Your views on this saddle system please, AND wide saddle suggestions

I've been sitting here in air conditioned comfort, trying to pluck up enthusiasm to go out into the heat and work a horse, I'm sure it would be bad for the horse as well

To pass the time I was looking to see if Ebay had any uber wide saddles to fit my Destiny, 14 hh Haflinger who is WIDE, no wider than that, whatever you are imagining WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDER.

I tried my widest saddle on her today in it just perches up off of her back. I'm meant to be backing her out shortly so need something that may stay on a totally circular no wither mare, while I try and get her ridden. I have to admit that she is fat as well as big, so I've just started her working again, she has a foal by her side just now.

I came across this, and I can't make up my mind if it's a good idea or not

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

It is either a brilliant idea or a dangerous one, and I can't make up my ind which. It could be just the thing to see her through the transition from fat pasture puff mum, to riding pony.

Any suggestions for reasonably priced WIIIIDE saddles?

Ehhh, I'm not sure how stable it'd be, GH. Just seems kind of dangerous, especially for something that 'self adjusts'. What's to keep it from adjusting and sliding right off the horse?

Plus, only $200 brand new? Um, there's a reason good saddles are expensive.

I briefly considered those self adjusting ones but after checking out the reviews and the fact that the company that makes them has changed their name 4 times...meh...doesn't sound that good. It is a great concept tho...not sure why a bigger name saddler hasn't really made it work.

The second one sure as hell looks wide. I would favor that one, especially for a first backing. If she decides she hates it, wants to lay down and roll on it, you aren't out big bucks.

I am always trolling for saddles...mine need to be uber narrow...like saddlebred narrow...if I come across any deals for you in wide, I'll let ya know.

Wide/Draft stuff is always so hard to come by! People want a flipping fortune for it!

Exactly, I get that you are better off with a good quality second hand saddle rather than a new, which is why I own 1 nice used Stubben, and two very very used Stubbens and a Micheal Stokes dressage saddle. Trouble is none of them go anywhere close to fitting her.

I have my eye on a very wide Duett that is a good buy, but it's at the sort of money I still have to find, and then I wouldn't want to actually start her in it, I had my nice Stubben on Elena a while back and was terrified the whole time.

If the cheapie draft package actually fits her, I can't see it will hurt to do all her ground work in it, and the first of her ridden work, then I will have time to save up for a nice saddle for when I actually start to put some hours on her.

I ride Western so this advice may not apply, but I ride in a treeless saddle. It fits my very rotund mare very nicely. She also has no withers to speak of so I always use a breastcollar, and have yet to have any accidents or problems.

They (I believe) also have treeless English saddles as well as hybrid trail saddles. I have one of those as well but have not used it yet. It comes with English rigging.

I was wondering about those saddles too!!!!!!! They are not pretty, about as appealing as a wintec, but they claim to fit everything from to a medium to a wide and form to a horses back. Im super curious.

Thorowgood, Thornhill (love it), Duett. And of course Black Country (love it too, can't afford), but they are very costly.

Unfortunately all of them require some money. Unless you are very lucky and someone donate it to you (never seen it happened though... :) ).

I've seen a Thorowgood advertised locally, I recognize the name, but don't know how good a brand it is, this is an 18" XXW, if they will take payments I may just have a go at it.

Thorowgood is synthetic and personally I prefer it to Wintec. Friend of mine got it for her very wide Percheron and it did fit him nicely. I looked at it in Dover, but unfortunately it's too wide (I think wide twist is how its called), so I feel quite funny hmmmmmm when I sit on it.