# Confo & Tack Crit. Plz!



## Ktibb (Mar 24, 2010)

Here are a couple of pics of my mare (sorry they aren't the best confo pics, any tips of getting her to stand square would be appriciated!). 

Also, what do you think of the length of the saddle & Pad? They look a bit on the long side to me. Also, (forgive me is this is a stupid question) do you place the saddle so the bars are well behind the shoulders range of movement, or on top of the shoulder blade? For my mare; in order to get the cinch in a decent spot the bars rest ot top of her shoulders. If I move the saddle back far enough to allow totally free movement the cinch will be in the middle of her belly... ideas? Oh, and in the recent pics of her wo a saddle the light patch on her shoulder is rubbed off hair, not a saddle sore 

Recent (this month):









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Older 07):








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Thanks!! & plz feel free to be honest!

I will try to get better confo pictures next time I can.


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## Ktibb (Mar 24, 2010)

Am I black-listed here or what? 
Or are my pictures/text just not good enough for a critique?

Thanks anyway. :/


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## paintsrule (Aug 20, 2009)

Cant say much about confo, but she is a very nice looking horse and I think the saddle looks good.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

Sorry, you only posted what, 3hrs ago? 

Anyways, I don't see anything glaringly wrong with your mare. Her front hooves look a little wonky in the first couple of pics but that may be the shadows. Otherwise she's a good looking horse. Sorry I'm really tired, so I'm not coming up with the usual in depth critique. Looking closer, she may be tied in on the front legs (but again the shadows aren't helping so I'm not sure).

For help standing square tie her up and put her legs where you want them. Then take a pic quick.  It does help to have someone hold them and take a bunch of pics from each angle until you get the ones you want. Literally go out to just get confo shots.

Also, you need to expirement with lighting to get clearer shots of her legs. She's so dark and add the shadows and I can't see much. Dark horses are so much fun eh? Pretty girl though. What are you doing with her?


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## Ktibb (Mar 24, 2010)

MN Tigerstripes said:


> Sorry, you only posted what, 3hrs ago?
> 
> Anyways, I don't see anything glaringly wrong with your mare. Her front hooves look a little wonky in the first couple of pics but that may be the shadows. Otherwise she's a good looking horse. Sorry I'm really tired, so I'm not coming up with the usual in depth critique. Looking closer, she may be tied in on the front legs (but again the shadows aren't helping so I'm not sure).
> 
> ...


True... guess I should work on my paitence a bit...

Thanks for the reply. Any thoughts on saddle placement?


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

No problem, sorry I'm a little crabby today. 

In the first couple of pics she seems to have a really high narrow wither too, but not as bad in the last couple.

I'm not totally sure on the saddle placement, so I'm hoping someone more knowledgeble will answer. But I've heard that you want to place it just beyond the shoulder blade's range of motion and that's what I've been doing with my boy.


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## Ktibb (Mar 24, 2010)

MN Tigerstripes said:


> No problem, sorry I'm a little crabby today.
> 
> In the first couple of pics she seems to have a really high narrow wither too, but not as bad in the last couple.
> 
> I'm not totally sure on the saddle placement, so I'm hoping someone more knowledgeble will answer. But I've heard that you want to place it just beyond the shoulder blade's range of motion and that's what I've been doing with my boy.


Well that makes two of us! 

Oh yeah, her withers are high and narrow! Makes saddle fit tons of fun (yes, that was totally sarcastic)!

Thats what I thought about saddle placement. She seems tight in the front end when I ride with the saddle how it is shown in the first pic, and I'm pretty sure it's interfering with her shoulder movement. But putting it back throws my balance totally off. Thats why I question her conformation... I'm wondering if there is something that I'm not seeing that is causing the trouble.

Are her shoulders set abnormally far back? Is her back too short? It doesn't look all that short to me I just don't know, something seems funky.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

Her back isn't abnormally short and her shoulder isn't set way back. I'd say you're still having issues with saddle fit due to her high, narrow, longish withers. 

Have you considered have a saddle custom made? My friend had a horse with similar withers and ended up having to get a custom saddle with a peaked pommel to fit him.


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## ShutUpJoe (Nov 10, 2009)

To me, and I don't know a heck of a lot about this, it looks like the saddle doesn't fit her. It looks like if you were to sit on it her withers would rub against the pommel (right?).


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

That's what I was kind of thinking... but again I don't know crap. Who posted that "western saddle fit" thread? We need that person!


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## Strange (Jan 11, 2009)

I'm not really a conformation expert, but to me she looks like she's a lot heavier in the front end, which will probably make it harder for you to balance her back and get her working from her hindquarters. She's got a very pretty, expressive face though, which I like a lot.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

you could get a riser pad, or something similar, in order to get the saddle placed where you need it, without it pinching, or pressing badly on her. 

As far as her confo, she has no real glaring faults; she seems a bit heavier on her front end, and she could definitely needs muscling, but other than that she's a really cute mare.


