I have a almost 3 yr QH filly, 15H.  Every saddle I have I tried on her, they all slip back.  Looking at various saddles I have become very confused.  All three of my saddles have full QH bars, would semi QH bars, or more narrow gullet work better?  The one saddle that does fit is an antique McCellen and I'm not riding on that.  I started looking at the treeless saddles but know nothing about them.  I have read the posts about the Bob Marshall saddles. 

Terri could I try out your Aussie saddle and see how that fits on her?

If you invest in a flex-panel saddle you will not be buying a new saddle as she fills out over the next several years. I have a RL Watson saddle, but you can also look at Timberline Saddles. Timberline dealers will ship you a saddle to try out before you buy. I love my flex panel (continental model) because it fits all 5 of my horses from young ones to a very old one.

Timberlines are not as expensive as RL Watson and are very good quality. Wait time is considerably less too... 6 weeks instead of 4-6 months for the Watson. Terry Wagner out of Arizona was very helpful in answering my questions about Timberlines. His contact info is on the dealer section of Timberlines website.

If I still have a job next year, I'll be ordering a Timberline for my husband.

http://www.rlwatsonsaddles.com/

www.timberlinesaddlecompany.com

It's quite possible your filly might need a saddle with semi QH bars....How is your filly's back? Does she have more withers than your other horses, is she a bit more narrow? The placement of the cinch rings can have a lot to do with the fit as well. If the saddles fit the shape of her back but the rigging is very far forward, it could make the saddle sit in the wrong place...Is your horse really short backed? This can also make a difference in fit. Without seeing your horse it's hard to make really worthwhile suggestions...Look at the underside of your antique saddle and compare it to your other saddles. That may help some to see the difference in the trees. 

I ride in treeless saddles. I have a Freeform and a Bob Marshall. I like them because they fit just about any horse with the right padding. The padding on a treeless saddle can make or break the fit so if you decide to try one, be sure to speak with a knowlegable person on fitting them and use a pad that allows spinal clearance. They aren't rocket science but a little thought put into it is a good thing. I went with treeless saddles because I have several different horses to fit. I got tired of buying saddles. Buying foam is much cheaper and the saddles are way more comfortable on long rides.

Good luck!!

If you go to my web site you can see a pic of her and get an idea how she is built.  www.myceranch.com she is the sorrel with black/grayish mane & tail.  I know that she is a little short backed compared with others and she is narrow, but she will widen out as she matures.  I was going to compare the McCellen with the others but it was such a nice day that I did other things.  

Thanks for the input.

I like the beast!

Lily looks like she might need semi-quarterhorse bars...   If you rode english, I'd suggest a Bates Caprilli all-purpose.. It has an adjustable gullet which will go from narrow to wide.. it has a deep comfortable seat.. I ride trails in mine.. Just got back from Bandera, and Tamber's back was dry along the spine after a 2 hr ride with some pretty rough stretches

I like the beast too.  She is such fun but can be a handfull sometimes.  She is the dominate mare and gets fat by just breathing.  She will work a cow, has an unusual gait, not quite a trot or a walk.  Rode her in parades.  She knows when kids are on her, but put an adult on shes like, ok lets go and play.  My oldest learned the hard way, even when I told him before the ride, don't say whoa unless you are ready.  Well he said whoa and wasn't ready and she parked her butt and over he went.  Why do some kids have to learn the hard way.  This was one of the times I loved to say "I told you so". I use her to pony the yearlings, she knows that job well, and I can concentrate more on the yearlings. 

I contacted the rep for Timberland saddles the one I was inquiring about is $2175.  But I really like the look of them.  He has demos available for a try before you buy. 

Terri, Annie and Jack are full siblings.  Mac and Lilly are full siblings.  I still talk to the people who own Jack and they just love him to death.  I was so happy that he went to two teenager horse crazy girls.  Still working on the web site.

For the sake of your horses back and your comfort. Take your horse to a qualified saddle maker/saddle shop and have the animal fitted with a proper fitting saddle. Anything less is just a guess and can be very expensive and painfull. There are saddle makers out there that will send you a bare tree and you place it on the animals back and take pictures. It the ONLY way to properly fit a saddle.

Good luck