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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| I am having a terrible time fitting my gelding and was hoping for some suggestions. I had an older martin saddle, it seemed too wide, whenever I'd go down a hill it would want to tip downwards in front and pinch his shoulders. It would tip up when he'd make a sharp turn too. I bought a circle y, now this one seems to narrow and sort of perches on his shoulders and also tips up. I just don't understand why they are all tipping up, I thought that was a sign of a saddle being too wide. When he is standing the saddle feels like there is equal contact along his back and the bar angle looks fine. He does have some muscle atrophy behind his shoulders so I tried shims, but just seems to make the saddle fit worse and the back of the saddle wasn't even touching his back, I could stick my whole arm half way under the saddle. I've tried 6 saddles on him and nothing seems to be working. He is also so short backed its hard to find a saddle to fit his length, he is only 13.3 and built like a little cutter. Any ideas? Tips? |
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| Ok I've had this experience with the older martins, personally in the older martins I only like the "iron horse" I think that's what they call it. These fit a variety if horses very well I think they are qhb not semi and not Fqhb. I think rather than the size of the gullet I would look at the flare of the bars on your horse, you might be getting a smaller gullet but I think the flare of the Fqhb is making the saddle tip. Personally I've never like either of those saddles. I love my coats, and Shiloh, the newer Martin racer and the crown c, all these saddles can come in a wide variety of gullet sizes and flares. I also haven't minded how a double j pozzi fits a variety if horses (I just don't like how the pozzis fit me :) |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| I had the iron horse, it seemed like it didn't have enough flare. When it tipped the front for the skirt right by the concho was what was pinching him. The circle y has better flare on it. Its not pinching him, but still is tipping and seems like it just sits too high on him. He has quite big shoulders for a little guy.
Edited by Buckles 2014-04-05 6:40 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| This is the martin on him, it was pinch right where I put the arrow
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 martinggull2.jpg (54KB - 199 downloads)
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  Angel in a Sorrel Coat
Posts: 16030
 
Location: In a happy place | I would pm wimpyb here on BHW. She is just the best at helping with saddle fit. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| Thanks. I had my husband come out and help me try to figure out what the issue is. The saddle (the circle y) sits on him nicely when he is standing, no gaps anywhere. I even used wires to mold to his withers and also along the length of his back where the bars would sit, those sat on the saddle almost perfectly. Then I had my husband walk him out so I could actually see what the saddle looks like, it popped up so far in the back it was ridiculous. It seems like the tree is only sitting on him directly in the center and not in the front or back of the saddle. I have no idea whats going to fit this horse, looks like I am going bareback again today! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| What saddle pad are you using?
If the horse has atrophy you may need to shim until he fills out again. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| A diamond wool. I tried shimming, it makes it even worse.
Edited by Buckles 2014-04-05 9:03 AM
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| The pad in the picture looks a little thin, I like a firm pad, I love my csi pads.
A few things come to mind.
Does the horse have a flat back, if so the saddle has too much rock to cause the popping up in the back.
The angle of the bars are too narrow and are digging in a little causing the saddle to pop up in the back.
Todd Sloan I noticed he has a saddle the b3 for flat wide backs, never tried one.
Lisa Lockhart barrel saddles have a flatter bar then most, the regular is a 100 degree angle and the wide is 120 degree angle. The wide has a 8 gullet. I have one and it fits my wider backed and big shoulders pretty good.
Crown c, you cold always get him fitted, as they will make any tree to fit.q |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| Thanks. I may just have to get him a custom tree. I just can't afford it right now. I sold the martin and used some to pay bills and the rest to buy the circle y so I only will have what I get out of the circle y. I think it has too much rock as you said. The angle seems to fit nicely. The pad in the picture is an equipedic that I hated. I have a 1" diamond wool right now. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Maybe post where you are and you could meet up with barrel buddies and try their saddles.
If you lived in Alberta I would be more then happy to let you try my saddles
Edited to add I have seen some of the saddles I have mentioned for sale used at fire sale prices
Edited by cheryl makofka 2014-04-05 9:27 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| I am in Virginia. I am not barrel racing him, but choose a barrel saddle because of the skirt length. Its hard to find saddles with skirts under 24".
This is the circle y.
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001.JPG (36KB - 197 downloads)
002.JPG (70KB - 178 downloads)
006.JPG (73KB - 190 downloads)
010.JPG (82KB - 193 downloads)
008.JPG (76KB - 195 downloads)
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 Cinnamon Honey One
Posts: 6549
Location: between here and there | He's a cute horse with a pretty nice back actually. Could you get a picture of his shoulders, looking over his butt. Make sure his head is straight ahead and he's standing square on a 4 legs.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| Here are a couple.
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sonnyback.jpg (66KB - 199 downloads)
sonnybk.jpg (58KB - 196 downloads)
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| Find you a debra sibley saddle fits a lots of horses or a crates melita,brown. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| Have yet ANOTHER saddle here and does not fit arg. Same problem has way too much rock and it wants to flip up. I am half temped to try a mule tree on him! The closest thing I have found that fits is my husband's Vinton ranch cutter with his supracor pad. Its too long for him, but I did have a very short ride in it (less than 5 minutes) he definitely wasn't moving freely in it but it wasn't flipping up in the back as bad as the other saddles I've tried.
At this point I am not sure if I should just go treeless or keep trying to find a treed saddle. I don't really like treeless, but he is most happy with me just riding bareback.
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vintonsonny.jpg (81KB - 184 downloads)
vintonsonny2.jpg (76KB - 194 downloads)
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 503
| Honestly I would try a five star pad. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 520
| I'd love one, but still need a saddle to fit too! |
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