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which barrel saddle is best for a high withered horse

17K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  kmorrison128 
#1 ·
i have a high withered horse an i can tell my saddle doesnt fit right. which barrel saddle would be best for a high withered horse?
 
#2 ·
I don't know that there would be anything specific about a barrel saddle. But generally, on high wither horses, the problem is filling that hollowness right behind the shoulders, so that the saddle sits more level. There are saddle pads made for that. I don't think the type of saddle will make any difference.
 
#4 ·
Barrel saddles do often have a higher gullet height which often works well for high withered horses.

However, the tree has to fit the horse to begin with. Without knowing any other information about your horse or seeing a picture of your horse, it's impossible to know what to suggest.

Can you post pictures of your horse, and pictures of your current saddle?
 
#5 ·
I don't know anything about treeless saddles. So I won't speak to that. Like I said, generally, on high wither horses, one has the problem of clearing the withers. But one has to make sure the tree isn't clearing the withers because it is too narrow. If that's the case, your saddle will look higher in the front than the back. The other problem with high wither horses is filling the hollowness they usually have right behind the shoulders. If that's the case, the saddle will be lower in the front. You will feel like you're riding downhill. A saddle is supposed to look and feel level. There are several saddle pads out there made to fill that hollow spot. Professional Choice makes a pretty good one. A more economical route I've seen is strips of cell foam in a wedge shape, made to go between the saddle pad or blanket and the saddle.
 
#8 ·
Personally, I don't think your horse has high withers.

And it appears your currently barrel saddle is much too wide, which is why it's sitting downhill and why it's sitting on his withers. Also not a fan of your pad. (no wither cut-out; not contoured; fairly thick).

What brand of saddle is that and what type of tree is in it?
 
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#9 ·
its a silver royal , yes i know silver royal is cheap and not good but i used to do horse shows western pleasure ect so i got the saddle i like the most but noticed it was cheaply made, it has a fiberglass tree, what barrel saddle brand & pad would you suggest? i am selling my show saddle in order to get a way better barrel saddle
 
#11 ·
Yup, you get what you pay for, in terms of quality. Cheap price usually equals cheap quality and cheap materials.

You know, saddle fitting is pure trial and error. Do you have a saddle shop near you? The best thing you can do is haul your horse to a saddle shop and work with someone who knows how to fit a saddle, and try them on your horse.

There is no standard in the western industry so your horse may fit in a semi-quarter horse tree in one brand but need a full-quarter horse tree in another. (It's very frustrating!) But all brands and all trees will fit different.

I can't really tell from your pictures how wide your horse is, but just guessing since the Silver Royal was too wide, maybe to start your search with a semi-quarter horse tree? You just have to try brands on and see what fits and what doesn't.

I'd encourage you to read these websites and educate yourself on saddle fit.

Factors That Affect Tree Fit

THE SADDLE
 
#12 ·
I ride a very high withered thoroughbred, and I ride in a Billy Cook Barrel Saddle with one of 2 saddle pads. either my SMB pad, or my Classic Equine Contourpedic Pad. Both are 3/4’ thick, 30x30 square edged and neoprene bottomed, with a hole over their withers. I like the neoprene cause it makes them SUPER easy to clean, and I notice less slippage with them when she is super sweaty and running hard. Before I was running her in a no-name brand roper saddle (was saving for my billy cook) and i have noticed a HUGE difference in her performance since switching saddles. I test rode so many. I ended up picking between a Billy Cook and a C3... Billy Cook just ended up working better for me, but the C3 performed soon well. They also are super good for a high withered horse!
 
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