# Finally! A saddle that fits both of us!



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Very nice! Glad you found one .

You'll want to make sure and put some stirrup hobbles on there though...and re-adjust the fenders. With them the way they are, they'll probably be uncomfortable for long periods in the saddle.


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

Thanks - I did readjust the stirrup hobbles and fenders before I got on. I realized they weren't right when I went to get on. I do greatly appreciate you reminding me me, however.


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## bbsmfg3 (Aug 12, 2010)

Hate to bust you bubble. But, are you sure you want to give this horse sore whithers? There is not nearly enough clearance between the whithers and the saddle.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Not sure where you're looking, but I see an easy 3 inches between the withers and the saddle :?.


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

bbsmfg3 said:


> Hate to bust you bubble. But, are you sure you want to give this horse sore whithers? There is not nearly enough clearance between the whithers and the saddle.


ummm............what?!?!?!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

That is a nice looking saddle! Who made it?


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

It's made by VH saddlery. Don't know their reputation, but it's very well made and has very good leather and doesn't slip or move at all when we go up or down steep slopes. It's an older Wade style saddle. Also, to answer the post saying it will make her withers sore??????? There is about 4 inches of clearance at her withers, and it doesn't touch her spine at all. Have a question for all of you experts out there, though (I know english saddles, not western). The saddle is fairly heavy. Should I use a heavy pad? right now I am using a Diamond felt pad about 3/4 inch thick.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

So long as the saddle fits well with the 3/4in pad, I see no reason to go thicker.

A good way to tell will be after a decent ride when you untack her. If her back is uniformly sweaty (no dry spots) then you're good to go.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I have used Diamond pads like you're using for years. I love them, I think it is just fine. If you ever want to invest in a more expensive pad every one seems to love the 5 Star pads. I haven't sucked it up and spent the money yet. 
And the clearance between the fork and withers is good. 
P.S. Just have to say, your filly is pretty fancy


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

This one seems fine so far, but I do have a question. Almost all of the other saddles I tried had a dry spot on either side of her back, almost where the tooling on the bottom part of this saddle seat is. Would that be caused by a saddle that hits there? A different saddle shop told me it was because the sadlle DIDN'T hit there.


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

Thanks, Cowchick. She thinks she's pretty special. LOL. I even put a palomino on the saddle case I made that's on the saddle in the pictures. I never liked palominos before, but I've lost my heart to this one!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

would you like to post a photo of it on her back without the pad? I mean, I am curious as to why Bob said that, so want to see what it looks like w/o pad, and both side and front angles.


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

It will be a while before I can do that, but I will as soon as I can. I did put the saddle on without the pad when i first got it, and as i said, there was at least about 4 inches of clearance by the withers,, and I could see along the back all the way up. It was not touching her spine anywhere. I checked while I was riding her, also. never came close to her withers.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Yay!!!!!!! 

I am so pleased for ya! I had that game with my Dressage saddle... had to fit Sky.. and of course me AND my friend riding him on a regular basis.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Customcanines said:


> This one seems fine so far, but I do have a question. Almost all of the other saddles I tried had a dry spot on either side of her back, almost where the tooling on the bottom part of this saddle seat is. Would that be caused by a saddle that hits there? A different saddle shop told me it was because the sadlle DIDN'T hit there.


In my experience, a dry spot anywhere that the saddle actually sits means that there's too much pressure there. The only time I've seen a dry spot from _no_ pressure is on the withers where the saddle pad is pulled up into the gullet.

I suppose it is possible that the saddles you tried before were bridging enough to not have any contact with the middle of her back, but I'm more inclined to believe that perhaps there was too much curve (rocker) in the bars and it was sitting down in the middle and the ends of the bars were curved up away from her back.

Do you have a picture of her from the side without a saddle on? I've rode a couple of really straight backed horses that would have that trouble.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

She is a cutie and like you, I wasn't a huge palomino fan. Especially lighter colored ones - that is until I got The Biscuit Man. I absolutely adore him 

Saddle shopping can make one crazy! It looks like a good fit but I would also like to see more angles.


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

I won't be able to get pictures for a while, but when I do, I'll certainly post them. Here is a picture of her without the saddle, and I darkened the arrea where I had trouble with dry spots on almost all of the other saddles. The only one that DIDN'T do that was one that pinched her shoulders. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!


