Rubber saddle pad, does this look better on her?

[k8_doran]

My cobs changing shape all the time, which is why i cant have a leather saddle :( My wintec (I have been told by many people) fits lovely. I am the first to admit I do not know much about saddle fitting. I noticed the other day how the back of the saddle doesnt quite sit on her back. I bought a saddle pad today but my friend who is the knowledgable one was not at the yard today, so I thought I'd ask my friends of NR. It felt better with the pad the saddle sat firm. It s the pad which has height at the back, not at the front.

before

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/k8_doran/Photo-0195.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/k8_doran/Photo-0196.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/k8_doran/Photo-0204.jpg

after
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/k8_doran/Photo-0202.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/k8_doran/Photo-0198.jpg

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/k8_doran/Photo-0197.jpg

[Skippys Mum]

In the last photo it looks a bit high at the cantle. Perhaps its just the photo. I use one of these on my little pony's saddle and its to correct a poor fit. I might be wrong but if your saddle actually does fit, I dont think you should need the pad. Maybe worth getting a saddle fitter to check?

[BabyBear]

Looks a bit high at the back to me!

I was told that it should sit perfectly straight on the horses back and that riser pads should only be used where there is muscle wastage to help the muscles develop and the back come up.

I've had to get Casper a saddle company saddle as he is a young HW cob and does change shape throughout the year and you can get these saddles adjusted as the shape changes.:)

[Joyscarer]

Looks to me like oyu have the same problem with yours as I had with my wintec on my welsh d.

The tree looks too curved for your horses back so the back of the saddle doesn't look to be in contact with the back.

When you sit on this will pust the back down but the back of the saddle will be prone to moving about.

This is exactly what Pinkslady keeps posting about when she talks of the wintecs 'banana shaped tree'.

Putting a riser pad in is exactly the trap I fell into and yest it did make me feel more stable as the back of the saddle stopped moving but not only did I feel perched but worse than that it caused my saddle to bridge. This is where only the riser at the front and the back of the saddle take most of the pressure.

It is true that wintecs don't tent to suit cobby types because of this.

Next have a look at your saddle when stood behing your horse. The angle of the panels should mimic the angles of your horses back. Mine didn't.

My horses back was fairly flat from side to side but the saddle had panels that were angled so that the outside edge would dig in and there wasn't even contact across the back in that area either.

Now I have a new saddle which has been properly fitted to my horse.

Just with the saddle placed on her back and not done up I can run my hand under the panel starting by the pomel and ending at the cantel and there is an even pressure all the way along with no gap between the back and the saddle at the back.

The panels from behind also match the angel of her back. That's how it should be.

[Mareish]

It doesn't look as if it sits quite level to me (difficult to see properly from a photo though)

What is it like without the pad ?

[kaytenherponies]

I have to say I agree with joyscarer. My boy had a wintec, which fitted fine but when I traded it in for a new one and it loused his back up. Didn.t sit correctly whatever, and no matter what pads and cloths i used it was never right (and it was fitted to him :mad:). My horse is always changing shape 2 but my saddler adjusts his flocking to suit his shape (every 4 to 6 months). He has recently lost bucket loads of weight but jus had his saddle topped up and still fits perfectly. A good saddler will be able to advise u on this more. Cant really comment on the fit of your saddle from a pic, think it is something you have to see and test, well in my opinion it is, others may disagree. Good luck with it :)

[k8_doran]

What is it like without the pad ?

the first lot of pictures are without the pad. i also got the saddle pad mainly as it says that it is good for high impact activities ie xc and sj and distribtes the weight evenly across the horses back. so does the saddle not look right with the pad then? do you think i should also get a new saddle? trouble is she will change shape again soon, it doesnt seem to be causing any pain, not that she has shown anyway

[k8_doran]

i was ment to ask as well, what types of saddles do you use on your cobs?

[kaytenherponies]

Id have a saddler out to check it properly. Do you need to change gullet when he/she changes shape?

[kaytenherponies]

i was ment to ask as well, what types of saddles do you use on your cobs?

I have a custom made saddle, is an eqextra anaconda dressage saddle with gp length straight cut flaps, the deep seat and big knee rolls, cost £495. When he is leaner he has more flocking, and when he is err fat or muscled he has less (am sure my saddler would put it more technically than that). I like you was under the impression that he needed an adjustable gullet saddle because he changed shape lots, but that simply isn't true!

[coss]

to me it looks too high at the front in the first pics and too high at the back with the pad, that's without taking into consideration the camber of the panel etc that joyscarer as explained very well :)

[BabyBear]

i was ment to ask as well, what types of saddles do you use on your cobs?

Saddle Company WH leather/synthetic mix saddle - only had it a couple of months but it's fab, I can really notice a difference in how Casper moves and as I mentioned in earlier post, it has an adjustable tree for when he expands in the summer!:rolleyes:

[coyote]

i was ment to ask as well, what types of saddles do you use on your cobs?

I have a Saddle company saddle,gets adjusted when Nelly changes shape,he is a young H.W cob.:D
i had to sell my wintec wide saddle, same thing with mine ,too curved,just didnt fit at all.:o

[k8_doran]

baby bear that saddle sounds ace one that you can change. because i got her in july last year i have never had any experience with her saddle fitting, but like i say, the pads of her saddle that are ment to touch her back do not.I have tried to show on the image below (see grey line) where the saddle is not fitting her back

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/k8_doran/Photo-0196-1.jpg



so in general, the saddle doesnt really fit any, regardless of she wass currently fatter/skinner, it never would have fitted because of her cobness?

