New saddle

Bodshi

Bodshi

Well-Known Member
Apr 23, 2009
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Well that was this week's new experience - we went to get a new saddle. AJ was started in a treed (fitted professionally) but of course he changed shape quite rapidly when I started riding him, so at that point I got my lovely Solution saddle fitter lady out to fit Raf's old Ansur treeless saddle to him. I bloody love that saddle, it's been a long time since Raf could use it, due to his withers becoming more prominent with age, but I saved it all this time 'just in case'.

So was really excited to be putting AJ in it but sadly and unexpectedly (for me) it didn't have the same magical effect as it did in Raf. AJ was ok in it, but nothing special (unlike Raf who went markedly better in it than anything else we tried, except his bareback pad which he also loved. Interestingly AJ isn't fussed about the bareback pad either).

Anyway, the Ansur is a bit of a pain to put on because the pad obviously has to sit very precisely so the channel clears the spine, and lining up numnah, pad and saddle from the ground can be tricky, especially in times of stress, like when you need to be quick!

So I decided to go back to treed and now have a GFS cob jump (more like a GP) in XW+ It has a fairly flat tree with a low cantle (good for the older less flexible rider!) and suits a wide flat back such as AJ's. The other very close contender was a Kent & Masters which was lighter, but the GFS just had the edge fitwise, plus the K&M has a much higher cantle. Both saddles are adjustable but the K&M would probably have had more resale value.

The actual fitting was a bit of a nightmare as we travelled to the fitter and used his arena which for some reason was way too stressful for AJ and sweat was actually running down his legs by the time we finished. So I don't really know if he had any preference for a particular saddle because he was fairly oblivious to the actual fitting, he was too busy stressing about his surroundings. So fingers crossed for when I actually ride in it - got a lesson tonight so will find out then.
 
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You have to go with how things feel don't you.
I loved the Freeform and went as far as importing a bigger seat, but she just grew and changed. Treeless doesn't just fit does it, people often assume that they will.
 
Treeless can be as tricky as treed to get right IMO. My Solution saddle fitter (who checked and fitted the Ansur) could make minor tweaks to the shimming which would make so much difference to how I felt. That's one of the reasons I loved it, because she could so easily adjust it to suit, but I needed her to come at least once a year to do a check so it was equally time consuming and expensive as having a treed.

AJ seems ok with the new saddle so far. TBH nothing I have used on him seems to make a tremendous difference. But it is easier for me to have the treed. And apparently AJ needs more work. He started being a bit silly in my lesson, so was given some harder work, at which point he had a tantrum so instructor sent us off cantering round the school, after which he was given a new task to learn (shoulder in) and then he did start thinking, plus we had to do a very controlled sitting trot followed by 'extended' trot and finally a hard stop from extended trot, which he wasn't expecting. My instructor doesn't pussyfoot around. I need to be more demanding and stop treating AJ like a baby!
 
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The stress factor during fitting is huge—I've seen horses completely different in their home arena versus anywhere else. That adrenaline shuts down any real feedback you'd get about saddle preference. The Ansur working brilliantly for Raf but not AJ is interesting though; treeless saddles load the middle of the back differently than treed ones, which doesn't suit every horse the same way even if they're both wide-backed. Worth seeing if the GFS gives you that same feel once he's calm and you get a proper ride in it.
 
poor AJ — sounds like the fitting was more about surviving the arena than testing saddles! Fingers crossed the GFS feels completely different once he's back in familiar surroundings and you both can actually enjoy the ride.
 
Well we've had it more than 18 months now and it's still working. It's had 3 checks since I got it and needed adjusting each time as AJ changes shape. I think it's had one gullet change (to narrower) and two flocking adjustments. For me, I don't love it like I did the Ansur, but there's nothing wrong with it other than being a bit hard.

Friend has a cavaletti which she says is really comfortable, but it's very heavy. I covet a Black Country but no idea if one would even suit AJ. Can't afford a new saddle 'just because' anyway, so it's immaterial.

I worked out it's the traffic noise from the busy road that's screened by trees from the saddler's arena that upsets AJ. But he has got a little better with each visit and was almost sensible last time. He didn't poop all over either - progress!
 
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Mine didn't like noise she can't see. She likes to see the person making the noise usually.
Glad the saddle is working out, what about a seat saver. You can get gel and suede.
 
The stress pretty much guarantees his opinion during the fitting was useless - he was too busy panicking. You'll actually find out tonight when he can focus on the saddle rather than the scary arena.
 
Arena stress really does make it impossible to tell what a horse actually thinks of a saddle. Bet you'll get a much better sense once he settles in the lesson.
 
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