Many Thoroughbreds and other athletic riding types sport high withers that make saddle fitting difficult. Best Saddle for Trail Riding. In fact, today’s saddletree looks a lot like the ancient versions—just two strips of wood (or composite) connected by two arches—a pommel or fork at the front and a cantle at the back. A tired rider is harder for a horse to carry. Many of these horses have withers that taper into a broad, athletic back with a well-sprung rib cage. Since 1982, the studbook has been closed. Endurance rides can be any distance, though they are rarely over 160 km for a one-day competition. For these physiques consider an adjustable tree. If the saddle is not soft and light for the horse and the rider, it might be a problem. But that’s an all-too-common mistake. Suitable for both amateur and professional riders. (Compare carrying a sleeping child, to one that is awake.) AceRugs All Natural Cowhide Western Leather Horse Saddle. [For your bookshelf: The Horse's Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book][For your bookshelf: The Western Horse's Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book: Soundness and Comfort with Back Analysis and Correct Use of Saddles and Pads], “I’ve always compared saddle fit to shoe fit,” says Dawn Anderson, a saddle fitter certified by the Society of Master Saddlers in the United Kingdom. If the tree fits the contours of your horse’s back, everything else will fall into place. How To Choose A Good Saddle That Fits You, Your Horse And Your Style Of Riding - Part 1. • Bar angle is comparable to the pitch on your barn’s roof. Challenge 3: The in-between or immature horses. “The key to high withers is finding a saddle with sufficient clearance,” says Anderson. Thorowgood T4 Original GP – HGP The High Wither Standard GP is generous for its size, with a roomy seat, deep rear gussets and a slight curvature in the tree. Chances are, you’d wind up with painful blisters on your feet, and you might end up with a backache. And much of that discomfort can be traced to poor saddle fit.”, But if your horse has a hard-to-fit physique, you might be asking the question: "Is it even possible to achieve a good fit for him?". Others have withers that taper off like a mountain range. A good endurance saddle should sit properly on the horses back and be comfortable for both horse and rider. In terms of size, they are designed to effortlessly balance the rider's position during trials. • Bar spread refers to the distance between the bars. The leather models feature short, rounded skirts for the short-backed horse. Take a look at The Saddle Bank’s. Ride to finish! But if you take the time to analyze how your horse is put together and what a “good fit” means for him, you’re more likely to choose a saddle that will make you both happy. “The two- to three-finger rule isn’t an accurate measure.” Instead, Anderson suggests riding in the saddle for about 20 minutes. Custom saddles endurance riders prefer include those made by Kanavy Endurance Saddles, the ReactorPanel Saddle Company, Sharon Saare Saddles, Specialized Saddles, SR Saddle Company, and Synergist Saddles, This saddle is especially good for horses with an apex shaped back and is a good start up saddle for new riders. That’s where trail saddle shopping becomes more exacting---the more time you spend in a saddle, the more critical good fit becomes. Too narrow and it could bridge, creating pressure points. “You would never want to put a flat tree on a horse with a bit of a sway in its back or vice versa. That kind of repetitive concussion can contribute to soundness issues down the road.”, Likewise, some behavior problems may be traced to discomfort related to saddle fit problems. His front and back conformation don’t seem to belong to the same horse. [Disclaimer: EQUUS may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our site. The company sends out nine saddle forms, and the customer photographs and videos the horse wearing the forms, both standing and in motion. Sometimes that broad back crops up in other types, like Baroque horses or gaited breeds. Here are a few suggestions for saddles that might fit the mutton-withered, broad-backed horse: • Duett offers a variety of saddles—dressage, close contact, jumping, Icelandic/gaited and trailbuilt on wide, rounded trees. “You can be in a very wide Fidelio and be amazed at how comfortable it is.” Other ideas include suspending the tree slightly over the horse, but that can mean a loss of contact. Too wide and it could sit too low on your horse’s spine. To ensure a good fit the saddle features a changeable gullet system, movable blocks at the knee and calf, and four girthing options. 