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High Withers, low back

9K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  Frankiee 
#1 ·
Heey guys!

I bought a standerbred and my saddle fits him all over but his withers are to high for it, so i was wondering witch kind of solutions you guys may have,

What i was thinking is to use something under my saddle like a key, On the website pleasant ridge i found two pads, there memory foam bridging insert there one for bridging shoulders and one for briding back

The back one looks like it would do but before i spend money i wanna know if you guys think,

THANKS:D!
 
#2 ·
The saddle should fit the horse without corrective pads. If you need a pad to make it fit, it's the wrong saddle for the horse.

Shark fin withers are a common problem and fitting a saddle to them can be a pain, but it can and should be done.

Corrective pads don't fix the problem, they only make the owner feel good that they've taken care of the issue when they really haven't.
 
#9 ·
The saddle should fit the horse without corrective pads. If you need a pad to make it fit, it's the wrong saddle for the horse.

Shark fin withers are a common problem and fitting a saddle to them can be a pain, but it can and should be done.

Corrective pads don't fix the problem, they only make the owner feel good that they've taken care of the issue when they really haven't.

Thanks for the advice and yes it should be corrected like you said that exacly why im asking question and getting many sugestion to help. Not everyone has the money to buy a new saddle. And a correstive pad does help many rider's use it! that why its called a corrective pad.
 
#3 ·
My Thoroughbred has very high withers as well...I would recommend a narrow tree saddle. If saddle shopping isn't a solution, then I would say a key-pad, half pad, gel pad or thin line could all potentially do the trick. What Speed Racer said is true though...in my case, I ride so many different horses that a medium tree was the best option. I just ride my TB with a thin line when schooling and a half pad when showing to get the nessacary clearance of her withers! I would also definitly recommend asking someone who knows something about saddle fit what they recommend and to ask them to check and make sure of the fit even after you get the special pad :)
 
#4 · (Edited)
I disagree. There are horses out there who are oddly shaped, A-Symetrical, muscle atrophy, and etc, etc, etc - where no matter how hard you try to find the perfect fit, you wont.

With my fellow, I have a horse with narrow withers, but has broad shoulders and a broad back. So I have to go with a wider tree, and pad up. He also has muscle atrophy behind his shoulders, so I have to fill in those gaps. He also is weaker on his right side than his left, so I have to fill in the right side to make it even and balanced.

Then over time, through correct riding, muscling up, lunging, I can take away the shims here and there as he evens up and strengthens up, to the point where I wont need the shims.

In those situations, you have to find a saddle that fits well, and pad up, shim up to make it fit even better.

My suggestion, is to hire a Professional Saddle Maker/Fitter to come out and help you with this. I've had a handful of Saddlers come out and assess my horse, and all have come with the same conclusion - that I have to pad up, fill in gaps and pockets to make the saddle fit.

So, that's where corrective pads come into play. I highly recommend the Ultra Thinline Comfort Sheepskin Half Pad, I just purchased this pad and I am in love <3 <3 <3

Stay away from memory foam and gel. They do nothing. When you put pressure down onto the material, instead of taking the brunt of the pressure points and evenly dispursing it....it runs away from the pressure, allowing the pressure points given, to continue doing what it does.

Look into the Thinline. I cannot say enough about how well this product works. Even if you get a basic 1/2 pad, with pockets - you can buy the thinline shims and use those.

Again, contact a saddler to come out and help you. They are the one's who are trained in this field, and can give you the best possible advice. That way, they are there in person, seeing your horse, hands on, and can then take needed steps from there.

Best of luck!
 
#6 ·
I'm sort of on the fence about this one - MI made a great point.
In your case though, it is possible to find a high withered saddle, I have a gelding who's 17 hands at the withers but 16.1 at his back, it took me a while to find a proper fitting saddle but I found a good fit with my HDR advantage. Not my prefered brand but it did the trick.

As for the keyhole bad, that would not fix your problem. It would tip the pommel forward onto his withers if anything.
 
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