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Veteran
Posts: 238
 
| As usual, I'm having a booger of a time finding a saddle to fit my mare. She doesn't need a wide tree, those are all too wide. What she needs is something with flatter, more open shoulders. I have a Lynn Mckenzie that fits great EXCEPT for about 2" in from the front, it's just barely tight, but is making a difference. I have tried so many saddles on her, it's ridiculous. Luckily the Crown C I put on her last night was about the same exact thing. Lucky at least for my checking account. The only one that I have that fits her well is a 1990ish Billy Cook 17" cutting saddle. Needless to say, my butt doesn't do so well in it around the barrels.
I've tried a Cactus Charmayne James, Pro Rider (too wide), Triple Creek (multiple trees), Circle Y, Ammerman (was pretty good in shoulders, skirt rubbed her back) and more.
Thoughts from anyone? I need something that, looking from the front, the bars are flatter, less perpendicular, if that makes sense. | |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 492
| I know you said you tried a Charmayne James saddle, but have you tried the Record Breaker? It has flat bars and might be what you are looking for. | |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
  
Location: Kansas | I suggest having her fitted with several trees, and going with a custom built saddle to fit you and her.
Best investment I ever made was having that done for my mare. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 238
| Wouldn't I love to, but seems custom saddle makers and fitters are few and far between in my neck of the woods.
I'll have to look around for a RB. I rode in one about 4 years ago and loved it, but was on a different horse. | |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | SpottedT - 2014-05-09 7:36 AM
As usual, I'm having a booger of a time finding a saddle to fit my mare. She doesn't need a wide tree, those are all too wide. What she needs is something with flatter, more open shoulders. I have a Lynn Mckenzie that fits great EXCEPT for about 2" in from the front, it's just barely tight, but is making a difference. I have tried so many saddles on her, it's ridiculous. Luckily the Crown C I put on her last night was about the same exact thing. Lucky at least for my checking account. The only one that I have that fits her well is a 1990ish Billy Cook 17" cutting saddle. Needless to say, my butt doesn't do so well in it around the barrels.
I've tried a Cactus Charmayne James, Pro Rider (too wide), Triple Creek (multiple trees), Circle Y, Ammerman (was pretty good in shoulders, skirt rubbed her back) and more.
Thoughts from anyone? I need something that, looking from the front, the bars are flatter, less perpendicular, if that makes sense.
The LM that's too tight behind the shoulders is a special? I would try her other trees--the wide or the nueva--or try a Meleta Brown Freedom saddle. The Meleta is a tad wider than the special at 6 5/8. The LM wide is wider than that, and the nueva is flatter. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 762
Location: NC | im kind of in the same boat. anything wide is too wide but some are too narrow. I actually am waiting on a sibley. thankfully i found a used one!! plus y mare is 6 and keeps changing shapes. | |
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 Expert
Posts: 1930
Location: Not where I should be... | Three 4 Luck - 2014-05-09 8:44 AM SpottedT - 2014-05-09 7:36 AM As usual, I'm having a booger of a time finding a saddle to fit my mare. She doesn't need a wide tree, those are all too wide. What she needs is something with flatter, more open shoulders. I have a Lynn Mckenzie that fits great EXCEPT for about 2" in from the front, it's just barely tight, but is making a difference. I have tried so many saddles on her, it's ridiculous. Luckily the Crown C I put on her last night was about the same exact thing. Lucky at least for my checking account. The only one that I have that fits her well is a 1990ish Billy Cook 17" cutting saddle. Needless to say, my butt doesn't do so well in it around the barrels. I've tried a Cactus Charmayne James, Pro Rider (too wide), Triple Creek (multiple trees), Circle Y, Ammerman (was pretty good in shoulders, skirt rubbed her back) and more. Thoughts from anyone? I need something that, looking from the front, the bars are flatter, less perpendicular, if that makes sense. The LM that's too tight behind the shoulders is a special? I would try her other trees--the wide or the nueva--or try a Meleta Brown Freedom saddle. The Meleta is a tad wider than the special at 6 5/8. The LM wide is wider than that, and the nueva is flatter.
