Lorien Stable: Trainer's Notes

[shamidiva]

Hi, I'm looking for some saddle-fitting advice, and this Web page has already provided me with some great information!

I have a round Arabian pony who has a typical shape: round-barrelled and low withers. He's an all-around gem, wins in several disciplines, and I have no complaints with his behavior or performance.

The catch has been finding a western saddle with a narrow twist. I have one with a great twist AND full quarter-horse bars, but frankly, it's very unattractive. It's a King Series trail saddle, and it was very cheap, but they just don't make them pretty. I also have a show saddle, a fabulous older Circle Y, hand-tooled and heavy, but the twist is so wide it pushes my knee out away from my pony's sides, which interferes with my leg communication. Having a solid dressage background, our performance suffers.

Can anyone recommend an attractive western show-able saddle that has both the full QH bars and a relatively narrow twist? Western saddle makers don't really discuss this aspect of their products in their marketing; you're lucky if you can find out the width at all.

Thanks in advance for any help y'all can offer.
~Alison :-)

[lorien-admin]

For an Arabian, it's unlikely that FQH is the best size. The typical Arab shape is indeed wide and flat across the back--however, the shoulders are not typically shaped like the foundation QH for which the FQH bars are designed.

I'd suggest looking into Arab tree saddles; they are just as wide (if not wider) across the fork, but the shoulder design is better for the typical Arab. You may be able to find something with a nicer twist that way, also, since the shoulder design will influence the width of the seat.

[shamidiva]

Thanks so much for the reply! That is very good to know. I was wary of saddles branded as "Arabian" saddles, because most of them are semi-QH in size, and usually have the rounded skirts, and I just assumed they were branding them for a market niche. I didn't know they actually had customized trees! This helps me a lot.

Thanks so much! :-)