tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post7667864881821440020..comments2024-03-01T06:49:59.106-05:00Comments on Behind the Bit: Saddle deliberations. Here goes...Stacey Kimmel-Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08498926535389535263noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-69531593764846989402012-03-30T21:06:33.230-04:002012-03-30T21:06:33.230-04:00I think the wide is your friend. If he was full g...I think the wide is your friend. If he was full grown and not likely to change much more the MW might be the better bet but since he's still growing & developing I think the W is the better bet.Marnie Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13241962543917686722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-28098539062726223152012-03-30T12:42:36.639-04:002012-03-30T12:42:36.639-04:00I applaud your decision to choose less than 100%. ...I applaud your decision to choose less than 100%. There is not perfection in saddle fitting as all horses change shape, even at maturity. The closest you get is the closest you get. Otherwise, you would more likely than not go insane and spend all your money looking for something that does not exist. Riley reacting well to it is what is most important. Hurrah for you!!!! :) - FriesianwelshxAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-82013624052519756552012-03-29T23:57:09.226-04:002012-03-29T23:57:09.226-04:00Being someone who has has 4 saddles in 4.5 years I...Being someone who has has 4 saddles in 4.5 years I would suggest going with the saddle that gives you the most room for Ri to grow. My current saddle is a wide and I use a Thinline Correction pad that is quilted only with no sheepskin. I can feel the horse more without the sheepskin. I can add front, back or mid shims and the shims also come in a variety of thickness options. I change shims as Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-15256637082090273372012-03-29T21:55:32.672-04:002012-03-29T21:55:32.672-04:00I would go wide and pad it up as needed. I feel yo...I would go wide and pad it up as needed. I feel your pain, I'm (hopefully) finishing a year long saddle search with a new Thornhill (wide tree as well!)that's on order :)Andreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00332690619235688760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-31896069054935550672012-03-29T21:21:09.246-04:002012-03-29T21:21:09.246-04:00Go wide. I'd like to see a photo of the saddl...Go wide. I'd like to see a photo of the saddle slid back a bit further (ignore where the girths straps fall). I reckon it would be better balanced then.<br /><br />You could try taking the front girth strap out of the keeper, angle it forward about an inch, and see how that goes? This is how my saddle is fitted to my horse with a similar big shoulder with the same lumps of fat and a Demeranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-51110118918139179972012-03-29T20:54:18.151-04:002012-03-29T20:54:18.151-04:00Definitely the wide. You can play with some pads ...Definitely the wide. You can play with some pads to see if it will help the shifting. Maybe a neoprene girth, too? You can tell from the pics that he still has a baby back. I bet he will grow into that one sooner than you think.Candicenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-29126457885769600362012-03-29T18:26:51.840-04:002012-03-29T18:26:51.840-04:00To piggyback on everyone else, get the wide. And t...To piggyback on everyone else, get the wide. And to piggyback on Lauren, I'll say that if the W is a little wiggly side-to-side, you'll just need to focus on a strong core and riding very well so that the saddle DOESN'T wiggle -- because YOU aren't wiggling!Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01550786937196525098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-1245993886139292792012-03-29T16:58:06.717-04:002012-03-29T16:58:06.717-04:00I'd go wide and get something like a Skito pad...I'd go wide and get something like a Skito pad to go under it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-28461012644342924942012-03-29T16:43:33.123-04:002012-03-29T16:43:33.123-04:00No doubt, the wide. He's gonna get bigger.No doubt, the wide. He's gonna get bigger.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-53943962675244216042012-03-29T16:02:24.954-04:002012-03-29T16:02:24.954-04:00I would go wide and utilize the mattes.I would go wide and utilize the mattes.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13472219069662152722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-66612850817884599122012-03-29T15:51:33.177-04:002012-03-29T15:51:33.177-04:00I would go with the wide. That's why they mak...I would go with the wide. That's why they make Pads! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-27884921551479925112012-03-29T15:11:04.694-04:002012-03-29T15:11:04.694-04:00I think you have to go with the W, especially if R...I think you have to go with the W, especially if Riley objects to the MW at all. As he fills out, you will probably need less padding and the saddle may feel more stable (in theory). I bought a MW Albion for my horse (which is pretty wide) and clearance over the withers improved as he gained more muscle. The saddle actually fits him better now then it did when I first bought it for him. Valhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07335385366138424092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-23759687226112932382012-03-29T13:25:27.710-04:002012-03-29T13:25:27.710-04:00Go with the wide and pad to fit. The Tad Coffin sa...Go with the wide and pad to fit. The Tad Coffin saddles are like that - all W tree with a pad system to fit a narrower back.<br /><br />Riley might develop more muscle as he goes and if you stuck with the MW you would be more likely to revisit the issue in the future. <br /><br />At the end of the day, for me anyway, "pretty good" is acceptable and better than a lot of horses receive. Laurenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03210666857862017395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-57988670752367888752012-03-29T13:23:43.085-04:002012-03-29T13:23:43.085-04:00Well I can't offer you advice it's just go...Well I can't offer you advice it's just good to know there is someone else out there having problems with achieving the perfect fit. My four year old frustrates me with saddle fitting. <br /><br />Being a college student I can't spend a thousand or more on a saddle he will outgrow. I settled for a Wintec Pro Dressage with the interchangeable gullet. The fit seems almost perfect but Marrissa Doroughnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-14849127696322689892012-03-29T12:54:10.319-04:002012-03-29T12:54:10.319-04:00You know the answer, grasshopper. Riley likes it b...You know the answer, grasshopper. Riley likes it better W. Move on.<br /><br />You will get this thing adjusted every 6 months. Just make sure you have some good half pads, shims, and a kick ass fitter.<br /><br />good luck!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-32804362861961402452012-03-29T12:47:22.467-04:002012-03-29T12:47:22.467-04:00Oh, my. Well, you know at least in part where I st...Oh, my. Well, you know at least in part where I stand...but I think I'd rather go wider than worry about a too narrow tree. <br /><br />In the first place, I think Riley is telling you something when you girth him up, so that's worth listening to.<br /><br />In the second place, I theorize that a too narrow tree will actually inhibit muscle development by not allowing "room" forJeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10029423500476995817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6317822193674196694.post-18744029701367401532012-03-29T12:38:49.186-04:002012-03-29T12:38:49.186-04:00My $.02 from my experience is that when a horse be...My $.02 from my experience is that when a horse begins working in a saddle that has more room than they previously had (i.e., the wide tree) there won't be restriction on the muscles anymore and they may grow/expand much more quickly than you'd expect (within a few weeks, in my experience). Combine that with the fact that he's a 6yo WB and therefore still growing, and I'd go withAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13790278181159401158noreply@blogger.com