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Post by brigadier on Jan 31, 2016 9:19:30 GMT
When you have four horses ridden it becomes a nightmare with saddles especially as all mine seem to be constantly changing shape. The latest shift seems to be after my holiday and I dont think they got the turnout. All are barrels! I have a WOW dressage for Harriet but at the moment I am constantly switching headplates. They cost around £25 second hand and Im now on my third! I also need something to jump in with her- but my Wintec GP makes her look at me like Im the devil although it appears to fit.
Welly has had three changes since coming- none of the Wintecs fit him that well although Ive had success with Basil's old dressage but he also needs a GP jumping.
That free'd up my Bates IW dressage so decided to sell it however now Floss is back in work it is the only one fitting her so its staying- and the only one worth anything resale and was going to fund my jumping saddle.
Now Toudle's saddle (which Ive never liked) keeps slipping so its currently in pieces waiting for a new gullet. He wears an anti slip numnah but it hasnt helped so far and I dont seem to get on with the jelly sheets, which everyone raves about.
I had bought a WOW VSD on FB but the girl is supposed to be sending it but has messed around so much- four days and no sign of it being ready for postage- luckily I havent paid her so Ive told her to forget it as not sure I will ever see it if I pay for it.
So Ive bitten the bullet and Im now waiting for the saddle fitter to check all four and look at a jumping saddle for Welly/Harriet. I feel a huge bill coming on!
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Post by ernieburt on Jan 31, 2016 9:36:31 GMT
Oh wow I don't envy you, that could mount up! Still a new saddle is a beautiful thing and a lovely treat.
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Post by pboy on Jan 31, 2016 9:50:39 GMT
Eek, what a nightmare! I had the saddler out on Friday too - Indio's (new since May!) dressage saddle was rolling a bit, the cheap jumping saddle I picked up needs some work and Pocholo's is a bit battered after four years in Spain.
Turns out the dressage one was easily sorted with some flocking but I think (reading between the lines) she's a bit worried it won't fit him if he keeps developing as he has done so far. Indio has come up a lot through his back and really flattened along the topline.
Pocholo's saddle is in a state. The tree has stretched (she reckons it's gone from a medium to a wide somehow!) and the flocking is completely flat. She's taken it away to refurbish it but that will be a couple of hundred quid...still, it's cheaper than a new saddle. Thankfully Indio's dressage saddle fits him well in the meantime.
The jumping saddle needs some stitching and she suggested just using a prolite rather than spending money refurbishing it. She did repeatedly comment on how old it is! Well yes, I know that but it's only had one owner and I know its history, plus Indio is very happy in it!!
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Post by solomon on Jan 31, 2016 16:30:15 GMT
I am on my fourth saddle in seven years. Bearing in mind Pete has been out of work about a year of that! I now understand a lot more about tight saddles causing problems and the huge benefit of memory foam like prolite. I would always be suspicious of changes in behaviour due to ill fitting tack first. Also I trust many fewer saddles now too. So crucial to see how the horse moves in a saddle ideally in hand on the lunge and ridden. Horses express themselves differently with a rider. Such a mine field! Good luck Brig.
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Post by zara on Jan 31, 2016 18:58:42 GMT
I really feel for you Brig. I've been so lucky with both AJ and Tordi's saddles. I did think T's was looking a bit tight and I had a new saddler out who is a Master Saddler who makes her own brand and she worked for Sue Carson Saddles for some time. She could so easily have told me that it didn't fit and I would have believed her and bought a new one, she also checked AJ's and put some extra flocking in at the front there and then and only charged me £45 call out! A breath of fresh compared to my previous saddler. I hope yu get sorted and it doesn't bankrupt you xx
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Post by racaille on Feb 1, 2016 6:23:53 GMT
Actually I sort of envy you. Not the expense  but at least you have saddlers who can come and check over the fit. We have to do it ourselves and hope. Changeable gullets are our friends  Unless you shell out for a super expensive saddle, then at least the company will come and fit and refit ... but it does mean an initial outlay of three grand  |
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Post by solomon on Feb 1, 2016 8:40:48 GMT
My yard owner is a trained saddle fitter. The thing that she told me that is really worrying is that while they were watching a master saddler making saddles he blatantly obviously had no clue about fit! I guess it's a bit like making musical instruments and not being able to play! Unless fitting saddles is a particular interest of a saddle maker, fitting is not necessarily what they do. Furthermore most saddles are fitted too narrow. Memory foam is your friend!
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Post by brigadier on Feb 1, 2016 9:20:51 GMT
Which is why Rac- you should come over and do a saddlers course !!
Sol, most gullets do not give the horse spine clearance which is very worrying!If you look at some old saddles and see how narrow there are. There is a trend now to wider gullets and flatter panels so hopefully this will change.
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haffyfan
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Post by haffyfan on Feb 1, 2016 10:17:53 GMT
Sounds expensive! Re slipping, have you tried just a piece of that grippy/non slip mat (like you have in kitchens etc) under Toudles? Apparently it's what they do with natives in the showring a lot as it's very thin and can be cut discreetly so it's barely visible too.
They're not for everyone but this is why i love my torsions. Same saddle fits all 3 by altering the shimming/pads. Penny still doesn't own her own saddle (well that fits!), she just usually wears Harry's pad under whichever saddle i pick up.
