these horses, like my Oskar are challenging across the board; to keep sound, to keep
happy, to ride and to fit a saddle to.
Many times these more challenging horses to fit are also quite sensitive to improper fit.
Whether this stems from pain & bad experiences from their past or not probably varies
from horse to horse. In Oskar’s case, judging by the huge patch of white hair at the
base of his withers, I’d say that someone made him quite uncomfortable in his youth!
We get calls and emails every day from people looking for saddles for their horses. We
ask for tracings of the the horse to help guide our selection. What many people overlook
and what I find equally as important as the tracings however is our “saddle fit
questionnaire”.
In this business, we aim to match the right saddle up with the right horse and rider. The
horse is a very big part of the equation…and the horse is our starting point…but the
horse is not the only factor we need to weigh.
The saddle we find has to work for BOTH the horse and rider. In order to work for the
rider, the saddle needs to #1) fit physically #2) fit financially and #3) put the rider in an
effective and correct position.
This balance is more difficult to attain when you have an Oskar who innately requires a
saddle with more panel support which generally means a more expensive saddle.
Many OTTB’s have backs that look like Oskar’s. They have shark fin withers with big
hollows on either side & prominent spines. To make matters worse, these types are
often built a little downhill so the saddle naturally wants to jam forward into these
withers. Oskar will tell you that this can be quite painful!
In looking for a saddle, it is important to think about what your intended use for this
saddle would be. Are you a trail rider who prefers a dressage saddle? Are you a serious
dressage rider looking to improve and build on existing skills? How often do you ride?
For how long? Are you in training with anyone? What are your goals, if any?
All of these questions are important factors in finding a saddle that will work for you.
Next question and equally important: what is your budget? These days, there are many
options with saddles and the fit design has come quite a long way. It is getting easier to
find a saddle to accommodate even the more difficult conformations.
What does not get easier is finding the more specialized panel configurations at an
affordable price.
If you are working with a restricted budget and are not lucky enough to stumble upon a
used saddle with a k-panel and wither gussets…you do have a few good options that
wont break the bank.
These days a few companies are making really great correction pads that can help give
these horses a bit more support over their sensitive withers and spines. These pads are
pricey-for pads- but can really help a horse be much more comfortable under saddle.
I like both the Mattes correction pad which has felt shims & 4 different pockets to insert
them and customize the fit. I also like the Thinline correction pad called the Trifecta pad.
The Thinline inserts are a dense rubber material that has the added bonus of absorbing
and distributing shock and pressure. The Thinline shims fit in similar pockets so you can
basically build your own panel configuration under the saddle.
If you are thinking of going this route, it is always better to start with a saddle that is
wide and add shims to narrow and customize the fit.
Think of the shims like insoles for your shoes; you don’t want to add bulk to shoes that
are already tight however if you add them to shoes that are a bit loose, they can snug
the fit and support your foot.
Another solution that is often overlooked is the synthetic saddle. We carry the
Thorowgood T8 line of saddles in many different models. We carry both the Broadback
dressage & AP and the Hi wither dressage & AP. These saddles feature adjustable
gullet plates and very supportive panel configurations. Don’t get me wrong, they are not
the answer for every horse but with wide gullet channels, deep panels and full front
gussets, they are a surprisingly good fit on quite a large number of them.
These saddles sell for $895. Think about the comparable used leather saddles you can
get for that price. It is nearly impossible to find a leather saddle with a panel to fit my
Oskar for anywhere near that price. Sometimes these saddles will make both horse and
rider more comfortable than the equally priced, older, hard leather saddle with a narrow
gullet channel!!!
Basically my message for you horse owners out there who are blessed with an Oskar is
“don’t despair”! We are happy to discuss all options with you in fitting your horse!
It is important to be realistic with us when you tell us your budget. We will naturally start
with the best possible options for you and your horse. Usually these are more
expensive. We have no problem however in discussing different/creative solutions to
your saddle fit problems!