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Jumping saddle for a flat backed mare?

3K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  iheartcloudnine 
#1 ·
My mare has almost high withers (can't really see it in the pics), no rump, and a flat back. She also has the strangest shaped chest I've ever seen on a walker. She looks more like a thoroughbred. I'm considering taking her the HJ route because she loves to jump, and earlier I was trying an old saddle of mine on her and I realized how flat her back was. I longed her with full tack, and realized how difficult her saddle and girth were going to be. I had to pull the girth forward seven times before I gave up and took it off her. It was one of the rubber stay in place girths too, with a stay in place saddle pad.

Any suggestions? She is amazing at jumps, but has tack issues.

Please ignore how weird she looks in these pictures, this is before I rescued her and she has built up an insane amount of muscle since then!

Right Side
Left Side
Angled
 
#3 ·
She's only 6. She has put on a good deal more muscle since the pic was taken, but mostly on her front end, neck and legs. None in spots that would help for tack issues.

Yeah, she has a very weird shape. She's nothing like my other walkers at all. If she didn't gait, I'd say the guy actually sold us a Thoroughbred.

(Edit) How I wish I could spell....
 
#5 ·
My daughter has a Wintec Pro-Jump saddle as it works well for my flat backed mare. The CAIR panels adjust nicely when you're mounted, and the changeable gullets help too.

When you say you had to pull the girth forward, do you mean because it was slipping back? If so, could you not tighten it with the girth back farther?
 
#6 ·
I tried the girth in about four different places on here, and every time it slid all around. She's just really thin, there's hardly any contour to her chest at all. I had it as tight as I dared go today, and it still went everywhere.

I'll look into that wintec, I have another one and I love it so much. It was fitted to my slope backed gelding (I have a horse in every shape and size). I couldn't find the Duett saddle you were talking about, though.

Thank you all for your answers!
 
#7 ·
SORRY for the double post!!

I just found a saddle that fits her. I cannot believe it! Of course, it's not perfect for my uses, but hey it's a saddle! I bought a spanish saddle on ebay for my gelding (who looks great in it, btw, and rides great in it too) and today on a whim I threw it up on her. I noticed it didn't rock back and forth, so I went and did it again with a girth and saddle pad this time. And it FITS! I was so excited. She was looking at me like "Yep, she's lost it this time."

Does anyone know of anything that fits similar to a spanish saddle? I have pics of it at the bottom. Hope this gives you some idea of her fit. It is a massive 21" with a super wide tree and was bought for my draft-like geldings. I longed her just in a circle with it for a while, tightened it again, and it even seemed to stay in place despite the girth going every which way. I am in love with the thing simply because it fits her :D . I'll get a pic of it soon on her, because this massive thing and the saddle blanket both look like postage stamps on this tall mare!

Thanks for all your answers!



 
#8 ·
I think you can find a saddle, you just need to look for one with a wide channel to it. The Thorowgood Teqnic I owned had a narrower gullet, but very generously wide channel. Too many people see a high wither and assume there horse needs a narrow tree. Very few horses actually need a narrow tree. I bet your horse would be great in a medium tree saddle, but with a wide channel. :D
 
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