Saddle Fitting Saga- my tale of woe FINALLY ENDS

One of the most popular posts on this blog is “I need to vent. Now, either people are attracted to negativity and want to hear a good rant or horse people share a common issue- saddle fitting sucks.
Throughout the 2.5 years I have owned Moose we have battled the saddle demon- never really finding the illusive “one” (or “two” –I’m an eventer and need a dressage and jump).
We have tried:

Saddle fit horse. Not Moose.

• Thornhill
• Prestige
• Baines
• Devoucoux
• Bates
• Wintec
• Stubben

to name a few.

Incessant googling led me to a new product line –Kent & Masters. I read their spiel. I watched their video. I liked how easily adjustable they seemed.

Features:

• Wool flocked (with flocking slots!)
• Adjustable gullet
• Moveable billets

Perhaps with all of these features they could be made to fit a Moose?

I email Trumbull Mountain tack for a trial.

First up the Kent & Masters S Series Jump.
 
It fit well statically.

But moved around during the ride :(
…ahh but remember the adjustable billets?

http://www.kentandmasters.co.uk/Changeable_girth_straps.html

I re-watched the fitting video and moved the billet configuration rearward. Success! It fits! It does not move! And I LOVE it! If you want a comparison, the balance feels just like the older Albion XC saddle.

Kent & Masters give us wings!

Next was the Fairfax Monoflap Dressage. Very pretty. I petted it.

Ooh it seems to fit Mooses.

 Humpf it does not fit Amys

Fat Ass

I tried to make it work. I really did. But it seems I need an 18.5 (which they do not make) to avoid fighting the blocks. So…NEXT!

We then try the Kent & Masters dressage model. I asked for the same gullet I had in the s-series jump saddle (medium-wide)…but it was too narrow (Moose definitely let me know). The very helpful Nancy from Trumbull immediately mailed the wide gullet. After having a Bates I was dreading putting that thing in…but it was actually easy! Wow! An adjustable gullet saddle you can adjust without cursing, crying and finally begging the gods for that last centimeter of space!

But it moved when I rode and I was not comfortable 100%...but with adjustable billets (I changed them to the ‘point’ configuration’ and velcro knee blocks (took them off) the saddle stayed in place and I was comfortable.

Don't be jealous. I have TWO saddles that fit! (neener-neener).

They also come at a good price point (~$1500).  And if you buy from Trumbull you get free shipping and $85 towards the first flocking adjustment (WINNING!). I have to plug them -Nancy was a huge help looking at 100,000,001 photos (does this fit? is it in the right place? isn't my pony cute!?) and answering just as many emails.

Off to ride!

Not Black Friday... but shop we did

We came, we saw, WE SHOPPED!

At the grand opening of Dover Saddlery in Illinois!!!!!!!!!!!

Dover Grand Opening! Woot! Woot!

My best riding buddy/surrogate momma/awesome lady Susie and I could not let Dover open without giving them a warm welcome.

Susie was so excited about the Dover opening she hurried perhaps a bit too much getting dressed.

Perfect excuse to buy new boots!

 All told I think we spent ~4 hours in the store and examined every item at least once. It was great fun to see the products from the catalog and try on $500+ show coats and sit in hermes saddles. The things of dreams they are!

It was a lovely store with all the essentials (and non-essentials i.e. $500+ show coat).

The big purchase for Moose Man was a Micklem bridle. His current bridle has caused some heinous rubs and despite my attempts at creative padding my very good boy is reluctant to be bridled. I will be sure to report back -especially if it is as majikal as some claim.

Note the 'Amy Engineering' (poll pad and fuzzy thing)

Since we were in the area we also stopped by Saddler's Row where I bid a fond farewell to my saddles. Moose has been a fitting nightmare due to his very short back and my big booty fondness for large saddles.

I spent quite a bit of time with Master Saddler Michael Dainton discussing Moose's conformation and sitting in saddle after saddle. This man has the patience of a saint!

The final recommendation was a Prestige D1 dressage saddle. This saddle is made for horses with short backs and has several nifty (read expensive) features like a cut away panel, gel insert and elastic front billet. Video here.

For jumping the Black Country Vinici Tex Eventer was the winner. Sitting in this saddle felt like coming home. Which everyone in Saddler's Row was made aware of as I yelped LOUDLY when I first sat in it! This saddle has long sloping cantle that does not affect the length of the panels. I was more than comfortable in the 17.5!

So Michael and the saddlers row crew will be working hard to sell my saddles so I can (gulp) afford these. But really the customer service was great -can't thank Michael enough for his time and expertise. I finally feel confident that the saddle monster can be conquered!

As a final bonus Susie won the drawing for 30 seconds in the cash box. I'll admit it - I momentarily had a flash of her grabbing thousands - and me taking home the Prestige D1!

But alas...

$14. Yup. $14.

The day ended with a superb supper at the Peotone Bierstube. Yay Schnitzel!

A great weekend with an even greater friend ended 12 hours later...did I mention we examined every item at least once?

I Need to Vent

For all that is sacred am I supposed to fit a saddle to this?

Where would a saddle GO on this horse?

For all you smarties I do know it goes on the back. Well there ain't much back there if I don't want to go behind the 18th thoracic vertebra.

As a 5'6'' 130 135 140 lb rider I prefer an 18'' saddle. Ain't happening. I now have several saddles for sale.

17.5 Wide Ryder/ Trilogy Amadeo Elite

18.5 M Stackhouse. 18.5 =much to long. This makes me very sad :/

18''' Forward Flap Bates CC -not even  close

Misery.