# Thoroughbreds - Which make of saddles fit best?



## ReefurG (26 September 2007)

What type and make of saddles are best suited to Thoroughbreds?


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## KatB (26 September 2007)

How long is a piece of string?! Tbs come in many different shapes and sizes...so do saddles!!!


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## kerrylou123 (26 September 2007)

anything, depends on horses shape etc.


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## ReefurG (26 September 2007)

Okay, fair comment, I will change the question slightly! If you are the owner of a stereotypical thoroughbred with high withers etc, what make &amp; type of saddle do you find fits their shape best?


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## I_A_P (26 September 2007)

well its difficult, i have a 3/4 tb which had dips behind her shoulder and high0sih withers and found it very difficult to find something that fits, espeically as you may want to allow room for muscle build up...in the end ti bought a WOW!


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## horsegirl (26 September 2007)

I found the wintecs fit well as they have the changeable gullets and are well cut back for wither clearance.  For a much cheaper saddle the kinkade Gp fits my narrow high wither boy very well, it just needed a slight adjustment from a saddler to raise the back of the saddle.


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## ihatework (26 September 2007)

Look for saddles with drop panels and a cut back head. 
A few years back I had a stereotypical TB with high wither and had a saddle called 'Omega' it was Mike Nortons from Browns in Oxfords own make, not sure if they are still produced or not but it was a good quality saddle at a reasonable price, might be worth googling.
Some manufacturers do the same saddle with different tree types, for example Albion do TB and WB fittings.


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## zigzag (26 September 2007)

Hilton Saddles


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## alicep (26 September 2007)

i got a thorowgood TB as you can change the gullets and it fitted the mare perfectly and wasnt too horrible on the bank balance!


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## Scarlett (26 September 2007)

I have two exracer Tb's. To cut a long story short I have had major issues finding a saddle to fit my gelding, he is a stereotypical tb with wide shoulders and narrow high withers. He has had 8 saddles in the last 18 months and has driven me mad over the whole situation.

The only saddle we have had that I am happy with is the Saddle Company one. It has a drop panel, all the panels against the horses back are wool filled serge and it is adjustable to the millimetre giving a fantastic fit. Its lightweight and flexible too. He is loads better in it than in any other we have tried, plus it is super comfy for me. I got mine second hand for £250 and it cost me £30 to have it adjusted to fit. I got one for my mare too shortly after as I was so plased with them and am saving up for an event and dressage saddle too....


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## sarahrees (26 September 2007)

I bought a wintec for perry and not had any problems


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## ihatework (26 September 2007)

I have a SC jumping saddle not being used .....


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## lowbardon (26 September 2007)

i had trouble finding a saddle to fit our high withered thoroughbred as all the normal saddles tended to put presure behind the shoulders and made him sore so in the end we had to get a wow saddle as it is filled with air you dont get the presure and since he has had this he hasnt been sore, they are very expensive but worth it.


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## MagicMelon (26 September 2007)

Mine is a TB x, but is very slim-line. To look at you would think he could be a pure TB. He has the typical high wither etc. I found only ONE saddle to fit mine! It was one with "TB panels" apparently. Basically underneath the panels which sit down each side of the shoulder are much wider. My saddler said the reason other saddles fell down onto his wither was due to the fact that a lot of his build tend to have hollows in that area so this saddles panels help fill that area - thus keeping the saddle where it should be. Not had any problems with it at all. Although saying that, I went out and bought a Wintec Dressage for him and it fits him really well (doesnt have TB panels) but its cut back over the wither which helps.


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## Donkeymad (26 September 2007)

I have known many owners of 'typical' TB's to get great fit with one or another of the Thorowgood range.


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## joy (27 September 2007)

Good question and one I would like an answer to for my 4yo TB who is only 15.2 but very well ribbed up and with a good pair of shoulders and withers.
His mother who is smaller had a medium narrow Albion which I still own but only fitted her when she was ultra fit.
At the moment my lad is wearing (and don't laugh) a 30 year old English, spring tree, flat seated jumping saddle and with his powerful jump I certainly don't want anymore padding between me and him.
However I am going to have future problems when I go up a gear and start competing for real as I am going to have to find both dressage and jumping saddles. Years ago before warmbloods became all encompassing, English saddlers designed cutback heads to accommodate horses such as mine.
I shall follow this thread with interest.


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