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Post by racaille on Feb 1, 2016 17:11:22 GMT
Which is why Rac- you should come over and do a saddlers course !! Sol, most gullets do not give the horse spine clearance which is very worrying!If you look at some old saddles and see how narrow there are. There is a trend now to wider gullets and flatter panels so hopefully this will change. I would love to Brig but I have done some research and I could only find courses that were open to people already sellling saddles. Perhaps I was looking in the wrong place ? |
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Post by brigadier on Feb 1, 2016 18:22:09 GMT
I saw some of that in a pound shop the other day. I think I will try it. I bought a jelly thing but couldn't get it flat on his back?  think he needs to lose weight! |
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Post by ceej on Feb 6, 2016 15:20:40 GMT
Its painful isn't it - and always expensive. Margo is a difficult shape and her last owner had a Nathaniel Underwood fitted to her which was the only one she could find. I am now in a dilemma as a friend has a NU dressage for sale that fits her well but I want to have a GP saddle ideally as although I am more than happy to hack in a dressage I do want to do some faster work and some jumping. NU GP saddles are like unicorn poo....so I am debating whether to take the plunge and buy a new one - at £1400 that isn't a cheap solution, but they can match the tree she was fitted to just last year. It is the most important bit of kit isn't it?
But then I miss out on the dressage saddle (also as rare as unicorn poo) but I certainly cant afford both (cant really afford £1400 either!) Id try and fit something else and get two for the same money, But to be honest I don't think there are really any good general saddlers down here....
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Post by brigadier on Feb 6, 2016 17:26:08 GMT
Which is why Rac- you should come over and do a saddlers course !! Sol, most gullets do not give the horse spine clearance which is very worrying!If you look at some old saddles and see how narrow there are. There is a trend now to wider gullets and flatter panels so hopefully this will change. I would love to Brig but I have done some research and I could only find courses that were open to people already sellling saddles. Perhaps I was looking in the wrong place ? I researched this and did find some but would have to look again. There were certainly some available. |
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Post by brigadier on Feb 8, 2016 12:45:16 GMT
Just reeling from the saddle fitting! Actually it didnt cost anymore than I expected and there were some bonus bits. Both Basil's old saddles fit Welly (new gullets) so he now has a dressage and a GP/Jump.
Welly's dressage is ok for Harriet so I may look for a cheap second hand one for her in the same style but Im not stuck.
Her WOW saddle isnt quite right so she now has a super smart Kent and Master GP (oochie)
The Isabelle Werth dressage saddle I had fits Floss. Toudles saddle is ok as Ive now got a wider gullet. Both Harriet and Toudle need a broad string girth to help stabilise their saddles on their roly poly bellies.
Ive now got four to sell, inc the WOW, can see me making a loss but would rather get rid than have it hanging about. Shame as I found it comfy :-(
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Post by haffyfan on Feb 9, 2016 11:19:00 GMT
Sounds like it went quite well all considered and could have been a lot more costly! Interesting about the string girths too as they seem so old fashioned these days, do the saddles have point straps too? I have a 3 buckle girth that came with my side saddle, it seems much more stable as you can attach normally and to the points rather than one and the other when the stretch/positioning is never quite correct is it.
I thought Wow's were adjustable? Did i imagine that or is it the overall tree shape etc that just isn't right. Although i don't have a treed saddle for pen i've picked up lots about saddles for very wide ponies and suitable trees for them especially, in a highland pony group on facebook as one member is a saddler fitter who specialises in natives.
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Post by solomon on Feb 9, 2016 11:37:02 GMT
The Kent and Masters are good and they are adjustable too I believe? A friend has one and loves it. Great that Basil's can be used too.
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Post by brigadier on Feb 9, 2016 13:14:05 GMT
Sounds like it went quite well all considered and could have been a lot more costly! Interesting about the string girths too as they seem so old fashioned these days, do the saddles have point straps too? I have a 3 buckle girth that came with my side saddle, it seems much more stable as you can attach normally and to the points rather than one and the other when the stretch/positioning is never quite correct is it. I thought Wow's were adjustable? Did i imagine that or is it the overall tree shape etc that just isn't right. Although i don't have a treed saddle for pen i've picked up lots about saddles for very wide ponies and suitable trees for them especially, in a highland pony group on facebook as one member is a saddler fitter who specialises in natives. Its a shade too long for her Haff, I kind off suspected it was but was fooling myself and the seats arent adjustable. The wintec wide one that toudle has a 3 point girthing system so I girth him on the 1st and third strap. the problem was his girth which had two straps on a ring so it was easier to tighten (it was sold with the saddle) but it was making it more unstable. I hate the string girths but can see the sense of using them- they are stubben ones and not cheap so hoping they work! |
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Post by solomon on Feb 9, 2016 14:05:09 GMT
I used a stubben girth last year. Got on well with it. Pete seemed fine with it but girths never worry him! I have a kentaur anatomical now. Expensive but very nice
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Post by brigadier on Feb 10, 2016 8:21:25 GMT
I have an anatomical one somewhere Sol, unfortunately its a shade too long when they arent so fat, at the moment its fine but it doesnt seem to stop the slipping.
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for so much hard work we thank ye!!
but at least you have saddlers who can come and check over the fit. We have to do it ourselves and hope. Changeable gullets are our friends 
Unless you shell out for a super expensive saddle, then at least the company will come and fit and refit ... but it does mean an initial outlay of three grand 
think he needs to lose weight!