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## Ktibb (Mar 24, 2010)

ShutUpJoe said:


> To me, and I don't know a heck of a lot about this, it looks like the saddle doesn't fit her. It looks like if you were to sit on it her withers would rub against the pommel (right?).


I can get 3 fingers between her withers and the saddle when I'm on, but it is something I've had to be very aware of.


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## RoyalsRebel (Sep 24, 2009)

If you can get 3 fingers in there when you're on I think that's pretty good. Some signs it's not comfortable for her though would be a hollow back or you'd see her head come up or her ears pinned when you shift in the saddle. With my guy we had a LOT of saddle problems because he had a high long wither and a very square long shoulder. I don't feel like your saddle is pinching her shoulder at all but the way to tell is to get her so that she's just starting to sweat while you ride and then take off the saddle to see where the sweat marks are. If there are none or they're even patches that's good. If there's really defined small spots that's where the saddle is pinching....... but to be honest, I don't know how well that'd work in a western saddle because I don't ride western.... but that helped us with our english saddles.

I think if you could get some more muscle on her bum she would be a bit more balanced. Like a previous poster she's a bit heavier in the front, so some muscling in the back would help even her out and allow her to engage nicely. Hill work is GREAT for that - walk and trot only, faster up, slow coming down (cantering hills isn't the best for putting on muscle).

She's got a really sweet face.


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## Ktibb (Mar 24, 2010)

RoyalsRebel said:


> If there are none or they're even patches that's good. If there's really defined small spots that's where the saddle is pinching....... but to be honest, I don't know how well that'd work in a western saddle because I don't ride western.... but that helped us with our english saddles.
> 
> I think if you could get some more muscle on her bum she would be a bit more balanced. Like a previous poster she's a bit heavier in the front, so some muscling in the back would help even her out and allow her to engage nicely. Hill work is GREAT for that - walk and trot only, faster up, slow coming down (cantering hills isn't the best for putting on muscle).QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## RoyalsRebel (Sep 24, 2009)

Hill work will really help her out and trail rides are great for conditioning!  If you're worried about her shoulder being inhibited reach down and sneak your hand in under the front side panel and leave it there as you walk and trot. If it hurts your hand then it is probably inhibiting her movement. I think you could sneak the saddle back an inch or two if you had to to help that if it does. If it doesn't hurt your hand then it's fine!


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## Ktibb (Mar 24, 2010)

RoyalsRebel said:


> Hill work will really help her out and trail rides are great for conditioning!  If you're worried about her shoulder being inhibited reach down and sneak your hand in under the front side panel and leave it there as you walk and trot. If it hurts your hand then it is probably inhibiting her movement. I think you could sneak the saddle back an inch or two if you had to to help that if it does. If it doesn't hurt your hand then it's fine!


I haven't stuck my hand in under te fron panel while ridding, but I have before mounting and it feels tight to me; I have to really push to get my hand under. It looks like I'll be saving my pennies for a custom saddle or at least a consultation from a saddle fitter.

ps I just looked at your other thread with the pictures you posted and must say that the two of you make a lovely pair, you both look like you enjoy ridding together! Very nice.


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## NittanyEquestrian (Mar 3, 2009)

I would have someone knowledgeable come out and see how they feel about your saddle on her. It's nearly impossible to help with saddle fit online. But if you google fitting a western saddle I think there are a few clinicians out there that go into how to teach yourself to fit a saddle. It's easier to learn by watching than reading. That being said if it is interfering but the sweat marks are even and that rub mark is not in any way related to the saddle then I don't think it's as severe a problem as it could be. Most saddles that people ride their horses in don't fit 100% perfectly but they are within an acceptable range for horse and rider. Not saying it's good but it is common and works relatively well for most horses/riders. So yea...call a professional horse trainer and ask them their opinion and go from there. Sorry I couldn't be more help. =/


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## SeWHC (Jul 1, 2009)

Put the saddle on the horse without the pad on and see how it fits. Put it up much farther on the neck than you are used to, and slide it back (it lays down the hair). The saddle will slide right where it should go-- you'll be able to feel it when it stops where it should be. 

When the saddle is in place, take note of where it sits, even loosely secure the girth if you need to, and that is where it should be when you use the pad. You can also do the same thing with the pad to get it situated. 

Anyways, without the pad, slide your hand under the skirt, it should fit and not be bridging--- not touching the horses back in the center under where you sit. The saddle should not touch the withers or sit over the shoulders. You should be able to look down the gullet/channel and see daylight in the channel only, not open air past the spine. The saddle also shouldn't be sitting directly on the spine. 

If anything is off from what I've told you... well I've told you the basics and without those, the other smaller things won't make a difference.


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## Ridehorses99 (Dec 23, 2009)

MN Tigerstripes said:


> Her back isn't abnormally short and her shoulder isn't set way back. I'd say you're still having issues with saddle fit due to her high, narrow, longish withers.


I agree. I think the saddle fit is a little deceptive because she has high, narrow withers that go part way down her back. You may need to find a saddle with the latigo D ring pretty far forward. I know several of the Circle Y Saddles have double D rigging that allows you some flexibility.


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