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Horse with High withers

7K views 27 replies 10 participants last post by  sirsean52 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,

I just bought a really nice saddle off of Ebay. When I put it on my mare, I noticed that it didn't fit properly. I discovered that she has high withers. Is there any way to correct this without purchasing a new saddle? Just an fyi, the saddle sits on her but it doesn't rest on her withers. It's about 3 or more inches. So, I guess you would say it's narrow.
 
#7 ·
The tree has to fit the horse's back and lower wither are (just behind the shoulder). VERY few horses actually need a narrow tree. Horses with high withers often need saddles with a partially cut back pommel or with a high pommel.

Pictures of the horse with the saddle on, lightly girthed with no saddle pad, would be helpful. Take a side shot showing the whole horse and a 3/4 front angle showing the whole shoulder and front of the saddle. Be sure the horse is standing on level ground with the head level or slightly elevated.
 
#8 ·
Also, the finger test, 3 fingers above the withers, is a guide, not a hard and fast rule. Some horses my have more room (if they're low withered) or less. As long as you have more than 1" of space with a rider in the saddle at the trot, you're good for wither clearance. However, that doesn't mean the saddle fits everywhere else ;-).
 
#11 ·
In my humble opinion, there is nothing wrong with your horse's withers. I fear the saddle isn't as high quality as you thought it would be. It kind of looks too narrow for her, which is weird because she doesn't look that wide. It almost looks like it is narrow in the gullet but flares out wide at the bottom of the bars. Just totally the wrong shape for your horse.

I really hate to knock your new saddle, but I can just tell by looking at the leather that it is one of the cheap imports. I had one too and was lucky to sell it. So I wish I had more positive news, but the problem is the saddle, not the horse.

Not that you can't buy a cheap saddle and have it fit. Or an expensive saddle and have it not fit. Price isn't an indicator of fit. It's just when you buy a better saddle you have better odds of it fitting, that's all. And a better resale value if it doesn't fit and you have to sell it.

I've probably been through 6 or more saddles trying to fit my round Mustang, and finally purchased one off of eBay that fits like a glove! But I was buying and selling saddles for several years before I found the perfect one.

So I wish I had the magic answer for you, that could solve your saddle fitting woes, but having been through it myself it is a lot of trial and error and buying and selling several saddles until you find the right one.

What CAN help, is to make a wither tracing of your horse (there are articles on the internet on how to do this) and take it with you saddle shopping OR send it in to a reputable saddle shop and see what they have that they think will be a good fit for your horse. That is not a 100% accurate method either, but it increases your odds. That's finally how I found a good saddle for my Mustang. I found a saddle maker on eBay and sent in the wither tracing and they told me what saddles they had that would be a good fit.

BUT, if you are on a budget, you will be better off getting a good quality, name brand used saddle in your price range. Good saddles hold their value, so if you don't overpay and get a good used saddle, then even if it doesn't fit you can get your money back out of it. I've even come out ahead on a saddle or two doing that. :)
 
#12 ·
Nope, not good news :). So, I guess it's back to saddle shopping. Just what I didn't want to have to do. You are right, the gullet does seem to be too narrow. I'm think that I need a saddle with full horse bars. I'm going to visit the saddle shop and see what I can come up with. Thanks for the wither tracing idea.
 
#13 ·
PS. It's hard to judge from photos, but if your horse is likely to stay at the same weight she is now, I'm betting she will need semi-quarter horse bars instead of full QH bars. I don't know if she is a TB or a QH, but she has a build more like a TB. Unless she gets a lot fatter, I am guessing Full Quarter Horse Bars will be too wide for her. Kind of like my Foxtrotter. I can use FQHB on her, but it is actually too wide and if I were to buy a saddle specifically for her, I would try to find a narrower tree.

Don't worry that the new one is too narrow and think you need to go wider, because actually I think the saddle is too narrow at the top because it is too wide at the bottom. I hope that makes some sense. If not, maybe someone can help me explain it better. But the best advice I can suggest it to get a wither tracing and use it as a guide when saddle shopping- to find a saddle the same shape as her back right behind her shoulders where you want your saddle to sit. :)
 
#15 ·
Those pictures are too close up to make any judgement at all. Put the saddle on without any pad, lightly cinched up. Step back and get a photo of the WHOLE shoulder, so we can see how the front of the saddle lays against the horse. Also take a picture from the side showing the WHOLE horse, like your conformation photo. Then put your pad on with the saddle and take the same pictures again.

Western saddles are not made for high withered horses. If your saddle doesn't fit, then you're going to have to look for a saddle that has a taller pommel, like an A-fork (NOT a Wade) or a barrel racing saddle.
 
#16 ·
Western saddles are not made for high withered horses. If your saddle doesn't fit, then you're going to have to look for a saddle that has a taller pommel, like an A-fork (NOT a Wade) or a barrel racing saddle.
But the gullet isn't anywhere near touching this horse's withers. So I don't think wither height is the problem at all. (And even if it were, you will know with a wither tracing whether or not the saddle would come down too low on the withers).

And there ARE western saddles out there to fit high withered horses. I agree an "A-fork" is a good place to start. Also, there are lots of antique western saddles that are built narrower (because horses were narrower back then) and many of those are also A-forks. Also, there are lots of gaited horses ridden western and there are "gaited saddles" made for them that fit the narrower, higher withered horses. But I don't think there is anything wrong with this horse, just the wrong saddle. I am still thinking she needs semi-QH bars. There are a lot of TB-type Quarter Horses out there, and I know they too can wear western saddles.

To the original poster- have you ridden the horse enough to get it good and sweaty? I mean, really nice and sweaty? Did the saddle leave dry marks?
 
#19 ·
I just ordered this saddle pad online with the hopes that it will solve my problem. Any opinions on this? I'm really trying to not have to purchase another saddle. But, If I must, then I guess that's what I'll have to do. The saddle I currently have appears to be too narrow.
 
#24 ·
I guess I'll have to sell it. I really like that saddle. Never imagined it to be this difficult.
I've been going through the same problems.

I thought I would also add that a saddle that fits her now may not fit her properly down the road. As she is ridden more her topline will change and could affect saddle fit.
 
#26 ·
You do NOT want to ride your horse in a saddle that is too narrow. My saddle is too narrow for my hossie and it pinches her back (like you wearing shoes a few sizes too small). The pinching caused problems when riding... refusing jumps, rushing after jumps, not wanting to round her back on the flat... I bought a pair of Parelli saddle shims which helped a lot! But one thing the shims couldn't fix was that the saddle hollowed out her back. Suki went from having a nice, full back to more prominent withers and either side being a little sunken. Same thing was an issue with my trainer's old event horse.
 
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