, and Cavelleti lines (most expensive to least). A local fitter has done several Arabs and they fit well, plus the Loxley is full custom new for your used price.

[LFEQS]

I am the midatlantic rep for Delgrange. It’s good you are realistic that a shim pad may be necessary, especially if you want it to fit something else later on.

Keep trying until she finds something your mom likes and you can live with the fit. I am not a fan of “banana trees”. But this may be what he needs.

I am biased - not just because I am the rep. I fell in love with them when my trainer rode in them. I worked for them for 5 years. To a hiatus. Had other companies try and get me to switch. Recently went back to work for them.

[beowulf]

I was surprised Stubbens weren’t mentioned. My Zaria is a bit curvy, it won’t fit the horses with flatter backs. It’s actually something I’m running into as an issue, since it was fitted to my gelding with a round but not curvy back, and now it appears, 2 years down the line, it isn’t the answer for him at all…

Still love the saddle though!