9 Best Endurance Saddle -Reviews And Buying ... - horse mania Our Endurance saddles respect the horse and position themselves naturally over the back. The general rule of thumb is to pick a saddle that is shorter in length and/or has a round saddle skirt. For that reason, your saddle search begins with a solid under­standing of tree shape and how it relates to saddle fit. • Allegany Mountain Trail Saddles offers a fully customized fit, starting at around $1,350. High-withered horses will benefit from models with thicker gussets and trapezius or K panels, which fill in hollow areas behind the shoulders. If the bar angle and the twist are a perfect match for the horse’s back, chances are everything else will fit as well. For these horses, you’re probably going to be looking for a V-shaped tree, especially if your horse is angular, but don’t rule out the hoop-shaped tree if he’s broad in his back. The AceRugs western leather horse saddle measures 12-18 inches in the seat and weighs about 26 pounds. Bar crowns that fill in gaps or hollow pockets, bar flares for beefy shoulders or high croups, and a substantial sweep or rock for the dippy-backed horse work well. If the tree fits the contours of your horse’s back, everything else will fall into place. Your saddle stays put, but you’re always on the lookout for signs of damage to your horse’s back and withers. If you are into equestrian riding and for a long time too, you have to focus on getting the comfort level. Synergist custom endurance saddles are the choice of endurance racing champions. Browse at your convenience, order your saddle online, and have your local fitter out to assess the fit for you. Not all Western saddles are as good as they seem. Kent and Masters have designed a high wither option for both their dressage saddles and GP saddles. You can find many saddle for gaited horses and you might find it hard to choose as they all seem good and suitable. A narrow saddle on this kind of horse will probably cause pain. Obviously, long hours of preparation and training go into every event. Although we all know the basic types of equine conformation, horses are as individual as we are. “Think of the tree as the skeleton of your saddle,” says Anderson. Your horse might be young and still growing or getting back into condition, like Cappy. Visit www.duettsaddles.com. Finding saddles for the hard-to-fit horse can be a challenge. Take that off my back now, really.” There are things to take note of when putting a saddle on a horse, at the top of these things is how well the saddle fits onto the back of … When it comes to saddles, some horses are just hard to fit. On the other side of the equation are those shark-withered Thorough­bred types who sprout white hairs even under a sky-high gullet. The answer is a resounding “yes!” Over the last several years, innovations in saddle making have made it possible. A straighter cut flap allows for the longer, more relaxed endurance leg position. Pros. “There are, of course, certain breeds that are consistently wide, like Fjords and Haflingers,” says Nancy Temple, of Duett Saddles, a Massachusetts-based saddle distributor of saddles to fit wide horses. Many Thoroughbreds and their crosses have prominent withers. Then a saddle will be built around the Steele tree that fits best. If you’re unsure what tree is in the saddle, ask the retailer or manufacturer. All also feature the Easy-Change gullets and the Easy-Change Riser System. The first thing that can make or break the race is the saddle. Horse saddles are much more than items placed on the horse for the comfort of the rider or aesthetic purposes. This added luxury gives the feel of riding on an all leather saddle, whilst keeping the saddle light weight. You know them—Fjords, Haflingers, most Mountain and Moorland breeds— just about any horse who has huggable but hard-to-fit conformation. Depending on model and customization, prices range from $950 to $1,729. © 2021 by Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., an Active Interest Media company, The Horse's Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book, The Western Horse's Pain-Free Back and Saddle-Fit Book: Soundness and Comfort with Back Analysis and Correct Use of Saddles and Pads. The use of front shims to lift the saddle balances the rider, while the extra width in the tree gives the horse great comfort and freedom of movement.”, If your horse is more angular, consider other options. The endurance saddle is very comfortable for both the horse and rider during long periods of riding. Learn more about how saddles should fit…. It can become a little confusing about which one to buy. Prices range from $430 to $1,450. The endurance racing can be between 50 and 100 miles in a day. In a Western saddle, look for a wide bar spread throughout, a substantial bar width (to offer better weight distribution) and a flatter bar angle. Most saddle makers are happy