I think we've found a saddle

C

carthorse

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Jan 6, 2006
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No small feat given how sensitive he is, how big a shoulder and movement we have to accommodate meaning there's less room to fit a saddle, and that I'm not going to fit well in a small saddle and also have some preferences of my own. Add to that he was still quite happy with his old saddle so maybe not that keen to change!

My saddler brought out a range of saddles, discarded some based on his template - he's gone from very dip backed to very flat - and tried on a few others. We expected his patience with the whole procedure to be limited so I had no intention of getting on saddles that didn't look very likely to work, and in the end sat in two. The first one was one I'd sat on at Badminton pre-Covid and loved, unfortunately Luka didn't share the sentiment and hollowed against it, wouldn't go forward without a lot of leg (unheard of), wouldn't leg yield and wouldn't stand so that was a no go. The next one he was much happier about, prepared to lift his back up, stretch, leg yield across the lane, stand still, and while he still wasn't as forward as normal he was going and being a different style of saddle he may well have been a bit wary. It fitted well, didn't move, and was comfortable for me so my saddler, who's also an old friend, left it with me to try for a week because she knows how sensitive he is.

I've had it a week now and ridden most days. He seems happy and is now going more forward in it. He feels like he has a slightly longer stride in it - jury is out on if that's a good thing given how he already covers the ground - but I felt it needed a slight tweak still. So we altered the flocking slightly today and I think that thy may have cracked it since he then felt his normal level of forward and more lifted - though it was hard to say for sure since he was as mad as a box of frogs today :rolleyes:. Mind you in that frame of mind any dislikes are likely to become very clear so maybe it was useful.

My saddler has said to try it for a bit longer, but I think it's the one for him and surprisingly he decided not to go for the most expensive ones! Trying is like to be limited for the next few days since flags and bunting are going up everywhere for Saturday, and after that there's a street fair on Monday and that's more than I'm up for in the spring 🤣

Anyway for those who are interested the saddle he likes is one that Albion have just brought out, a GP K2 Cob and Connemara https://www.albionsaddlemakers.co.uk/product/k2-cc-gp-saddle/
 
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Fingers crossed, sounds very positive. I do like the look of that saddle too - very neat. What's the weight like?
 
I love saddle threads.

I so understand the sensitive limited time frame, don't over fiddle, don't worry I will let you know what I think!
Don't play with me as I am not a toy.

I tried a saddle that I really liked and she didn't. Her ears went into the sideways confused zone. She couldn't feel me, so what now.

Funnily enough if I see an advert that says sensitive I would probably read on 😂
Things aren't going to go at your pace are they, they go at theirs,or else 😂
 
Bodshi said:
Fingers crossed, sounds very positive. I do like the look of that saddle too - very neat. What's the weight like?
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It's certainly lighter than the Devoucoux, but heavier than a synthetic. To me it feels light for a leather saddle.
 
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Not as much as I do @Jane&Ziggy !

Interesting comment from another livery today that I shouldn't have needed the saddler back to tweak it because she should have got it right the first time if she was any good - what? I pointed out it's had a week of being ridden in so the flocking has bedded down slightly and also I've had a week of riding in it and feeling his feedback, given that the saddler doesn't ride him at the fitting to see how things feel and even though I do this is quite a different style for him I would have been surprised if it didn't want a slight tweak. I also wouldn't be happy with a saddler who didn't listen to that and just said she'd fitted it correctly, she had but as I said before wool beds in and some horses have preferences. But apparently hers knows her job better because she didn't need to alter anything and when she was having a few problems sold her some stirrup leathers that would help. Hers can also fit a saddle without seeing it ridden in . . .
 
It was a saddler on my old yard who persuaded me to buy very supple expensive Italian stirrup leathers. They were so smooth under my leg that when one disappeared, I bought another pair to replace them. I can ride in any old saddle I am given, but I need my own leathers and stirrups. May be it is a significant part of a saddler's income, selling expensive leathers to all the students and livery clients on a yard?
 
Skib said:
It was a saddler on my old yard who persuaded me to buy very supple expensive Italian stirrup leathers. They were so smooth under my leg that when one disappeared, I bought another pair to replace them. I can ride in any old saddle I am given, but I need my own leathers and stirrups. May be it is a significant part of a saddler's income, selling expensive leathers to all the students and livery clients on a yard?
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No I haven't once been persuaded by a saddler I booked to fit a saddle to buy anything else.
Unless the saddler visiting me was Italian, I would only expect them to bring their own handmade leathers.
Mine do need changing to t bar as it will be less under the leg, but its not desperate and not something either tack shop actually stocked.
 
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Skib said:
It was a saddler on my old yard who persuaded me to buy very supple expensive Italian stirrup leathers. They were so smooth under my leg that when one disappeared, I bought another pair to replace them. I can ride in any old saddle I am given, but I need my own leathers and stirrups. May be it is a significant part of a saddler's income, selling expensive leathers to all the students and livery clients on a yard?
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My feeling is that they saw a nervous rider and felt they could make more money out of her. It certainly wouldn't be a significant part of their income, compared to a saddle stirrup leathers are cheap and so easy to get hold of that there probably isn't much of a mark up on them. And on my yard we use our choice of saddler so they don't come to a yard they come to an individual.
 
Definitely the right one for him now, and I've finally paid for it. It certainly came in at a LOT cheaper than I'd been prepared to pay for a saddle for him so I'm very happy :)

Rode him yesterday despite him still being very pleased with himself - no real change from the picture I posted the other day - and it didn't move at all despite some serious swaggering, strutting, and being allowed to properly trot on at one point due to traffic and flags blowing around at eye level in the wind. It was also comfortable and secure to ride in with all that going on, though I do still have a Thinline pad underneath that buffers out the very worst of the crazy movement that he produces at times. So fingers crossed we've found a good answer that he'll stay happy with.
 
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It's great when you get the combo to work.
I am needing to change over now. She's stayed longer in her winter saddle than usual, but I am aching now so it's time for swapsies.
 
How are you liking the Albion? I'm in the US and it is hard to find here. Know anything about the Black Country Grafter? Or anything else you can suggest for a rolly polly Dales with a short back?
 
Black Country are lovely saddles, and often suit the wider types, my friend uses one on her Percheron and another nearly brought one for her highland (only didn’t as preferred another)
 
I'm still getting on well with the Albion, but @Dressage rider gone Dale if you want one for a Dales you do need to look for the Connemara and Cob version. I don't know about the Black Country Grafter and can't see it on their website, but as @Jessey says BC tend to be good saddles on wider types. However at only 3 your mare is going to change shape a lot, most natives are slow to mature and she could easily still put on width and length at 7.
 
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carthorse said:
I'm still getting on well with the Albion, but @Dressage rider gone Dale if you want one for a Dales you do need to look for the Connemara and Cob version. I don't know about the Black Country Grafter and can't see it on their website, but as @Jessey says BC tend to be good saddles on wider types. However at only 3 your mare is going to change shape a lot, most natives are slow to mature and she could easily still put on width and length at 7.
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I have a Black Country WH on a Euro tree in XW for my Welsh D. Comfy for him and me

He’s built like a bus even though he’s fairly fit just now.
 
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