Can anyone recommed a saddle?

[spikerdog]

Can anyone recommend a good leather saddle for a wide, flat backed horse please?

I ideally want a vsd or dressage saddle and wondered if anyone has or used a good one in the past please?

[Maes Seren]

Barnsby, Ideal, Harry Dabbs, GFS, Black Country, WOW.

Steer away from Kieffers and Stubbens

Seriously, not sure where abouts you are in the world, but if youre england (and poss Scot/Wales im not sure) this guy travels...
www.bridlepathinternational.co.uk/

Hes the guy i use, and hes about 3hrs away from me, and charges £30 call out. He will talk alot on the phone, to find out what youre actually looking for, your height etc, horses build etc, colour, size, everything, then they give you a provisional date and they say they'll call a week before to give you the confirmed time.

Really good saddler who will reflock to the horse, rather than taking away, and spends as much time as necessary to find you the perfect saddle.
I was the first rider in this Harry Dabbs VSD that he had. I was sold on the saddle, but Gem hated it so we tried a Barnsby GP and an Ideal VSD. I went for the Barnsby in the end and i love it.

[zara]

I have a very wide, short backed arab and I finished up having a saddle made for him as my saddler didn't think she'd ever get him a good fit "off the peg". I've finished up with a Farrington WH saddle which fits him perfectly and is very comfy. I was expecting to pay a fortune but was pleasntly surprised at the cost of £750. My saddle fitter is based in Harrogate, if you want any details let me know Zx

[flash7]

I brought an Ideal Apex "Haflinger+Cob" GP saddle that is especially for wide horses with small or no withers and its not as forward cut as most GP's as it allows movement of the shoulders. My saddle fitter from Leicestershire tried lots of different makes on my horse and none of them sat right on him apart from the Ideal. She originally did a template of my horse as he was too wide for the widest saddle fitting in that make so via my saddler Ideal did a made to measure saddle. When my saddler came back out to fit the made to measure my horse had lost weight [he needed to!!] so he ended up with "an off the peg" size but it was still the widest fitting in that make! My saddle has both a point and a balance strap so on the advice of my saddle fitter I attach the girth to them so the saddle doesn't slip. It cost 850 but it's money well spent. I also have to thank my saddler as both her and the other fitter from the shop both came out to ensure that my difficult to fit horse had the right fitted saddle!!

Goodluck with your search.

[haffyfan]

A treeless?

[fimacg]

I have an Ideal "native working hunter" saddle very straight cut so sits back odd the shoulder has 4 girth straps to allow you to work out exactly which ones work best on your horse.

[spikerdog]

Hi Zara

Thanks, could you please let me have the details of the saddler from harrogate, as this is not too far from me. x

Thanks guys for all your replies, I knew you could help!!