 |
[RC] Saddle fitting in Midwest - sowrightBoth of our horses have developed white hairs from one season under an Abetta saddle. We'd like to purchase the right saddles to fit them (and hopefully be comfy for us, but the horses are our first priority). Can anyone recommend a good saddle fitter in the Midwest area? We live in Southeastern Michigan.
I've also heard of the home saddle fit kits that use a gel pad to conform to the horse's back. How are those used? Do you take the formed pad and try it under various saddles? I've heard so many horror stories on Ridecamp about people who have spent thousands of dollars on a lot of different saddles, only to never find a good fit.
Our Arabians have standard conformation for the breed, with protruding withers and deep girth. They have medium-length backs, more like how show Arabians are bred today. My horse is slender and my husband's has a more substantial barrel that could almost pass for a Morgan-Arabian cross. Actually, they put on enough weight in the winter where my husband's horse does look suspiciously like a Morab. I have also had trouble with girth sores on my horse and one of the ride vets recommended I find a saddle with multiple riggings to I can adjust accordingly.
Both horses developed white hairs in the hollows behind their shoulders, and my husband's horse also has them lower, probably where some part of the saddle is pinching him. I need to check his saddle against the white spots, as I just found them last weekend. Both are bays, but my husband's bay has a lot of roaning and frost, so it takes longer to notice this stuff.
If anyone has any advice on how to proceed, we'd really appreciate it.
Sandra Wright
|