new saddle **pics** dilemma too though

[coss]

ok, after waiting over a month for it to arrive, my new saddle arrived from fusion today :) she was originally going to order a 16.5" as that is the size seat i've been using on my old GP (had to get a new saddle as it didn't fit and the GP pulled my leg forward). She (woman from fusion saddles) had come up and tried some different saddles on harry so she could decide what would fit. He has a very short back and she said a 15" :eek: would be perfect but there is no adult that can fit in that so we agreed on 16.5". she said that most 16.5" seat saddles are actually based on a 17" tree so it wouldn't give harry an extra half inch length wise compared to a 17" (which is much too long). He's an extra wide in their saddles.

What came through the post?... a 16" saddle, my first thoughts - "oh my gosh its tiny"!
so i go out a put it on (after a quick groom) and it fits, (as far as i can tell) plenty of room length wise and ok width etc. put a numnah underneath and tried my 24" dressage girth... couldn't get it on :eek: Harry's only a 14.2hh!
So i go and get my 42" (!) normal girth and bung that on.

lunge him and it doesn't move excessively nor did it slip :)
He hasn't been ridden since november so i was quite nervous, mounted up - had a small buck as a protest - went a tense - then seemed to settle.
It was great not to fight the stirrup bar, had to drop my stirrups down (:)) and had a nice walk round

the problem comes in trot though, harry was a bit unsure about trotting so i made and effort to rise but banged myself on the pommel :o don't know if its the saddle thats too small or whether i was putting too much effort in, sitting trot was fine, once he settle and i moved my seat back a bit it seemed ok but i just don't know if i feel too squashed. didn't canter as there wasn't enough room (our field has many bumps) for a relaxed canter that wouldn't go under trees or make us jump the bumps.

So, do i send it back and hope to get a 16.5"? do i try it out over the next week and hope we both get used to it? will he fit into a 17"?

pics (no ridden as i was on my own, shows how it fits him though)
http://file028a.bebo.com/13/large/2007/05/25/13/1359860817a4481152541b559702272l.jpg
http://file028a.bebo.com/13/large/2007/05/25/13/1359860817a4481152061b408836002l.jpg
http://file028a.bebo.com/13/large/2007/05/25/13/1359860817a4481152006b757724018l.jpg

Help please!

[coss]

i know his mane is messy and its quite a long story but please, anyone think what they would do and has anyone experienced problems of this sort before?

[eventerbabe]

how long do you have to try it out? if you can still send it back after a week of trying it, then i'd be inclined to do that. I certainly agree with the lady from fusion, i don't think he could take a saddle much bigger than that.

it's a lurvely saddle btw :) :p

[Kate&TheHerd]

lol at his mane, have you been plaiting it?


sorry i have no idea about poohs mate, perhaps try asking poohs mate? I'm sure I've seen poohs mate is to do with saddles

[coss]

if i remember correctly, when she came up to try saddles on, she said i could try it for two weeks. will have to get ridden pics (and possibly lunging pics too) so you can see how he moves with it and how big i look in it.
does the numnah make it look longer on him? i always wonder that, should have taken pics without it on :rolleyes: as i thought it looked short on his back (that could just be because of what i'm used to seeing.
it is a VERY comfy saddle (other than the pommel and possibly lack of room for my bum :o)
the one thing i'm worried about with the whole "trying out for a week or more is that the girth shown above is a conventional girth so the buckleswill dig into the saddle :eek: then i wouldn't be able to send it back, there aren't big dents now but i can see there will be if i prolong the use of that girth.

Have text a friend to ask what the longest girth they have is and if i can borrow a spare but haven't had a reply, think i'll ask my RI as well but she goes on holiday soon (great - she won't need the girth while she's away ;) but i doubt i'd have time to go a pick it up before she goes and she's really busy at the moment.

Pleased you like the look of it EB :p it suits harry (tried it on dawn for the sake of it (not with girth just laid it on her back) and she clashes with it :p, not only that but it doesn't fit (i didn't expect it to but they did used to share my GP saddle :eek: )

mane wise- it was plaited, hmmm, 3-4 weeks ago maybe, i need to redo it, can't leave it out as it gets wrapped round his neck from the fly rug and would play havoc with static electricity :eek: so i have to plait it. was going to do it earlier but desperately wanted to try out the saddle and it looked like it was going to rain, thought - his mane can wait, can't get the saddle wet :p

[Kate&TheHerd]

as i say, i no nothing about saddles, fitting wise, but i would say it would be better to see how saddle fits, without the numnah on

[eventerbabe]

what length dressage girth do you need? i've one or two i'd be happy to loan you! i can check sizes tomorrow when i'm out at the yard.

pics without the numnah would have been useful :)

[coss]

weather permitting i'll get pics without the numnah tomorrow - or bring him into the shed to take them. don't want to do it today as he'll get stroppy (2 rugs to take off and then saddle on again- he'l think i'm going to ride again :p)
Well, that is a 42" girth :eek: the longest girth (Dressage) i have is 24" (its too big for dawn but i had it on a 16hh horse, a bit short but fitted.
Its a bit hard to explain but you know there's the padding and the buckles sit on that? but the padding comes up further than the buckles, you put the girth straps through to holders and then buckle up, well with the loosest hole on one side, the padding just about touched the girth straps :eek:. the biggest dressage girth i'm aware you can get is 32" which is 10"(!) shorter than the one i used today so i reckon, at least 28", the buckles might be in the way of his elbows but i'm not sure. That would be great if you've got one i can borrow :)