to talk saddle fit with you. Now that I live in Montana instead of the flatland (errr, I mean Heartland), I’m lucky enough to be invited on trail rides to some pretty majestic places.I know better than to head up a mountain without ensuring my equipment is up for the rough and tough demands of trail riding. Our reviews and guidelines will help you to find the right one for your horse. Many endurance riders include dressage training as part of the curriculum to strengthen the horse’s back – in a properly adjusted and fitting saddle of course that … Saddle Fit and Endurance Riding Read More » If you are not sure what saddle to try, get in touch with our friendly team via email info@thesaddlebank.com or. “But sometimes ear pinning, tail swishing, teeth grinding, evasion of the bit, and even difficulty with upward and downward transitions can be linked to discomfort in the horse. These saddles are made in Walsall, England. It must distribute the rider’s weight evenly over the horse’s back, while keeping pressure off his spine. The saddle is made in the United Kingdom but is available through U.S. dealers, priced around $695. Horses with broad backs and low withers often do best with saddles that have hoop-shaped trees. On an initial inspection you may assess the withers of a horse and immediately consider a narrow saddle but this is generally a misconception. The saddle you use will depend a great deal on your style of riding. “Some of my saddles, like the Fidelio dressage model, offer a more sloping pommel shape,” says Temple. If your favorite view from the top of a horse consists of open fields, wooded paths, and scenic vistas, you might enjoy endurance riding. EDITOR’S PICK: The Circle Y Omaha Flex2 Trail Riding Saddle is a popular choice among short necked horses owners for western, dressage and endurance including trail riders. • Bar twist refers to the change in bar angle from front to back as it follows the contours from just behind your horse’s shoulder toward his croup. There are a whole lot of different models out there, varying enormously in terms of comfort, support, size, and suitability for different riding conditions, and you might be missing out or even putting yourself or your horse in danger and discomfort by using the wrong one! 100% premium leather; Beautiful hand-carved floral and basketweave tooling; Well-padded seat; Numerous ties Adjustable Blevins Buckles; Cons When you are just getting started with endurance racing, you want to choose a horse that is conformationally correct and sound. Here are a few suggestions for high-withered horses: • Black Country Saddles specializes in custom-built saddles for a number of English disciplines, including dressage, endurance, jumping, polo and hunters as well as Icelandic and general purpose. Ideally, the bar angle when viewed from the front of the horse will match the slope of the area just behind the horse’s shoulder known as the “saddle pocket.”. • Bar flare refers to the bar tips, usually in front, where they curve up and away from your horse’s shoulders. Although the seat is true to size, it offers a different feel to our Original GP and petite riders or those with narrower hips may feel it suits them better.This saddle is ideal for shorter backed, high withered horses and those with wide spinal processes. If you are a horse owner or rider and would like to learn more about saddle fitting, and how the saddle can impact your horses performance and welfare, click on the link below: Copyright © The Saddle Bank 2019. This is great for horses with high withers, as it can be flocked to lift up the front, eliminating pressure on the withers. They can be used for different types of riding. It hurts! (Neigh! https://mailchi.mp/3e71a72e8c92/the-saddle-bank-fitting-guide. But it will be challenging to find the best treeless saddles. However, an English endurance saddle is also built for longer riding. Prices range from $670 to $1,500. Minor imperfections in fit that may have little or no consequence during an hourof arena riding can cause significant soreness for both you and your horse after a day on the trail over varying terrain. They usually do better with saddles that have V-shaped trees—but not always. This saddle has a short panel design which allows it to fit short-backed horses, a great saddle to try on those notoriously difficult to fit Arab types. Endurance Saddles & Bareback Pads Whether you are doing 100-mile rides or simply enjoying laid back trail rides, browse our wide selection to find an endurance or trail saddle that functions wonderfully for horse and rider comfort. It has a round, 26″ length skirt. Best Endurance Saddle. A better understanding of how to achieve a perfect fit will pay off in a quiet and focused ride. 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