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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6437
   
Location: Montana | Southtxponygirl - 2018-02-08 8:06 AM emricmacy - 2018-02-08 6:40 AM mtcanchazer - 2018-02-07 9:44 PM emricmacy - 2018-02-07 5:18 PM mtcanchazer - 2018-02-07 6:01 PM PM me the serial number or post it and I can try to help you out. I used to own a couple Circle Y The Proven saddles, and I may be able to help. They also have a serial number lookup online, you don't need to call them.
But it is sitting on his withers, so you probably need a narrower saddle, and/or a different bar angle. But I would move it back too, its too far forward.
ETA: I just noticed you said he has more pronounced withers...so does my grey gelding (look at my post from about a week ago about saddle fit, might help a little). So, what I'm doing with my saddle (because it isn't awful, but not perfect) is I'm going to start with using a Classic Equine Biofit pad. But its not sitting as low on his withers, as your's is. But I would say you need a narrower saddle. Do you have anyone's saddle that you can try before buying? Saddle is at the barn, but I will go tomorrow and see if I can find the serial #.. I don't know anyone around me with a saddle I could try..I have no one!..  I see so many on Facebook, but how would I even know if it would fit him?! What does the gullet have to do with fit?
Gullet is a bit of a discussion on here...you will hear A LOT about that. Some say bar angle is what you need, not necessarily gullet width. Others will say their horse fits "x" gullet. Personally, I go with both. The bar angle is important, but if your gullet width is too narrow or wide, it still isn't a correct fit. On average, though, I have had better luck with a 7" gullet, although my grey horse I think could easily do a 6.5" or 6.75" gullet. Because I can't justify another saddle right now, I'm going to pad up my Courts with the 7" gullet. Sometimes, its like finding a needle a haystack to find a saddle that fits you and your horse, just right, and sometimes you can find one that works, may not be perfect, but works. I'm in Vermont. I'm going to go to the barn and get the serial number this morning. There are TONS on Facebook, and I hate that I guess it's just a guessing game on if it will fit or not? How do you know if you need a 7in gullet or something else? I'm going to measure what I have right now. My saddle looks pretty wide to me. I found a SQHB Martha Josey for $750 on FB. She said it's their regular tree, which I don't know what that means. I will try to attach a picture of it. Yep this is the saddle I was hoping that you would find, they fit horses really well with the higher withers and narrower shoulders, I like these saddles that were made around the year that this saddle was made and this was made before Circle Y was sold and then they started using cheaper leather and shortcuts on making their saddles. I have had 3 of them back in 1998 threw 2009, I regret selling them.. Still hoping one day I will come across one of them, lol..That saddle you are showing is a very well made saddle, hope it works for you.. But unfortunately sometimes they dont work on all horses.
Even that Circle Y MJ should have a serial number on it under the left jockey. :) It will tell you the tree, same as the saddle you have. If you don't buy that saddle, tell me where you found it, I'd be interested. :) | |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | mtcanchazer - 2018-02-08 9:37 AM
Southtxponygirl - 2018-02-08 8:06 AM emricmacy - 2018-02-08 6:40 AM mtcanchazer - 2018-02-07 9:44 PM emricmacy - 2018-02-07 5:18 PM mtcanchazer - 2018-02-07 6:01 PM PM me the serial number or post it and I can try to help you out. I used to own a couple Circle Y The Proven saddles, and I may be able to help. They also have a serial number lookup online, you don't need to call them.
But it is sitting on his withers, so you probably need a narrower saddle, and/or a different bar angle. But I would move it back too, its too far forward.
ETA: I just noticed you said he has more pronounced withers...so does my grey gelding (look at my post from about a week ago about saddle fit, might help a little). So, what I'm doing with my saddle (because it isn't awful, but not perfect) is I'm going to start with using a Classic Equine Biofit pad. But its not sitting as low on his withers, as your's is. But I would say you need a narrower saddle. Do you have anyone's saddle that you can try before buying? Saddle is at the barn, but I will go tomorrow and see if I can find the serial #.. I don't know anyone around me with a saddle I could try..I have no one!.. I see so many on Facebook, but how would I even know if it would fit him?! What does the gullet have to do with fit?
Gullet is a bit of a discussion on here...you will hear A LOT about that. Some say bar angle is what you need, not necessarily gullet width. Others will say their horse fits "x" gullet. Personally, I go with both. The bar angle is important, but if your gullet width is too narrow or wide, it still isn't a correct fit. On average, though, I have had better luck with a 7" gullet, although my grey horse I think could easily do a 6.5" or 6.75" gullet. Because I can't justify another saddle right now, I'm going to pad up my Courts with the 7" gullet. Sometimes, its like finding a needle a haystack to find a saddle that fits you and your horse, just right, and sometimes you can find one that works, may not be perfect, but works. I'm in Vermont. I'm going to go to the barn and get the serial number this morning. There are TONS on Facebook, and I hate that I guess it's just a guessing game on if it will fit or not? How do you know if you need a 7in gullet or something else? I'm going to measure what I have right now. My saddle looks pretty wide to me. I found a SQHB Martha Josey for $750 on FB. She said it's their regular tree, which I don't know what that means. I will try to attach a picture of it. Yep this is the saddle I was hoping that you would find, they fit horses really well with the higher withers and narrower shoulders, I like these saddles that were made around the year that this saddle was made and this was made before Circle Y was sold and then they started using cheaper leather and shortcuts on making their saddles. I have had 3 of them back in 1998 threw 2009, I regret selling them.. Still hoping one day I will come across one of them, lol..That saddle you are showing is a very well made saddle, hope it works for you.. But unfortunately sometimes they dont work on all horses.
LOL, if it would have been a 14.5 or 15 inch I would have been interested too..  | |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2931
 
Location: North Dakota | Saddle fitting stinks, OP! Especially when you don't have access to a tack shop that you can take your horse to and try saddles on the horse. As already said, the original saddle you posted does NOT fit your horse at all. It's sitting down on the horse's withers. You need to have clearance.
It truly is "trial and error". There are brands that tend to fit a certain way, but even that won't guarantee it will fit. There's even subtle differences between the same brand that can make a big difference on tree fit (ask me how I know....).
Best thing you can do is try to educate yourself as much as you can. I find these two websites to be very educational.
http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/tree-and-saddle-fitting/factors-that-affect-tree-fit/
http://saddlemakers.org/id193.htm
This YouTube video is also very good. Yes, I realize it's for an English saddle but the fundamental fitting aspects are the same.
https://youtu.be/Ffsz53UwLF0
I know that SmartPak offers a few western barrel racing saddles for FREE TRIAL. They might be out of your budget but if nothing else, it gives you a saddle to try on your horse that you can always search for used. https://www.smartpakequine.com/content/testridesaddles
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