Someone help! I've been running barrels for 3 years in an American saddle, think I paid $800 CDN, cheaply made but it's been fine. Thought it was time to upgrade, something more durable and quality, so I bought a billy cook, both are 15". Anyways, when I ride the billy cook I feel like I'm leaning foreword all the time, my shoulders are always over top of his shoulders and I can't force myself to sit back, it actually hurts. When I ride in any other saddle my position is fine and I'm comfortable. Is there any other brand I should try and is there something I'm doing wrong? I had a friend who also rode in a BC and I noticed her shoulders are also foreword and head down. It's nothing to do with my riding and position because every other saddle is fine. Any help would be appreciated! Stirrup length is good but the BC does have much thicker fenders. Also using a csi pad and placing the saddle in a nice spot, seems to fit the horse well. 

Sounds like the saddle is sitting really low over the withers and its throwing you forward, do you have any pictures of how the saddle is sitting on your horse?

Sorry they arnt great pictures, I'll get more tomorrow! I also ride other horses with the same saddle and still can't seem to sit up like I do in other saddles 

Which one is the CSI pad?  It looks like every picture is a different pad?  

if you ARE planning to take more pictures, try to take the picture from a dead on profile picture - not angled.  I am curious if the saddle is tilted down at all in front which would change the angle of the way the stirrups hang and throw you forward.  Too small seat size (or even certain things about the cantle) could also throw you forward.

I have been stuck with a saddle, unable to buy another for a period of time, so I learned a lot about how padding can change saddle fit. No, it cannot make a bad fitting saddle fit, but it sure can make a good fitting saddle fit bad! lol   

What I have done in the past - when I was either stuck with a saddle or trying out a new saddle to decide if it was going to work or not - I would take my saddle and an "arsenal" of pads out to the arena and ride the saddle in many combinations of pads.... 1/4 ", 1/2" 3/4" 1 ", felt, wool, Thinline, built up, cut out, contoured.........do  circles, stops, back ups, etc. and see how I felt AND how the horse moved/behaved in every combination. You eventlually learn to feel the difference between 3/8" padding and 1/4" padding when you stick it in between saddle bars on top of a horse's back.

A lot of those pads seem really thick in your pictures...and I'm guessing that is a semi-quarter bar on your saddle - but maybe not - maybe your horse is not thick through his topline.  The way his muscles underneath his neck are so built up, he doesn't seem to be carrying himself correctly - not sure if maybe that could be throwing you forward? (edited - I went back and looked at the pics again - some of this could also just be the bad angle of pics - the one where he is in a turquoise halter is what made me think this, initially about his muscles)

Just some thoughts based on my own personal experiences - I feell your pain :) 

I see that you are trying different pads, I see a saddleright pad, a 5 star, and looks like a classic equine and you say you been riding in a CSI pad and still the same results, then I would get rid of the Billy Cook and try something else, I never have liked Billy Cooks they are built just to wide for me and would hurt my pelvis and I would be sore after riding in a Billy Cook, so never have been a fan of them. How is your horse builted, do you have pictures without the saddle? I would try to find a older Martha Josey and try it. 

So the csi is the first picture, it's tan and you can see the countoured part sticking out. He actually has had a strange neck his entire life! He's got lumps that have never caused any issues. But it is possible he isn't carrying himself proper. His topline isn't bad though! Chiropractor is happy with it. Anyways, the other pictures are of my 2 5star pads, 7/8", black is shorter and white was longer, they were just the only pictures I had of the billy cook. I also have this one without the pad and it does look pretty low to his withers, I just find it strange that the seat doesn't look downhill at all (to me but I'm not great at this). Especially when I add the csi it seems to sit level. I'm just looking for advice on a new saddle, but I'm nervous to spend money on another decent brand just to have to sell again because I don't like the way I sit in it. Perhaps saddle fit is the issue for my horse not me so I may have to get a fitter out. Thanks! 

I would ask some friends if you could try their saddles so you can at least get some different saddles on your horse and see how they feel. I would try a standard Marthy Josey with a 3/4 pad  and see how that feels. He looks like hes got a big barrel and narrow on the top threw his withers.But its really hard to tell with a saddle on. 

These are some pictures of him naked ??the winter one he is out of shape, off for 4 months.  sorry if none of them are of any help. 

Is the cantle too high for you?  I have found that saddles with higher cantles don't "fit" me right & push my back forward (and hurts after awhile in that position).  I can't ride in anything higher than a 4". A BC I had years ago had a 5" cantle & it was horribly uncomfortable for me.

Wow you're a fast one , lol..Hes a real cutie .. hes not really wide on his top side so I would try a standard tree on him maybe a Double J, but I could be wrong, but I think the best thing to do is maybe take him to a store thats got lots of different saddles and sit them on him are try friends saddles, saddle shopping can really be overwhelming at times. If you were close to me I would let you try a few of my saddles on him.. 

Thank you so much! We're in Ontario Canada so there isn't that many options but I'm sure I'll figure something out. 

After seeing your second set of pics, this is what I'm wondering.  (your horse is cute, by the way!)

He seems thicker through the middle of his back and much thinner behind his shoulders.  I wonder if the thick pad is lifting the saddle up too much in the "twist" of the bars and then it's tilting forward? 

The pic of the saddle without a pad looks better to me than the ones with the pads.  Do you have a 1/2" pad to try on him?  Even 1/4" inch pad and see how it rides?

Just some thoughts before you give up on this one.  I have had the BC fit some horses very well - it just depends.