# Saddle options for the short-backed Arab?



## EnduranceLover6

Just wondering what saddles you guys find works with Arabs that have significantly short backs? My new mare has a pretty short back, although not as short as my previous gelding (thank god). I wish I could afford to have a custom trail saddle made, however as a college student I'm on a budget like the rest of us  Any suggestions would be great of what you have used for your horse(s) and why you recommend it. Here's a picture of her back length:


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## deserthorsewoman

I have the same problem. Or so I though. In fact I lost a bet about it. My 16" Big Horn flex tree square skirt trail saddle fits him to the T. Couldn't be 1/8" longer tho. 
You'll have to try several, since it depends not only on the skirt length but also how it fits.


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## nikelodeon79

I have had good luck with Simco Arab saddles. They make a couple reasonably priced Arab saddles that I've frequently seen used on ebay for under $300.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## gigem88

I have had great fitting saddles by Circle Y, they have the Arab bars and you can usually find a decent one on ebay.


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## bsms

The original Abetta saddles are only about 22-23 inches long. That is about 4 inches shorter than my Circle Y arabian saddle. With FQHB and maybe some extra padding in the front, it might work.

I use a DownUnder Aussie-style saddle. With 18" seat (equivalent to a 16" western), it is 22 inches long. It feels and rides like an English saddle, though. Mine is a bit too wide horizontally for my mare, so I fold a pony saddle blanket in half to pad it up a bit. My mare has unusually boney withers, and it helps with that. In the pictures below, I was using a Wintec pad instead of the folded pony blanket:



















You can see my even shorter backed Arabian-Appy in the background using the Circle Y (mojave model).


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians

I love the older Circle Y Round Skirt Arab saddles.


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## EnduranceLover6

Thank you all for the suggestions. I'll look into the circle y saddles a bit more and do some more research. I hate buying saddles offline without trying them first, usually ends in me reselling them the next day. I would really like to find a used Bob Marshall treeless and possible something with a flex tree. I also thought about trying another Wintec with the interchangeable gullet system as I do ride indoors to cross train my horses during the winter months. However, I always feel that to get the right seat size for me in the Wintec ends up being too long for her back, so that may not be an option.


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## DancingArabian

Check tacktrader.com and Craigslist. You might find someone nearby who would let you try one out
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Dustbunny

Dang...she's a pretty one! I bought a Fabtron w/Arab tree. Didn't work for my horse but worked fine for the Arab owner I sold it too. My horse is really round backed. Yours appears to have nice defined withers.
Best of luck to you.


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## justicehorse

Beautiful horse! The best place to find a used bob marshall (which are great saddles) is the classifieds on Endurance.Net. Another option is a torsion treeless, which is what I use on my arab. For a treed saddle, the Arabian Saddle Co. makes saddles specific for arab's shorter wide backs, but are just as hard to find used as the bob marshall.


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## DancingArabian

My Arab is chugging along pretty happily in a Ghost treeless right now. Just throwing it out there.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BlueSpark

I have used aussies for years, and they work great for short backed horses. I also have a old big horn endurance, which is perfect for my current mare.


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## gottatrot

Are you looking for Western? I have a Circle Y synthetic (Park and Trail) that has been lightly used but fits my extremely short-backed 14.3 hand Arab. I just don't like Western. PM me if you'd like, and I'll send you pictures. Not sure what seat size you are, it's 15." You could have it for a great deal.


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## Ironless Horse

You might want to look into a Gaucho Saddle


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## EnduranceLover6

I actually just bought a Bandos treeless saddle a couple weeks ago and now waiting for it to arrive, so we'll see how we like it. Fingers crossed!


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## goneriding

Comfy as well as nice.

Crates Leather | Hand-Crafted Saddlery | Chattanooga, TN | Saddles: Arabian


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## bsms

Crates uses Steele trees. The Steele Arabian:

"Full Wither (FW)/Arabian (Arab) - Flared out front and rear to allow for full or mutton wither with no pockets. The resulting bow enables this fit to conform well to the short Arabian back having wide withers rounding out into the shoulder."

Works well for some Arabians, but not the high wither type. Something folks could consider is the Steele "Fit to the Horse" program:

Steele Saddle Tree LLC - Fit To The Horse 










That would allow you to tell Crates or Dakota or others exactly what tree you need in a saddle for your horse.


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## AnrewPL

If you are interested I could give you the contact details for a saddle maker in Amman Jordan who makes traditional Arabian saddles, they go for around 400 to 500 Dinars and are designed to fit Arab horses, really nice looking saddles too, he makes them all by hand himself even does all the embroidery and everything himself. They are kind of like a gaucho saddle but without such a pronounced cantle or pommel, and they have large decorative skirts that hang down each side and go over the horse’s rump. But look more or less the same underneath.


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