Mutton withered?

[Whitedresswind]

Well, its time to start thinking about getting Evelyn a saddle, and I doubt the two I have will fit her. She doesn't really have a defined wither, and I am afraid that normal saddles will restrict her movement or slide forward. I am not an expert on saddling so I could be wrong, but by the looks of it, what kind of saddle do you think would maybe fit her.

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee253/whitedresswind/107_1181.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee253/whitedresswind/IMG_8287.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee253/whitedresswind/107_1184.jpg

I am looking for a used saddle of course, as of now I can absolutely not afford a saddle, but I was thinking of selling one of my other ones. what do you guys think?
Thanks

[rocknK]

Have you tried all the saddles you own on this wooly.....I mean horse?? I would try that before purchasing something else. Sliding forward is something that usually only happens when going down steep hills. Cruppers or britching can help that. Good luck.

[Whitedresswind]

lol, she looks like a woolly bear!

I have a wintec AP saddle, but its a narrow fit, and i don't think it would fit her, but I also have another saddle, it looks like this...
http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=157&pictureid=1276&thumb=1 (http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/album.php?albumid=157&pictureid=1276)
I am going to try them on and take pictures for you guys once I get my camera.

[WashingtonBay]

What's hard to tell from here is scale. Would be easier to tell from looking at a known saddle sitting on her.

She's not extraordinarily mutton withered, but the problem if she was would not necessarily be sliding forward, it would be that the saddle would want to roll side to side easily, like trying to make it stay on the top of a barrel.

[mustangluver]

My mustang is like this. After I think 16 saddles I found a abetta, flex tree endurance and it fits awesome. No pinching, nor slipping. i do use a breast plate though

[HeartofSteel]

Does you wintec have the changeable gullets?

[oursarge]

What's hard to tell from here is scale. Would be easier to tell from looking at a known saddle sitting on her.

She's not extraordinarily mutton withered, but the problem if she was would not necessarily be sliding forward, it would be that the saddle would want to roll side to side easily, like trying to make it stay on the top of a barrel.

That's what happens with my boy, the saddle wants to roll off of him. No matter how tight it is it moves. He's built like a barrel!

[3equines]

An 8" gullet draft tree might work. This generally fits Haflingers as the bars are angled less 'steep' to fit a rounder barrel. Some of the Australian stock saddles can work, too. Their unique design works well on round horses. Look for a 7" gullet or wider, regardless of saddle type (AUssie or Western). I have found one full QH bar saddle that fits my Haflinger, Peach and tried many that did not, it is just luck of the draw. My other Haffie, Sweet P, is a complete anomoly when it comes to saddles, the best luck I've had so far is our draft horse-bar Aussie stock saddle.

[Whitedresswind]

No, its an older wintec.

Thanks guys, I will look into it all.

[3equines]

Here is a super smokin' nice saddle with an 8" draft gullet. If I had the money i would bid on it!
http://cgi.ebay.com/BIG-HORN-DRAFT-HORSE-SADDLE_W0QQitemZ220378651735QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_ DefaultDomain_0?hash=item220378651735&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/1/2/9/3/7/4/webimg/241523102_tp.jpg (http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=1129374&image=241523102&images=241522991,241523102,241523178,241523292,241 523358,241523406,241523494,241523638,241523711,241 523811&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0)
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/1/2/9/3/7/4/webimg/241523711_tp.jpg (http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=1129374&image=241523711&images=241522991,241523102,241523178,241523292,241 523358,241523406,241523494,241523638,241523711,241 523811&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0)

[WashingtonBay]

She's a little tiny thing, isn't she? I don't think she looks all that wide.

[Whitedresswind]

Yup, she is a little thing, only 14.1 hh

Actually I would prefer an AP, or English saddle. Probably should have mentioned that :)
One thing is, is that she is pretty comfy bareback =) I'll have to get better pictures with a saddle on.

[WashingtonBay]

The saddle you have on would help give scale, and so would some from the front and top.

[3equines]

English saddles are way more forgiving in fit than Western!!! I would consider one of the Wintec saddles with a changeable gullet system. It will be a little more tricky to come up with a 'used' saddle for such a unique back. And, if you plan to just ride trails for awhile, still consider Aussie style saddles (they do come without horns). The circingle feature in the Aussie girth system really helps with round backs. The stirrup placement and seat is more English than Western.

Note on the classic Wintec saddles: they do have a 'narrow' tree, I tried a nice all-purpose one on my Arab and it was too narrow for his shoulders. The newer changeable gullet system is built on a wider tree. Otherwise, I liked the all-purpose saddle for trail riding.

Sticky saddle pads help, and so does a well-fitted breast coller and a crupper or breeching. Finding an English breast collar to fit will be a challenge, you may have to look for a pony sized one. My 'cob sized' Wintec English breast collar is too big for my Haflingers, and even my Polish Arab. Had to punch tons of holes in it. Also, when mounting/dismounting a wide-backed horse, it is best to place your left hand in front of the saddle, or clear on the off side of the pommel, so that you do not pull the saddle over when you put your weight on the near side.

[cloedoll]

She's a little tiny thing, isn't she? I don't think she looks all that wide.


Well, Cloe's a little thing (13.3hh), but that doesn't stop her from taking a 36cm tree. :doh: Haha, and I second what others have said. :)

[3equines]

Sweet P" 13.2 hands, 8" Western tree is too small

WDW's little mustang doesn't look particularly large-barreled or wide through the shoulder, just very flat-backed and mutton withered. Most saddles are designed for horses whose withers and spine are up above the shoulder and ribs, so the angle of the bars is more of an A-style. The bars tend to be narrower at the wither, then widen out a little to accomodate the back. With a mutton-withered horse, the narrow part of the tree that is made to accomodate withers will only make contact at two points (on the 'shoulder' where the scapulae move up into the wither). This also causes the saddle to bridge over the back, so then the cantle-end of the tree only makes contact to the horse at two points. Sometimes the very outer aspect of the bars will touch the horse's back, but only over a thin, narrow surface. If you were to reach into the gullet and feel along, you can get your fingers between the tree fo the saddle and the horse's back.

It is very hard to get a hard-to-fit horse a saddle on your first guess. Even Sweet P's Aussie saddle is a tad TOO wide (10" gullet) but I can pad it up to make it work. Too wide is negotiable, too narrow just won't work.

The 8" gullet QH bar saddle that I use for Peach still puts 'points' on her shoulders, but the rest of the saddle makes good contact over her back. I compensate by using a thick Impact Gel pad to take some of that pressure off her shoulder. Sometimes that's the best you can do. Another 8" QH bar saddle four-pointed on her (two on withers, two under cantle), bridged the back entirely, and there was no way to make that saddle work for her. It's just luck of the draw.