[No_Angel]

looks a lovely saddle, shame its the wrong colour but i have the perfect girth for that saddle that i dont use anymore

[coss]

what do you mean wrong colour? what perfect girth? (don't get me too excited - i won't cope with it :p)

[eventerbabe]

i'll double check tomorrow and text you, if your phone is working now? :p i've a lurvely brown leather dressage girth which i don't use. But i've also a varied assortment of GP girths so i'll measure them all up and see what i've got! some of them are VERY short so might do you aswell.

[No_Angel]

my girths black.

its a reactor panel endurance girth ( middle one on top pic) http://www.reactorpanel.com/RPstore/product.php?productid=34&cat=38&page=1

its 36 or 38 inch i think. lovely girth, i just dont have a saddle to use it on anymore

[coss]

i would be using a black girth :p colour doesn't bother me, think that girth would be too much behind his elbows maybe :(

i bought a new phone EB so yes, phone is working :) (same sim so same number ;))

[coss]

as i say, i no nothing about saddles, fitting wise, but i would say it would be better to see how saddle fits, without the numnah on

i did that first but didn't take pics of him without the numnah, its also a very thin numnah so shouldn't affect fit and i'm not going to work him without a numnah :)

[coss]

ok, i took more pics today. without the numnah. thats a 32" girth i put on him (to test length) that i borrowed but i didn't use it, it was there to hold the saddle on for the pics no more - think it would have pinched if i'd made him do anything.
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/Harry%20at%20Dusk/saddle-5.jpghttp://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/Harry%20at%20Dusk/saddle-4.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/Harry%20at%20Dusk/saddle-3.jpghttp://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/Harry%20at%20Dusk/saddle-2.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/Harry%20at%20Dusk/saddle-1.jpghttp://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/Harry%20at%20Dusk/saddle-6.jpg

and this is me riding/sitting in the saddle.
http://file016a.bebo.com/8/large/2007/05/26/19/1359860817a4493639246b182754549l.jpg
http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q177/cosspb/Harry%20at%20Dusk/standing.jpg

i know i probably could do with a slightly bigger saddle but it didn't feel bad today - it is quite comfy

ETA: didn't know the pics would come out so big! sorry

[coss]

opinions please - notice i actually brushed his mane today :D

[sammyantha]

Aww he's gorgeous :D And that saddle is lovely. HOW you intend to keep riding in a 16" though :eek: My bum would overspill majorly!!!

[coss]

:D when i got it out of the box my first thought was "oh my gosh, how will i fit in that?!" checked it fitted him - lunged him in it etc. then i got on. my GP was a 16.5" so i just thought -its only 1/2 inch difference.
Compared the two saddles side by side and other than shape there isn't much difference.
So do i look big in it :o

[coss]

bump :D

[Chip]

Sorry, but that saddle really does not fit him too well, you can see it easier without the numnah. Look at the rear view and you can see the pads don't make correct contact with his back, so it will bounce and lift when you trot and cause pain/back damage. It also looks as if it is leaning back when you are on, but that may be the angle of the photo.

[Mariaana]

I think you could try placing the saddle slightly further back, it is now partly sitting on the shoulders. This would also level the saddle more. I don't think you need a bigger saddle, your bum seems to fit in it nicely.

The Fusion saddles are lovely, so well made and with a lot of thought, and good value for money.

[eml]

I am sorry but I don't think the saddle fits you. The horse will not take a much longer saddle but you need one with a flatter seat as a compromise.

[Bebe]

I don't think it fits. The angle of the points don't match the angle of his shoulder (too narrow), the seat itself doesn't sit level when it's on his back (which may be why you hit the pommel in trot, you'll be sitting to the back of the cantle with the pommel raised higher in front of you) and the panels don't follow the curve of his back.

I personally wouldn't ride in it.

[Pink's lady]

Agreed with the above - I don't think it fits.

The camber of the panels if wrong (the outside edge digs in, althogth that may improve as the panels bed). If the panels are foam (they look like they might be) then it'll never improve.

The saddle looks a little too narrow (the points, not just it being new and not bedded in) but it's hard to tell from the picture.

It looks like it's sliding up his neck and sitting on his shoulders, which is common with a too-narrow saddle (alougth it's may just be his shape)

I also really dislike the extended seat. You're sitting behind the back of the panels and all you're weight is going to be concentrated just in front of his loins.

Personally I think he could get away with maybe an extra inch on a saddle - there's just enough room, esp as it looks like saddle tend to sit quite far forwards on him. Then at least you're not squashed into a saddle that puts all your weigth at the back and there will be a much bigger weigth bearing area.

I would also think about getting a forwards girthing arrangement put on any saddle you use (a point strap and a donut to hold the other forwards) as it looks like the girth is pulling the saddle forwards.

[izzysmycat]

You don't have enough room in that saddle now, I would change it.