[JumpingTheMoon]

My friend has a reining bred QH that is very butt high with no withers.
She's gone through about 17 saddles so far trying to find a saddle that fits her and her horse.

 

[iridehorses]

What is your price range and how will you use it?

 

[JumpingTheMoon]

I believe she has a pretty decent budget, and she's just going to use it for trails.

 

[jesredneck98]

I would look into a Jasper Haynes they come from a very small shop out of Atlanta you can look them up on the internet and I believe it gives you access to them and thier store. I bought one off of ebay which came directly from thier store. Great price all different sizes and fits my horse great as well as the horse that I have that is similiar to the one you explained. Good Luck.

 

[kevinshorses]

She is probably being too picky and doesn't understand saddle fit. If 17 other saddles didn't suit her I wouldn't dare suggest one.

 

[kitten_Val]

I'm with Kevin on that. 17 saddles is quite a lot unless the horse is completely unique shaped.

Although I went through like 10 saddles myself trying to fit both of my horses - wide qh with lower withers and narrow paint with high withers. I ended up with Alamo Pleasure. I noticed also those flex tree saddles (like Circle Y or TexTan) fit wide horses with no withers really nicely.

 

[equiniphile]

A lot of people don't like it, but I love my Wintec Western All-Rounder. It's durable, sturdy, has a wide gullet, isn't real leather so it's waterproof and doesn't need oiling, etc. I really like mine....Here's a pic of it (the saddle blanket looks really disporportionate, I know. And I now use a foam pad under the blanket as well):

 

[RiosDad]

I would look into a Jasper Haynes
.

I don't like how they are rigged. They have the girth coming right out under the saddle horn?? This pulls the saddle down tight on the withers and doesn't hold the saddle down in the back. Yes I know you can run the rear cinch but how many snug them down??
Saddles come in full, 7/8th and maybe 3/4? But I don't know who makes a 3/4 since it puts the cinch almost under the fenders. I modify all my western saddles for a center, 50% rigging.
I also don't like horns on western saddles. they tend to jab you in the gut if the horse jumps a fallen tree , a ditch or pitches you forward. What good is it anyway unless you are roping??

I run modified Betta endurance saddles and it has absolutely nothing to do with price.

 

[samstox]

My dad makes saddles in NC. He would prob be outof your price range because they are custom made, but he sends a mold that you put on your horse and then you send it back to him and he can find a tree that will fit your horse. This is the show saddle he made me last year. The website is www.pinchlessbits.com and if you go to the saddle page it will show you others he has made.

 

[gunit1400]

check out partrade.net as they have the wintec synthetic saddles and circle p leather saddles. And don't let the fact that I work there influence you at all.....lol. Worth looking at anyway.

Scott

 

[kitten_Val]

What good is it anyway unless you are roping??

It's pretty good to hold on when you learn cutting. :wink:

 

[lilkitty90]

well I use a Circle Y saddle and a Hereford something Saddle i can't remember the name! but the Hereford is the MOST comfortable saddle i have EVER sat in. it's fantastic. i'll have to figure out the whole name of it.

 

[Tack Collector]

Tex Tan flex trees come in 2 widths -- be sure to get wide.
Big Horn (before Anirican bought them) and Fabtron are the preferred synthetic saddles here.

A rule of thumb says 90 degree Wades fit most horses and the 94 degree wade fits the mutton withered. (Wades are supposed to be a god tree style that works for a lot of horses. I have yet to sit in anyone's regular Wade and not have it be too wide across the seat for me. I'd apparently need a Lady Wade or Lady Pendleton tree for me, lol.)

I'm an English rider. The info I posted is what I found while researching.

 

[iridehorses]

a Hereford something Saddle i can't remember the name!

TexTan

Either a Wade or an "A" fork tree with a wide gullet may be what your friend needs. Both trees do a good job of fitting a wide range of horses. I use the following method when heading off to the tack shop to fit a new horse:

Go to the hardware store and get about 4’ of 12 or 14 gauge house wire (the kind electricians use to wire a house) and cut it in half. This was written for Western saddles but the principle is the same for English or Australian.

Take 2’ and shape it over your horse’s withers. Take the other 2’ and shape it over the center of his back.

Carefully take the wires and trace the inside of the wire on a heavy piece of cardboard (or poster board if you have it). Cut out the cardboard shapes and take them to the saddle shop to fit against some saddles.

This part is Western: Keep in mind that QH bars in one saddle may not be the same in another brand. There are no standards for saddle trees so each manufacturer has his own idea what dimensions make the designations.

As for you, your bum should not be squished against the cantle, it should have a little room at the top and there should be about 4" of space between your tummy and the swell.

Aside from taking the horse with me to fit a saddle to, I find that the method above works well.

 

[JumpingTheMoon]

Thanks iride. Her issue is not being picky but her horse is exceptionally butt high, almost like someone took a horse a hand higher and joined his butt with her horse. Add mutton withers and you've got yourself an uncomfy ride already. So, most saddles she gets slips forward, or she's rather unbalanced.

I appreciate the replies!!!

 

[Ridehorses99]

Mutton withered horses are really tough to fit. My AQHA gelding was very mutton withered when he was younger. When the withers are very round, there's nothing to hold the tree into place. I tried saddles, girths and pads. What worked the best for me was a contoured wool-felt pad and wool-felt girth with a regular saddle.

 

[JumpingTheMoon]

Thanks Ridehorses99, I'll pass that on to her.

 

[smrobs]

If she has the budget, a custom made saddle may be the only way to go.

 

[MoonlightEm]

Love my Crates

I have a very wide Paint with no withers. My Tex Tan didn't fit him (it had a rawlide tree). I now have a Crates Reining saddle and use it mostly for trailriding. I bought it used and the previous owner did reining with it. It's a great saddle and each one is handmade. Em