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## Faustinblack (Aug 16, 2011)

I love wade saddles, that old timey look just gets me. And Customcanines? I love her color, that dapple is really beautiful!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Hmm, with the dry spots being there, I wonder maybe if the angle of the bars might have been too steep for her where the tops of the bars weren't making any contact so that the bottoms were where all the pressure was.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

smrobs said:


> Hmm, with the dry spots being there, I wonder maybe if the angle of the bars might have been too steep for her where the tops of the bars weren't making any contact so that the bottoms were where all the pressure was.


Seems likely to me.


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## bbsmfg3 (Aug 12, 2010)

Bareback, now I see why you've had trouble fitting this horse and why it looked like there was not enough whither's clearance. This horse doesn't have any whithers and is really, really mutton backed. If he had normal whither's their would not have been enough whither's clearance. Very hard back to fit. 

A lot of fat just below the whither's, you'll need to watch the dark spot. The more you ride him and the more that fat leaves that area, you may again have a bad spot. Be an excellent idea to take a lot of weight off of this horse. The more fat you have under the weight bearing area of the saddle bars the more it will tend to shift in ways you don't want. And your caught in a catch 22 situation. Good idea to ride with a very loose girth, but on this horse, you'd have a tough time keeping the saddle on with a loose girth. Once you get rid of the fat, then you'll be able to get saddle fitting that won't be changing as the fat redistributes itself.

If this saddle doesn't work out, you may want to look at having a custom, flex panel, saddle made. But, not until the excessive fat on the back is gone.


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

Bob, thanks for the input, but I'm really not sure what you are seeing. I asked the vet about her while she was examining her, and she said her weight was great, and that she has nice withers. I asked her about the dry spots, and she said she really didn't know, because Nibbles' conformation was very, very good. Here is another picture that shows her withers a little better. I certainly don't have any trouble keeping a saddle on - I barely need to cinch it at all, and don't have any trouble with it slipping, either sideways or forward or back going up and down hills. I have ridden several times with the new Wade, and no dry spots at all -no movement and it fits great. I believe the other saddles had too narrow of a tree.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

CC, I wonder if maybe Bob just isn't used to looking at stock horses...

Those withers and that build is pretty typical for a well built stock horse. She's not mutton withered, but she doesn't have a sharkfin either. Plus, she's got good muscle mass. For her to be in "perfect" condition, I'd probably want to see her a bit more fit, but she's a long way from being fat.


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

I think maybe that's the problem. I know when comparing Quarter Horses to gaited horses, Bob's observations are understandable. I did take some pictures today of the saddle without a blanket - I checked her back after riding for a couple of hours, and there were no dry spots or sore spots, so I am convinced the saddle fits well. The pictures aren't the best - she's a big girl, and I'm short, but I did the best I could. I didn't get one going down the middle of the saddle, but there is at least an inch clearance all the way down her spine. the skirt in back keeps it from being seen from the back. STILL LOVE the saddle!!!!!!!!!


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

AND SMROBS, my daughter just got an arena and Nibbled FINALLY turned 3, so hopefully I can work her enough to put a little muscle mass on her. Will SHE be shocked! She thought being fed apples and groomed, being hand grazed, and going for an occasional short trail ride was all there was to life! LOL


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

I think your saddle fits good. And if its not leaving roughed up hair, dry spots or protesting because it hurts her then for sure it's a keeper 
I think she's built nice and sometimes young horses can be hard to fit because they haven't been worked enough to develop their muscles. I think you'll be surprised how much a horses back changes with regular work.


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

OH NO! LOL DOES THAT MEAN ANOTHER SADDLE SEARCH???? LOL I knew there was a chance I would have to change saddles later as she is still so young, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

She probably has a lot of growing to do still. She is a nice horse.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

LOL! I didn't mean it as a bad thing really. You may have to find a different saddle but just in my experience they get easy to fit.

I rode a mare that was started as a three year old, rode off and on then turned out for a couple of years because no one liked riding her. She got cut to me and I used my old saddle on her and fit her well but she lacked muscling. After a few months of being in the mountains and devolping good muscling the saddle just fit her even better


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## Customcanines (Jun 17, 2012)

Just an update - Nibbles had started pinning her ears when I cinched her up in the other saddles I tried, even though I was very careful and slow when cinching. After using this saddle for a couple of weeks, guess what? no more ear pinning!!! I guess she approves, thank goodness!!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Woot! :clap:


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## Roadyy (Feb 9, 2013)

Congrats!!!


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