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Regular
Posts: 57
| I'm terrible at saddle fit, hoping to get some suggestions on saddles that are quality that may fit my mare well. Right now, her saddle seems too wide in the shoulders but is rubbing her in her loin area (light hair patches) where the hair gets all ruffled up.
Edited by Aggieruns17 2018-04-10 10:40 PM
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Regular
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
  
| What are you using now and do you have pictures of it on her? |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Yes, please post pics of horse with saddle on. No pad. :) Then we can determine if it's fitting or not. |
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Regular
Posts: 57
| I don't have any without a pad, but here is one with it with :) she is in a Billy cook from sulphur ok with a shim ( I know I need a better fitting saddle, but shimswere all I could afford at thetime)
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| Not a fitting expert, but just from that pic; it looks like your pad is too long and I think that's what is causing your spots? |
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Regular
Posts: 57
| I know it is :) I have a new one on order! So excited about that. The spots are under the saddle part though, so not sure if the length of pad would cause that or not? This is not my area of expertise lol I guess what is throwing me off on the pad part is I have been using this pad on her since the day I started her (it has been a year) and the spots have only shown up in the last month or so. Thanks for the input!  |
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Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Depending on the age of the horse, exercise, feeding changes (even year to year hay from same field) etc, their backs can change from year to year. Sometimes within months.
I agree the pad is too long, but shouldn't change a whole lot.
Based on the white hairs around the withers the saddle is sat down on them. A smaller pad might be able to be vented up away from the withers, but if the saddle is too wide and sitting on them, length won't matter.
This is what closer pics without the pad would tell us.
The bars in the front (not gullet) should hold the saddle up off of the withers. Same goes for the rear of the saddle, although without a pad it should be flush. You should not be able to put your hand on the horn and the cantle and make the saddle rock back and forth with a properly fitting saddle. If the saddle is laying on the horses back though because it's too wide, it may or may not rock. |
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Regular
Posts: 57
| That makes sense :) I will take some photos tonight of just the saddle without the pad or shim. I always pull the pad up off of her withers so it doesn't touch. Is it possible my weight is pushing it down and making when I sit in the saddle? |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | She looks like a small framed horse and all the Billy Cooks that I have been around are pretty wide I think she needs a more of a narrow saddle something like a Martha Josey semi bars would have a better fit to her and the lenght of your pad will cause the hair rubbing over her loin area. A saddle that has a semi fit with a 3/4 inch pad may be a good fit for her. |
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Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Depending on just how wide your saddle is and how much spinal channel along with rock, it may be sitting on the wither area anyways, with or without weight.
When you put it on tonight without the pad, see if you can get any fingers down the gullet and see if it's sitting on the withers. If the pommel is on the withers, then you know it's too wide! I think you've established that it is too wide already though if you are shimming.
Does it seem like you are sitting down hill when you ride?
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Regular
Posts: 57
| Without the shim, definitely. With it is not nearly as bad, but I really have to focus on riding her back end or it will pop me forward. |
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Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| PMing you |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Aggieruns17 - 2018-04-11 1:15 PM Without the shim, definitely. With it is not nearly as bad, but I really have to focus on riding her back end or it will pop me forward.
Oh my goodness, if you have to set back so the saddle dont pop you forward then I say the saddle is to wide and with the shimming yep to wide, lol. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | She looks really young how old is she? |
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Regular
Posts: 57
| She was born summer 2013, but from what I could tell, didn't have the greatest nutrition before I bought her and got her going last winter. In the last 6 months I'd say she has put on almost 200lbs. She is a lot wider in the rear than the front. Any ideas what saddles work well for that?
Thanks for all of the input!
Edited to add - the photo of her saddled is from last August :) and when I went to buy her they were feeding moldy cow hay *shutter*
Edited by Aggieruns17 2018-04-11 2:56 PM
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Aggieruns17 - 2018-04-11 2:30 PM She was born summer 2013, but from what I could tell, didn't have the greatest nutrition before I bought her and got her going last winter. In the last 6 months I'd say she has put on almost 200lbs. She is a lot wider in the rear than the front. Any ideas what saddles work well for that? Thanks for all of the input! Edited to add - the photo of her saddled is from last August :)
I would look into trying a Martha Josey standard fit or even trying a Corriente on her.. Shes a cute mare hope that you find the right saddle that fits you both.  |
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