[k8_doran]

I also have this extra pic

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/k8_doran/Photo-0194.jpg

[Skippys Mum]

There was a cracking thread on here by Pinks Lady explaining why these saddles dont fit. Maybe someone knows how to find it?

[midnightmare]

I don't know much about saddles etc but isn't that gullet to thin? it looks as if the saddle is resting on the spine???? sorry if i have it totally wrong :o

[Pink's lady]

Shall I start on my wintec rant?;)

Your pictures show perfectly why wintecs can't and don't fit cobs!

The tree is far too curved for her back - I bet it rocks up at the back horribly when you stand in your stirrups!:eek:

It also looks like it might be too narrow for her, but if it was made wider to fit then it'd sit a good bit lower and be unbalanced (part of the curved tree design). And be even more curved - the tree curves more as the gullet gets wider.

The last picture shows the 'hidden' problem so many horses have with wintecs but is usually overlooked. If the saddle actually came anywhere near close to touching her back at the cantle you can see that the outside edge would dig in. The wintec panel edges are really quite hard (even with Cair) and the edge will dig in when you're sitting in it.

This is it editted to show what I mean - the green line is her back shape and red line is the shape of the panels. Not only doesn't it fit at the very back, the panels are too sloped further forwards too:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/Pinkslady/Editted%20photos%20etc/wintec.jpg

Sadly many 'qualified' saddler fitters (i.e should know better) will happily fit wintecs to anything: since the width can be changed they can be made to fit anything:rolleyes: :mad:

Your saddle doesn't look like it fits and cannot be made to fit. You can mess about with raisers and pads and eventually sort out the banana tree problem but there isn't much you can do about the panels slope.

You'd be much better off selling the saddle (ebays a good place to try) and buying a cob saddle. The wintec wides can be a good fit on many not-hugely wide cobs (you have the same problem with the Cob saddle on a very flat cob as you do with the 500/2000 on normal horses) so may be worth a try. Or the thorowgood cob saddles are well designed for flat, wide horses.

[k8_doran]

thank you all and pinks lady for describing that so well and explaining what i thought! Like i say im not all about on saddles at all but knew something was wrong. thank you also for drawing on the images it makes perfect sense. I am tracking down a saddler as we speak to try and get a good saddler, so you would reccomend the thorowgood cob saddle for her?

[Pink's lady]

If it's a Saddler that sells wintecs they will change the gullet and possibly tell you to get a pad. If it's a Saddler who doesn't sell wintecs they will throw their hands up in horror that someone 'fitted' a wintec 500 to a wide flat cob and tell you to get rid asap;)

[k8_doran]

I get it-wintecs + cobs = bad! I will try and get someone out asap and will get a new saddle for sure. in the mean time its still ok to ride and everything? I will be ringing some saddlers first thing tomorrow

[Pink's lady]

I wouldn't be riding in it again. You could always ride bareback for a couple of weeks (if it takes that long). She'll probably need time off anyways - most flat horses develope muscle wastage dips and sore spots there the outside edge digs in (although since it hasn't actually been touching her she won't be so bad;)) and under the middle of the tree.

Not all wintecs are bad for cobs - the Wintec Cob saddle can fit some cobs. But the 500/2000 doesn't. It makes me want to cringe when people say 'my HW flat-backed cob has a wintec 500 and the saddler says it fits fine' :(

[k8_doran]

I havent noticed any dips or anything from feeling her back. like i say as well, she hasnt been showing me any signs that the saddle hurts so thats a plus, i will gt a saddle as soon as i can. how long does it generally take?

[Pink's lady]

May be worth getting a good physio out to see her? Pink has a wintec 500 for nearly a year, ages ago, 'proffesionally fitted'. Didn't fit her at all but she didn't make a peep about it:( It wasn't until I went off and did some saddle fitting research that I realised quite how bad it was:( She didn't seem at all sore but she was much happier and more willing (not that she hadn't been before) after a month off and a new saddle.

Getting a new saddle can be really quick or take ages. Most Saddlers can come out within the week. How long the saddle itself takes depends on what you're needing. If you're lucky enough for your Saddler to have one that fits, great. And if you can afford it;) If not you may have to go find the required saddle (the Saddler should be able to tell you what you need).

If money is an issue it may be worth having a Saddler come out and fit a type of saddle (say a thorowgood cob, if that suits her back) then take note of the exact size needed and buy the same saddle for half the price (which they almost always are) off the internet or even ebay. The saddle fitting itself usually costs about £3o, though is often included in the price of the saddle if you buy it from them.

[k8_doran]

thats great thank you very much for your help. money is alright, its her back so should be able to get one quite soon, if they have one in stock. iv found a thorowgood dealer in the area thats also a saddle fitter so they will be my first to ring tomorrow.

[Laura+Phantom]

I totally agree with PL Kate, Phantom is w-i-d-e, and very flat backed, and he bucked like heck in both the wintec and wintec wide. And an albion XW. In the end I got him a treeless and a pad with pockets so I can change the shims underneath, and touch wood, not one buck or fall yet! I can see how you might not want a treeless though as you do XC and that with Annie, i've never jumped in it so don't know what it would be like, i've got a Trekker Talent, Cassie adores it too!

[k8_doran]

iv got a saddler coming tomo mrh saddlers who is a stockist of throwgood saddles, thinking of getting the t6 hopefully he is ok! will keep you updated!

[Laura+Phantom]

Will PM you!