Saddle fit/Full or Semi QH Bars?

So, my coming 4-year old mare has filled out in the past several months. I am wondering if this saddle still fits her? I did take her out on a trail the other day, and she was sweaty everywhere except for a spot on each side of her wither. In reading about this in the past, it was said that this is where there is a pressure point, cutting off circulation to the pores, preventing sweating. I thought I remember reading that that is not always the case, as well.
Here are the dry spots after a trail ride:



Here is the saddle I ride her in. I didn't include the pad just so you can see how it hugs her body:
















Here is a wider saddle....The gullet measures 8" I believe. The pad is built up in the front. I've never ridden her in this one.




Are you able to tell if the barrel saddle is Full or Semi QH bars by the width of the gullet? Also, since she has such a short back, would she be a candidate for a gaited horse saddle? Isn't it the twist that is different?

Anyone?

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I think your Horse is in that in-between stage.

Semi-qh is too narrow, full-qh is too wide.

The second Saddle with the built up pad may be worth a test, as long as the tree does not hit the top of the withers when someone is in the Saddle, try it and see how sweat patterns look


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Thank you Southern. I will give it a try with the second saddle. The first saddle seems to fit her like a glove, but maybe when you add the pad it's just too narrow. Would you say that it is a semi-QH bar? She has never acted up, but she is a very tolerant horse, I believe. We were out on that trial ride the other day where she started to lope and she did do the 'all four-feet off the ground with her back arched buck'. But I slowed her down and it was her first time loping with a rider on her back. I haven't loped her under saddle yet because of a whole other issue, so I can't comment on what her normal behavior is. Thanks again.

Do you think this mare would benefit from a gaited horse saddle? I thought they had less of a twist and are for shorter backed horses? I am thinking that a round skirted saddle would be best for her?

At 4 years old, a permanent saddle could be a waste of money as she has a good possibility of changing some more.

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Also, if your riding her in a pad with the first saddle, would you be able to re-ride the saddle with a regular blanket? Something not as thick as a pad?

I have nothing to add that would be helpful about the gaited saddles. I've never had a gaited horse before...

Danielle

Sorry, that rarely ever works as the angles of the bars in a Semi-QH verses Reg-QH verses a Full-QH are different, padding or no padding does not changed that.

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I ride in a wool pad that is not overly thicker than normal. I understand about the bar angle....but doesn't the pitch of the bars actually seem like they are ok, and that if the gullet width was wider it would be ok?

On Full QH bars, even though the gullet is wider, doesn't the pitch change too to where only the top of the bars may only make contact if it's too wide for her?

I rode her, for sh**s and giggle mostly in the black saddle, which I ride my percheron in, just to see how wide it really was. It is an 8" gullet and I had a pad that was built up in the front. While it is too wide, it actually wasn't horribly wide as you would expect. The back didn't come up off of her back, it didn't tilt down too far in front to where I was thrown forward and it was still a couple inches off of her withers. So, I was surprised. So, if her current saddle gullet is 6" and the black one is 8", would it be safe to maybe say a 7" gullet would be good?

I will definitely have my chiro look at all of this when she is out on the 19th.

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Saddle measure is very hard to do once they are built, but the 1st saddle is not really a 6" gullet, no such thing

The Abetta has a 7" Gullet (per manf. Specs.), I think your Horse is now a 6.75"

The built up pads can equalize a one size difference on occasion, since your Horse is growing and so close, I think soon the Abetta will fit well with the average saddle pad.
Will she need a different saddle when fully grown at about 6 years old? The million dollar question


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