I went from the CJs to a meleta brown to the LM nueva and now also have a LM wide. To me, it seems like there is a little more rock to the nueva than the wide. The nueva has awesome shoulder flare, and I would say that it is for a horse that goes in a little from the shoulders to the loin and the wide would be for one that is straighter from a big shoulder to a wide loin. I too would still like for the wide to have a little bit more flare in the front couple of inches of the tree, but it doesn't seem to be a huge problem YET.... I haven't even had it a week. The horse I'm using the wide on has a back that is healing.... the meleta was great, then the nueva, but his back is filling back in as I move from saddle to saddle. There is still a little bit of atrophy and I'm shimming that with the wide and that lifts it a little and gives me a little more shoulder freedom. I hate that I have to shim after all the saddles I've gone through, but I think once his back is right the wide will be a good fit. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 238
| I've never heard of the nueva, and not finding much online about them. Where did you find info about it? | |
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | SpottedT - 2014-05-09 10:24 AM I've never heard of the nueva, and not finding much online about them. Where did you find info about it?
Lynn has a series of YouTube vids explaining the different trees and that's the best source of info I've found. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 238
| So in the last week I've tried: Circle Y Marth Josey, which appeared to fit when it sat on her back, but when I cinched her up I could quickly see that the Ds and girth were directly below the pommel and pulled the saddle right down on her shoulders and sure enough it was too tight in the shoulders. 2 off brand saddles that did the same thing. A Coriente that was just too big all around. A Kelly Kaminski, which wasn't a bad fit. Didn't feel perfect and I had to tighten her up pretty well to get it to stay put while turning. A Bob Marshall trail saddle that I ran in. (video below) I had never ridden in a treeless before. It didn't move on her, but still seemed a bit tight in the shoulders after cinched up. She acted fine in it. I'd want to try a barrel saddle before making a decision though. I tried a Circle Y Just Be Natural, this one was the newest one and a "wide" 9" gullet. Loved riding in it, but it was too wide for my mare. Her shoulders were free, but the saddle slipped when turning. Oh, also a "Brand X" (literally the name of the saddle) that also appeared fine until tightening.
I'm finding that those that cinch right below the saddles are a major problem. My Lynn McKenzie doesn't and so feels freer. I ran 2 events in it with a 1/2" pad and it felt fine until I tightened and warmed her up, definitely tight in the shoulders when moving.
So thus where I sit on my saddle search. I have a lead on a Bob Marshall to try for a few days. What is everyone's real opinion on them?
The Bob Marshall video. I put the saddle on 20 min before the run, had never been in one before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULr-MasuMX4 Using the term "run" loosely. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 238
| Also, what do you guys know about the Billy Cook Lynn McKenzie saddles? When were those made and what are the trees like? | |
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 Cinnamon Honey One
Posts: 6549
Location: between here and there | SpottedT I think it sounds like you're trying to check saddle fit with a pad and cinched and you really, really shouldn't do that. It's next to impossible to get your hand in ANY saddle that is cinched up and trying to do justice to what you are feeling. Of course the cinch will make the front tighter on ANY saddle so don't discount one that is!
Always check without a pad, saddle in the normal position and not cinched. Run the flat of your hands at the top of the front down to the cinch. Should be fairly loose - at least not pinching! Next you have to check the length of the bars all the way to the backend. You are looking for EVEN pressure thru the length! Any loose spots or too tight, it isn't working. This is when you throw out the saddles that aren't fitting and keep looking. If the pressure is tight all the way, that's fine! As long as it's the same front to back! There is more info on my website if you need additional help! | |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | Have you looked into a Caldwell? Literally the best investment I ever made was having a Caldwell made for my gelding. They are definitely pricey, but so worth it. | |
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Saddle help