Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

 Sadly, I think the Hook saddle just isn't going to work. My horses are built with almost no withers and very wide, round backs. On one, I found a used western style endurance saddle that fits. It was a custom made one. He still has dry patches, but I think that there was so much damage to his shoulder-wither area from ill fitting saddles, that I have to really work him hard to get any sweat in those areas. He seems happy in it and gets upset if I use any other saddle on him.

 

My young mare is even wider than him. I found a Duett saddle that fits her beautifully. I was amazed at how she moved in it. I thought she had the most horrible trot, until I got a saddle that fit. Wow, the difference is amazing! I had to go to a 36 cm saddle.

 

The problem with shims is that you just are transferring the pressure from one area to another, as you have found out. when I found a saddle that fit my gelding's shoulders, it caused terrible soreness on his loin area.

 

I hate to tell you this but I've tried 16 saddles on my hard to fit gelding.

 

chris

Mary Krauss <lazykfarm@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> > I'm posing this fitting dilemma to the whole ridecamp bunch because 
> > I'm seriously in danger of losing my mind over finding suitable 
> > saddles for my two horses. The first horse is nearly figured out: an 
> > extra-wide County Competitor dressage saddle seems close to fitting 
> > him--it's leaving ever-decreasing dry patches behind his shoulders. 
> > I'm hoping that one of these things is true: 1) the stuffing is 
> > conforming to his back and will eventually allow for no dry patches, 
> > or 2) he is using his back more and more so taking the pressure off 
> > that area (is that an insane thought?), or 3) the saddle-fitter can 
> > move the stuffing around a tiny bit so that I wind up with the elusive 
> > perfect fit. He moves out splendidly in it for what that's worth.
> >
> > Suggestions about the dressage saddle are
>  welcome, but, here's the 
> > real issue: a beautiful Fred Hook saddle, correct size on paper, is 
> > resisting my best though awkward efforts to fit it to Salima (an 
> > Arabian mare and my best friend).
> >
> > Marlene Moss suggested: "Go look at the shoulder and the area right 
> > behind it.  Is it smooth or does the shoulder stand out clearly with 
> > hollows behind? Now, find the point of the shoulder (furthest back 
> > point) and put your palm over it and have your horse walk forward ? 
> > what happens to the shape/contour of the area around the shoulder? If 
> > the point of the shoulder kind of disappears and you don?t feel any 
> > muscling bulges and the whole area is generally very smooth, then 
> > saddling is typically very easy and almost any good fit will work.  If 
> > things are more complex, then you have to fit the ?biggest? shape of 
> > the stride, ensure sufficient
>  flare"
> >
> > I heard and obeyed Ms. Moss. Salima has virtually no wither--just a 
> > smooth, flat-topped hill from the bottom of one shoulder, over the 
> > wither, down the other side. Traveling from the side of the neck 
> > back, there is a drop off behind the shoulder, then her back rises 
> > into the loin area. When she walks forward the point of the shoulder 
> > melts into her back and a bulgy muscle flexes over it. When she 
> > walks, that area presses up into the flared part of the tree. 
> > Meanwhile, the back of the saddle, which has no skirt to speak of, 
> > seems to have very little contact with her back.
> >
> > Ok, now, if you're not too sick of this, here is what I've tried: a 
> > saddle fitter suggested shims to fill in the dip behind her mutton 
> > withers so I ordered two sets, one that is 1/2" and one that is 1". 
> > The larger one worked for the left side but was not enough to free the
>  
> > right shoulder which definitely needed the whole 1 1/2". With 
> > shimming the bridging was nearly gone but this wide saddle (quarter 
> > horse bars) still pinched. (I have no idea if I'm even placing these 
> > shims correctly and I hate them anyway because they're a pain but 
> > thought a shim pad eventually might make it easier if they prove to be 
> > the fix.) She didn't nip at me when I tightened the girth this time, 
> > but she still wouldn't trot out easily.
> >
> > The saddle has a dropped rigging (center-fired? is this the same 
> > thing?). I shortened the back half (which had been on the last hole) 
> > hoping that would bring more pressure to the back half and let up on 
> > the front half. I have no idea if that is how the physics of the 
> > thing works but it seemed a logical thing to try. She seemed happier 
> > with the way that moved the girth back around her tummy and it seemed 
> > that the
>  saddle didn't have to be cinched as tightly in order to stay 
> > in place.
> >
> > For drama's sake we'll move into the present tense: I finally realize 
> > that I've complicated things further by placing the saddle too far 
> > forward, so try moving the whole shebang back about 2 inches. It 
> > looks right for the first time, and she trots out smoothly, even with 
> > fireworks banging around from every hillside so I know something is 
> > working. Relief washing over me, I yell to my husband to stop mowing 
> > and celebrate because I think my beloved Hook saddle finally might 
> > work. He smiles, shakes his head in wonderment, and goes back to 
> > mowing. Then I remember to check the loin area....
> >
> > Where previously there had been a worrisome lack of contact, there is 
> > now decidedly too much. Aargh. So, what do I do? The saddle only 
> > measures 22 1/2" which is not terribly long I don't think. Salima is
>  
> > definitely short-backed, but not as short as others I've seen. Is it 
> > the centered rigging? Did I shorten the back too much? I can't tell 
> > what one is to do with that set-up though it looks like a smart way to 
> > hold a saddle onto a horse.... Is there some other way to use the 
> > shims so as to lift the lip of the back of the saddle off that 
> > sensitive part of her back? Should I just put it on eBay for some 
> > lucky person whose horse has a simpler anatomy? I LOVE THIS 
> > SADDLE--HELP.

I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. Louisa May Alcott

 

Chris Paus

BayRab Acres http://pages.prodigy.net/paus

Lake Region SWA  http://lakeregionswa.fws1.com