Posted 2007-02-23 11:50 AM (#56125) Subject: Can't fit my horses back
Location: Brighton, Colorado
So here is what I've got. My horse has withers like a mule and both saddles that I have create hot spots on both sides of his withers. I have tried every kind of blanket except for the neoprene ones. I have a Colorado Saddlery Southwest Wade that is well broken in and my wifes saddle is Circle Y barrel saddle. Any suggestions regarding pads, saddle upgrades?
Posted 2007-02-23 12:15 PM (#56127 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Veteran
Posts: 150 Location: Le Claire IA
It might be helpful to buy a mule saddle or for about 100.00 deposit have a mule tree sent to you to see if it would actually fit your horse? If your saddle doesn't fit, a pad won't make it fit at those pressure points though my preference is a supracor pad or real wool felt.
Is your horse really built just like a mule or is it just mutton withered and wide... or narrow, straight back?
Posted 2007-02-23 12:33 PM (#56129 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Location: Brighton, Colorado
He is just very flat backed like a mule. I have pondered if a mule saddle would fit i'm just not sure. I didn't think that a pad would change the fit of a saddle (like changing socks in a shoe thats too small) but there are some that say the neoprene pads from Classic help. I guess I might have to bit the bullet and buy a mule saddle. Any suggestions?
Posted 2007-02-23 1:17 PM (#56136 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Veteran
Posts: 150 Location: Le Claire IA
You might need a custom saddle maker where you can pick your tree and change the horn. I'm not sure too many mule saddles will be in the "working" category.
Arab saddles might be a little straighter, lower withered but shorter bars.
Posted 2007-02-23 7:52 PM (#56184 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 378 Location: Nebraska
You have one of the best places in the world to buy a saddle from just down the street from you. I would load up the horse and take a drive down there. They should be able to help you out. I'm talking about Brighton Feeds
Posted 2007-02-23 9:23 PM (#56192 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Elite Veteran
Posts: 644 Location: Odenville, Alabama
I don't know that I'd go to a Mule saddle. Although alot of mules are Mutten withered, they are still narrow through the top line and not as round as horses. Most Mule saddle trees are really pretty narrow. I have an arabian who has pretty flat withers. I took about 75lbs off of him and low and behold, he does have withers. I bought a Circle Y flex lite saddle for him and that has helped as long as I ride with a crupper to keep it from sliding up his neck. So NOW I ride in a Bob Marshall treeless and it fits him like a glove. I just don't think I'd go with a mule tree.
Posted 2007-02-23 9:25 PM (#56193 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Elite Veteran
Posts: 644 Location: Odenville, Alabama
Reading your post again, you said your horse is flat backed like a mule. My mule is anything but flat backed. In true "donkey" style, her back is raised, almost straight with her withers. Actually she's much narrower through her back than my horses. JMO
Posted 2007-02-23 10:49 PM (#56200 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Location: Brighton, Colorado
I guess the best way to explain how his back looks is he is just rounded on top of the shoulders. Where his withers should be, its round. He not over weight, stout muscular appendix build and the few mules that I have been around remind me of this. A few folk have mentioned the mutton withers? What is this? One thing is that last year (6 yrs old) is the first year this has started. He has had the same saddle and blanket since I started him.
Posted 2007-02-24 10:27 AM (#56208 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Veteran
Posts: 150 Location: Le Claire IA
Horse's backs change as they get older.
You should probably have someone fit you and your horse to a saddle and this doesn't mean that it's fast and easy either but you will get what works for both you and the horse.
Posted 2007-02-24 1:19 PM (#56216 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 378 Location: Nebraska
You might also try not to cut him in half when you cinch up. I have ridden saddles from Colorado Saddlery along time on many different horses with very very few sored up. Working in feedyards 8 to 12 hours setting gates, and pushing cattle is about the hardest on horses backs. You have the gates made to keep the rabbits out, these are the ones you have to wrap a boot lace around the horn to keep you in the saddle to latch it. Then the gates that drag the ground and you have to pick up to open/close. Then the ones that don't get opened much and rust shut, and the ones that are just plain heavy. Not to metion the downer/over-balanced/stupid animal you have to drag/push out of the pen or down the alley. And that equals alot of rocking in the saddle all day long.
Posted 2007-02-24 1:47 PM (#56218 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Location: Brighton, Colorado
My wife gets after me for riding with a loose cinch. My back ground is nearly what you explained so I know the importance of a somewhat loose cinch. I really like the colorado saddlery saddle brand and have had this saddle on close to 50 horses and never had this problem. 10 of them with 40 hours / week in this particular saddle.
