Saddles! Wide cob!

Prjsmk

Prjsmk

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Dec 1, 2017
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Lard ar*e, thats my cob, as ever has to be different! Always had issues with saddles, not so much when he was young and gangly but hes now a stocky tank! More so in summer. I came across a thorogood cob saddle xxw, 16.5 inch, not interchangeable gullet. No other saddle, not wintec cobs, not anything fitted! But recently the saddle fitter has had to take wool flocking out of his saddle to stop it tipping back and his words was "this is the nearest saddle you will get to fit unless you have one made" i really cant afford to have one made I questioned treeless "wont sit right because he has a loaded shoulder" yikes! Hes also got a short back and is supposed to be 16 inch but he said the half an inch wont make a difference so hes in 16.5 inch.

on return the saddle was fine, its started slipping again though! Not sure if its his winter fluff causing it to slip (as it does when hes maulting) or it needs refitting again! :( currently playing with different girth strap combinations as advised by the fitter. Irritating as hell getting on just get going then have to get of and re adjust the saddle! All in all its got good contact and its clear of the spine but not too high and doesnt tip back anymore

so my question is who has a short backed but wide breed equine and what saddle do you use? And has anyone used the bareback saddle pads?
 
Yes. Me. Flat back, no wither Coke bottle with no profile. And both the T'good Cob and Wintec Wides slipped. Best fit for us both in the end was a s/hand XW Native Pony Saddle with a straight cut flap. He's now with a friend in a XW Monarch jumping saddle which fits him well because they are forward cut and designed to sit over the shoulder without impinging. Nuumed double grippy pads are your best friend.
 
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Your saddler is talking rubbish, or at the very least should be saying he doesn't have anything that will fit better which isn't the same thing at all! So my first piece of advice is to get a different saddler.

I have wide flat backed welsh cob, who when he was younger also had very little wither definition. An Ideal H&C worked well for him for a long time, and when he finally slimmed down enough that it no longer fitted I sold it to a friend who also has a very wide flat backed welsh cob, hers has a big shoulder too. I've also known Black Countrys to fit well on these types. They aren't cheap new but you can find them second hand.

You might find a straighter cut helps if it's his shoulder pushing the saddle about.

If the horse is sound & the saddle fits then it shouldn't move, not even on wide cobs. Coat changing shouldn't be an issue.

You say he's more stocky in summer, as in fatter? If so try to do your horse & his saddle fit a favour & keep his weight under control. It isn't good for his health & it's hard to maintain saddle fit on something that's so fat that the true shape is concealed.
 
Mine is short backed. She is fine with the two 17" seat treeless I have.
I have two bareback pads- (one is for sale) but I do not use with stirrups. I just use to play around with if she is soaked and I want to keep my saddle dry. I don't hack out with them.
 
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carthorse said:
Your saddler is talking rubbish, or at the very least should be saying he doesn't have anything that will fit better which isn't the same thing at all! So my first piece of advice is to get a different saddler.

I have wide flat backed welsh cob, who when he was younger also had very little wither definition. An Ideal H&C worked well for him for a long time, and when he finally slimmed down enough that it no longer fitted I sold it to a friend who also has a very wide flat backed welsh cob, hers has a big shoulder too. I've also known Black Countrys to fit well on these types. They aren't cheap new but you can find them second hand.

You might find a straighter cut helps if it's his shoulder pushing the saddle about.

If the horse is sound & the saddle fits then it shouldn't move, not even on wide cobs. Coat changing shouldn't be an issue.

You say he's more stocky in summer, as in fatter? If so try to do your horse & his saddle fit a favour & keep his weight under control. It isn't good for his health & it's hard to maintain saddle fit on something that's so fat that the true shape is concealed.
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he's usually in full work from march but due to injurys from another horse pastIng hum then a bad allergic reaction that resultd in his muzzle being sore and badly scabbed he was out of work for a coule of months, once back in work and worked to full fitness level we was doing ten mile hacks and he works 6 out of 7 days but still a very stocky muscly cob, its just his build and not me being irresponsible and letting him get fat! This is the second saddle fitter ive had :( and hes got nothing but good reviews from folk
 
domane said:
Yes. Me. Flat back, no wither Coke bottle with no profile. And both the T'good Cob and Wintec Wides slipped. Best fit for us both in the end was a s/hand XW Native Pony Saddle with a straight cut flap. He's now with a friend in a XW Monarch jumping saddle which fits him well because they are forward cut and designed to sit over the shoulder without impinging. Nuumed double grippy pads are your best friend.
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Will look into these saddles thankyou :)
 
Me too, she’s not a cob but a very old fashioned style short backed big shouldered, no withered Haflinger.
The only thing that worked for us is a sensation treeless saddle, not sure what ‘loaded shoulders’ means but my experience of treeless is they don’t impinge a shoulder movement because there is nothing to impinge.
Having said that even second hand sensation saddles are not cheap.
 
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Loaded shoulder is excessive muscle and can restrict movement. ( hope that's correct as goggled it!)
 
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Ziggy would prefer a 16.5" but is in a 17" to fit my lard a*se. I am thinking of going down half an inch anyway. He wears a Kent and Masters Cob XW with the third-widest gullet but it can go even wider - he came down a size when I started managing his grazing more actively! It fits him very well. I believe they've just started to make their pony saddles with longer flaps for adult riders so that might be another good option.
 
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newforest said:
Loaded shoulder is excessive muscle and can restrict movement. ( hope that's correct as goggled it!)
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Pretty much! Hes a rescue and his front end developed faster than the back! So then he got in to habbit of using his front end more than his back end! Lots of pole work and hill work helps with the back end and now hes evened out alot better but still forgets his back legs sometimes! Usually when hes in a rush. He will have the loaded shoulder forever now because hes very muscly (yes muscly not fat) anyway


currently browing suggested saddles and reading reviews on them. Thankyou everyone
 
Prjsmk said:
Hes a rescue and his front end developed faster than the back! So then he got in to habbit of using his front end more than his back end! Lots of pole work and hill work helps with the back end and now hes evened out alot better but still forgets his back legs sometimes
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So was mine when I took her on, but she wasn't a rescue, just a beefy cob. She used to pull a oppose to push from behind and could 'take off' in walk.
What's the breeding out of interest. I have Shire in mine.
 
I think that is pretty common to a lot of cobs, particularly the heavier breeds in their learning years- to pull their way along dragging their back end behind them - nothing to do with rescue or whatever, just the way some of them would rather go about things until we educate them to an easier and more efficient way of carrying themselves. On the contrary you very much can do something about a young horse with an unwanted shoulder mass of overdeveloped muscle - but feel there is very little point in clarifying my opinion on that on this thread for obvious reasons . :rolleyes:
 
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Not saying it was to do with him being a rescue, iam Saying he was rescued and very under weight and this area put the weight on first so has always been ahead of the back end. Have 3 monthly visits from the e.t specialist and she alwaus advises of excersises to do to encourage the back end to do as much work as the front. Claws away.
 
newforest said:
So was mine when I took her on, but she wasn't a rescue, just a beefy cob. She used to pull a oppose to push from behind and could 'take off' in walk.
What's the breeding out of interest. I have Shire in mine.
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Mother and father are cob, thats as far as i know and was told by the person who sold me him (part sloth im sure)
 
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