The wide horse
challenge continued...
Our most successful
saddles for the wide horse are built on a tree that
has more of a ‘U” shape than a “V” shape. The bottom
line is that many wide horses are shaped more like a
table than a tent. No matter how wide you expand the
bottom of a “V”, if you are putting on something
shaped like a circle, there will be only a small area
of that tree that will contact the horse. The “U”
shaped tree tends to be much more forgiving and allow
more room for the top of the shoulders.
It seems that many wide
horses are also short coupled.
Note
how the saddle sits up in front with the pommel higher
than the cantle. This is an indication of a tree being
too narrow for the intended horse.
This introduces another
problem. Ideally, the saddle panels should not extend
beyond the 18th thoracic vertebrae, or
beyond the last rib. There are cases where these
horses anatomically cannot wear a saddle that fits the
rider. Sometimes, a reasonable compromise is to find a
saddle that has a ‘swept-up’ or slightly curved panel
in the rear, which allows less weight to be
transferred to the rear of the saddle. With this
panel, realize that the weight has to go somewhere, so
the remainder of the panel will have to support more
pounds per square inch.
It is sometimes
necessary to use a ‘point billet’ (the girth billet
comes right off the end of the tree point, with a very
forward placement). This tends to be the most secure
girthing system, but also can create the most pressure
at or right behind the shoulder. It can be the best
way to keep a saddle ‘back’ and keep it from riding
forward, but the down side is that it can pinch.
Some horses carry a lot
of their width lower down in their shoulder area. The
tree points do not affect this area as much as the
front of the panels of the saddle. Many of these
horses do not care for a forward flap that gets onto
the shoulder, but likes a straighter ‘dressage’ flap
better. This can cause some difficulty in choosing a
jumping saddle, especially for the long legged rider,
or the rider who prefers to ride in a short stirrup
with a more forward leg. Sometimes a very softly
flocked panel can be a compromise.
Example of a broad, flat backed horse on left.
Example of a table backed horse on the right.
The gullet or channel of
the saddle is another factor that affects these rounder
horses. Generally, we like to see a generous amount of
space between the panels- 2 ½ inches or greater. If the
gullet is too narrow, it can produce pressure on the spine
and adjoining structures, but too wide a gullet can also
produce stability problems.
It is unfortunately true
that many of these wider horses have sustained damage and
discomfort from a pinching saddle. Since horses have such
good memories, they don’t tend to forget that distress.
Even when you put a better fitting saddle on them, they
may harbor some resentment and be less than thrilled with
anything that you offer them.
Above:
(Left) Standard head tree, (Right) Freedom Head tree.
Lower photos show both trees in a completed saddle.
Note the differences in angle of the tree points.
One can see how the broader, more "U" shaped tree head
on the right would accommodate a wider, flat backed
horse more comfortably.
The final part of the
challenge is to find a saddle that not only fits the
horse, but is also comfortable for the rider. In theory,
the tree width does not directly correlate to the width of
the ‘twist’ of the saddle, but in reality, there is a
relationship. In order to take a very broad ‘foundation’
and have a narrow twist, the saddle will have to have some
thickness to the panels in order to meld the wide tree
that is necessary for the horse’s comfort to the narrow
twist that is necessary for the rider. Once again, let’s
picture that ‘V” shape, but this time, think of where your
legs tie into your hips. If you are narrow hipped, the
only way that you can comfortably straddle that ‘table
shape’ will be to allow a bit more bend in your knees and
allowing your thigh to come forward slightly. One of the
biggest challenges that we have is trying to work with a
rider who is insistent that their legs must hang down long
and straight, while they are trying to ride an extremely
wide mount! Some saddle trees are actually thinned and
shaped away from the area that your thigh will
encounter. This can be more comfortable, but do remember,
there are always trade offs, and generally the panels that
support that tree have to also be shaped and smaller in
their weight bearing surface area.
The Mono Flap, or single
thickness flap can be more comfortable for a rider who is
already trying to struggle their way around a big-barreled
horse. It eliminates one layer of leather between you and
your mount, and also offers a close feel.
We’ve worked with two of our
saddle companies to create saddles for these round horses.
Our Equinox
saddle, made by Black Country in England, has found great
success and popularity in the endurance and pleasure
riding world. Comfort is of supreme importance for these
athletes, and the ‘hoop’ shaped tree that we used is
coupled with a very soft Jacob’s wool flocked serge panel.
For the
dressage riders, The Eloquence Extra, is built on the same
tree as our ‘Equinox’, and incorporates all of the
features that have worked so well for distance horses,
but, of course, we offer the look of a more traditional
dressage saddle.
If you need
to jump fences, take a look at the Killingtons. These
saddles are also made for us in England by Alan Powell and
Paul Booker, and have gotten kudos from many different
saddle fitters in the US as being easy saddles to fit and
custom flock, if necessary. They have gained popularity as
foxhunting saddles; the panels offer a wide, generous
weight-bearing surface, with a wide gullet.
In addition,
we recommend that you consider the Duett Saddles. The
owner of this company rides Haflingers, so she has first
hand knowledge on fitting a broad horse. She offers
several models, including an excellent trail saddle, an
all purpose saddle and dressage saddles.
Please don’t be tempted into
saying ‘as long as it fits my horse, I’ll learn to ride in
it.’ In order for you to give your horse every chance to
progress in his work, you MUST feel comfortable. We all
know that a horse that isn’t comfortable can’t do his
best, and neither can you. It can take a lot of
experimenting to find a saddle that is right for both of
you, but it is truly worth the wait and the many dollars
you can spend on shipping!
Be prepared for some
frustrations! It is not an easy process to find the saddle
that both you and your horse will be happy with, but it is
worth the effort.
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