My Horse Is Not That Fat... Well, Actually...

I really can't afford to buy it right now, but I had the opportunity to try another saddle on my horses.  I had previously tried a Black Country Quantum X on my horses that was a no-go.  The "X" means the saddle is built on a hoop tree, which is more of an upside-down "U," rather than the more standard "A" shaped tree, and is therefore often more appropriate for broad-backed horses.  Horses like mine.  Because there is more room in the tree (due to the shape), hoop trees often fit a bit larger than a standard tree.  So a wide hoop tree is kind of more like an XW standard tree.

The Quantum X I originally tried was a wide tree; it was a no-go for a few reasons.  Oddly, though the saddle was really too narrow for my horses, it did this funny thing where I felt I was going to get pitched over my horse's shoulder.  Odd.

The saddle fitter with whom I had been working recently contacted me, saying that they now had an XW Quantum X in stock; did I want to try it?  Well, it doesn't hurt to try, so I said sure.  And to me came a lovely XW Quantum X.  So now, we're talking like an XXW standard tree.

And it still didn't work.  The sweat patterns on my horses' backs were more even than I've ever seen them, but still not perfect.  *I* felt pretty good riding in it to start out - very centered and balanced, though the flap was still not quite forward enough - but that feeling of nicely balance and centered kind of faded as I continued to ride.  The reason?  The saddle slipped way forward onto my horses' shoulders!

I took some pictures of how the saddle fit, and sent them to the saddle fitter.  The verdict?  The XW is still too narrow!  So, while I could try an XXW Quantum X (yes, we're in XXXW standard tree territory here now), it's not a stock item, so to try it would cost me $$$ beyond shipping, whether it fit or not.

So I've been referred to Duett saddles.  Duett specializes in fitting broadbacked horses.  Horses like mine.  So it's time to take some new tracings and send them off to Duett.

My horses are not that fat.  Well, actually... they're not.  They are, however, very broadbacked!