Posted 2007-02-24 2:44 PM (#56219 - in reply to #56218) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385 Location: washington
I had the same problem... my Arab is mutton withered and has a flat, short back. After trying a few different saddles, I settled on the flexpanel saddle. I am so very happy with this saddle. I ride endurance and the saddle has proven to be very comfortable for my horse and for me. You can also go to: www.flexpanelsaddle.com The folks there worked with me and even came down to my barn after my saddle arrived to make sure it was a good fit... I also got the Saddle Right pad, which is nice. Check them out and email them with any questions you might have - they're nice folks. *
Posted 2007-02-25 10:05 AM (#56258 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Member
Posts: 7
Location: kilgore, tx
A friend of mine has a mutton withered horse and she had to go to a extra wide gullet. Her horse was really talking badly to her and after she got a saddle that wasn't putting all that pressure on her back she has done great. If your interested in a flex panel saddle the people that have the flex panel web site also have another saddle web sit www.4asaddle.com They even have a used saddle area you can shop in. Good luck
They are the ONLY 90% virgin wool pad out there, all others are 50% at max. (they say "all wool" but get the truth from the manufactuers & you will find out.) Anyway, the 5 Stars have a true French Curve cut & cup up very nicely in front of your saddle. They give the most room of any pad for higher withered horses, AND they keep a saddle from rolling on mutton withered horses. (I am a dealer, so if I can help you, pls PM me.) I sell alot of these to barrel racers - & many have mutton withered horses that their saddles were rolling on badly - but these pads stopped that.
Posted 2007-03-23 8:30 PM (#57625 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Member
Posts: 5
Location: Winnipeg
We had a similar problem with one of our Arab geldings - not much wither, broad, wide back - very touchy about what was on his back. We purchased a Corrector Pad from Len Brown (the original owner/designer of the Ortho-Flex Saddle) and that gelding is now comfortable with the pad combined with a Big Horn, full 1/4-QH bar, endurance saddle (same as a Western Saddle, but without a horn). We used a Corrector Pad with all of our other endurance horses in the 25-mile competitions last year, and so far, so great. My husband was riding in a Longreach Endurance Saddle and noticed a definite benefit to using the Corrector Pad, as his horse had started to show signs of dry spots on the shoulders prior to using the Pad. The true test, however, will be in the 50-milers this year. We are keeping our fingers crossed.
Posted 2007-03-26 6:28 PM (#57836 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Member
Posts: 17
Location: Vail, Arizona
I go along with the recommendation for the corrector pad. My horse is built similar to what you describe. I have a wade tree saddle with full quarter bars that seemed to be causing dry spots behind the withers. Since he is grey, it is sometimes hard to tell. As time went on his withers started becoming more prominent. I thought he was just getting into better shape, but one day about an hour or two after riding I palpated his withers. They were sore. I got a corrector pad and after a few months his back filled back in and I have never found his back sore since.
One caveat though, the saddle was not a really bad miss fit. The saddle has 93 degree bars, and the grey has close to a 100 degree back. I used it for awhile on another horse that was quite a bit narrower in the wither area than the grey. The wide saddle made him really sore after a while.
Posted 2007-04-01 12:22 AM (#58201 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Elite Veteran
Posts: 671 Location: THE GREAT NORTHWET, OREGON(THE REAL GODS COUNTRY)
Take your animal to a good saddle shop and get a good saddle fitter to check it over most good saddle sales will give you 3 days trial.Had the same problem did what I advised you to do and got a Crates Roper reiner allaround with a Quarterhorse tree and it fits her great no more trouble.It fits Me and My horse and I was trying all different thimgs too.
So find a good saddle shop, they will fit you then your animal and you will be happy.I have had this saddle for 5 years now and no regrets.
I have used all over and in all types of terrain.Plus it fits my other horses good too.I just have to change a few adjustments to fit the others.
Just do it and make yourself happy. I trailered my horse right up to the back door and let them go to work on us.
My friend had a saddle that didn't fit his horse good and when he cinched it up and got on he got helped off rather fast a couple of times, I convinced him to try My saddle and presto his horse was a little humpy at first and then realized it didnt bite and he relaxed.My friend now owns a saddle just like mine.
Posted 2007-04-29 9:01 PM (#60157 - in reply to #56125) Subject: RE: Can't fit my horses back
Location: Brighton, Colorado
Just wanted to update this thread and let everyone know how it ended up. First thanks for all of the advise. I went down the road to a Brighton Saddlery & Feed with the horse and had one of the saddle makers fit a tree to his back and then build the saddle around it. I am so pleased with the Mc Call Wade saddle. It fits like a glove and as far as working cattle, it has the 3"x3" horn mule wrapped, the taller horn set lower than my old saddle and love it. So far the horse seems to love it too.
Can't fit my horses back
