of youngsters and fancy saddles

[Saskatoonian]

The day I was dreading has arrived: my jump saddle is too narrow for my 4 year old. I suppose the good news is that he's developing muscle, but it sure leaves me with a dilemma about the next step.

The saddle is a Stackhouse and to say that I never want to sit in anything else is not an exaggeration. Doesn't change the fact that it doesn't fit anymore. David might be able to swap out the tree on it, if it only needs to go up one size and the same tree works for the youngster's back (about which I have my doubts, to be honest). Oh, and you can only swap it out once. Otherwise, I'll need a new saddle, and will have to hope that it still fits him when he develops. At least, thank god, he's a long term horse.

I can't have been the first to go through this, surely? What have you guys done?

[bornfreenowexpensive]

The day I was dreading has arrived: my jump saddle is too narrow for my 4 year old. I suppose the good news is that he's developing muscle, but it sure leaves me with a dilemma about the next step.

The saddle is a Stackhouse and to say that I never want to sit in anything else is not an exaggeration. Doesn't change the fact that it doesn't fit anymore. David might be able to swap out the tree on it, if it only needs to go up one size and the same tree works for the youngster's back (about which I have my doubts, to be honest). Oh, and you can only swap it out once. Otherwise, I'll need a new saddle, and will have to hope that it still fits him when he develops. At least, thank god, he's a long term horse.

I can't have been the first to go through this, surely? What have you guys done?


David changed the tree in one of my saddles, and openned up the gullet a bit more. Saddle fits several horses great now and feels great to ride in....you can't tell looking at it and I'm very VERY happy. But it was the same tree and only went up one size. If you can go with that option, I would in a heart beat....then start saving your pennies if you need to get another saddle.

[Saskatoonian]

Great - I'm hoping I can do that and at least buy a little time. If only these saddles weren't so addictive. ;)

[KellyS]

All I can say is that I feel your pain. :sigh:

Traveler had 2 custom Stackhouses--both narrow trees. And of course I lost him 6 months after the 2nd one was done, but it was fabulous for the short bit of time I got to use it.

Now I have Rally, who at 6 months old won't be wearing a saddle any time soon. The Welsh pony is winning over the TB in terms of back conformation--he's going to be round with very little wither. I do hope that by the time he's ready for a saddle that David can help me out with getting these to fit him.

Guess it would have been too simple to get something with similar conformation. :rolleyes:

The saddle I'm getting the most use out of right now--a wide tree Collegiate Graduate that I bought for $600 last summer. Fits Merlin the very round roany pony perfectly while Traveler's lovely saddles sit in the house unused.

[Bobthehorse]

Going through it right now. I bought a Prestige last year for my Training horse, who is a wide QH. Now, the young one is not so wide, and while he has some filling out to do....I doubt he will ever be so wide. And not just his back, the whole saddle feels wrong on him, where on Bob it feels like the saddle just becomes the side of the horse, on the young one it feels like there is huge gap and my leg dangles off the side and doesnt touch the horse.

So now, I may have my opportunity to get the saddle I wanted all along...the Barnsby Xtreem. There is not one in my area to try on, which there wasnt before. And while I dont plan on buying one in the near future (give the little guy a chance to fill out with a winter of road hacking) I will have an idea of fit, and how it rides on him. The Prestige will do on him for now, with some padding, but its not going to work on him long term.

[Saskatoonian]

Oh, Kelly, sorry - at least I had a year and a half in mine! And I didn't lose the horse, just leased him. If it makes you feel better, I went from willowy TB to willowy TB and STILL need to change the saddle. Willowy at 4 is a bit ephemeral! Lucikly he's cute, I guess!

[purplnurpl]

I had a Prestige made for my horse when he was 4.
It has been a little tight for the past 2 years. I need to have it sent and expanded 1 or 2 cm but when do I have off time??

Right now maybe, because he's been out of work since May, but I hadn't measured him then and now he is more narrow due to lose of muscle. arggg.

I'll probably wait until next summer and either have a new Prestige made with an XL flap instead of just a L flap which I seem to be growing out of, or, have mine widend. belch.

Horses:
you're darned if you do and you're darned if you don't

[Saskatoonian]

I know what you mean - Toucan solved the "off time" dilemma for me by deciding that the saddle was sufficiently uncomfortable that he can't work in it. Why, oh why, not my dressage saddle? he he he. Anyway, easy to part with it now since I can't use it!

[phoebetrainer]

Its such a hassle isn't it. Sometimes I think it was so much easier when I was ignorant and didn't know that my saddles didn't fit!!! Horses didn't go so well, and were often grumpy, but I didn't notice cos they were all like that. Now my horses and ponies keep growing out of them. At the moment I have two who are being ridden in sheep skin pads and a surcingle! It makes jumping interesting!! trouble is, the more that we ride them without the saddle, the wider they get and the harder it is to find saddles to fit!

[Little Valkyrie]

Oh, I am going through this right now. I forgot to remember that Lipazanners go through a massive physical change between the age of, oh, 6 and 9. So, last year I bought the queen bee a used Devoucoux jumping saddle and lo and behold...it fits no longer. So, now said saddle is for sale and I am saving my pennies for a custom Black Country, so that the saddle doesn't sit on the poor dear like a party hat. Thank god the fugly but lovely albion dressage saddle still fits like a glove and hopefully will continue to!
good luck in the saddle search!

[FoxChaser]

Not to hijack, but along those saddle fitting lines... My County Eventer fits my now somewhat retired OTTB well when he is fit (not so much at the moment given the semi-retirement), but has been too wide for my most recently added OTTB, Bailey. I bought a used Wintec 2000 last year to use on him until he grew up and filled out (was a starved rescue). B. is now 6 years old and has been away at a trainer's for a couple of months. He is ready to come home and is big time fighting fit. Is now a good time to go shopping for a "real" saddle (thinking Black Country) or should I wait another year? I know that my last OTTB grew 1 1/2" in height between 6-7 years old.

[Saskatoonian]

That's what I'm struggling with. You know that Bailey, like Toucan, is going to be building muscle esp along his topline, and needs a saddle that fits well to develop properly, but how long will it fit him? Who knows. A ten year old who's been doing the work for a few years? No brainer. A horse who's just starting it, especially a younger one? Toss a coin, I think. Not sure where mine is landing...

[BBowen]

I am right there with all of you. My Dutch/TB mare was pretty large-bodied and I had a Keiffer dressage saddle and an Amerigo deep jumping saddle for her. I figured when her baby was ready to start, I could add a little padding until she grew into it. WRONG. At three, baby was much bigger than mom through the shoulders. Due to the muscling behind the shoulders, the saddle were too narrow and pinched. .. sigh ..

So, I ended up buying a Wintec close contact with the changeable gullet. She is in a medium wide for now. It is comfortable for her, but not so much for me. Her trainer can use his Antares on her for now.