Question about a horse saddle? Need a knowledgeable person...?

Question

I am buying a Belgian Draft riding horse soon and already have a saddle, but am not sure if it will work for a draft.

Do Austrailian horn-less stock saddles have a universal fit (flexible tree), or are they like western saddles which have a stiff tree?

Answer 1

Australian stock saddles, especially the inexpensive ones available here in the States, are notorious for being very harmful for any horse's back because they are so cheaply made. Invest in a good one, if this is the saddle you want to use.
A flexible tree is not enough-the fact that a tree is flexible only means that it gives with a horse's movement, not that it will stretch out to the correct width of the horse's back. A flexible tree is better than a rigid tree, but regardless of what kind of saddle you use-be it Western, English or Australian, you need a saddle with a draft tree. Belgians are very, very wide horses-you need a saddle wide enough that it won't pinch him and leave him with permanent saddle sores or nerve damage.
www.saddle-fitting.com will give you an idea of how to correctly fit a saddle. Smith Worthington Saddlery (www.smithworthington.com) makes some amazing saddles, from close contact to mounted patrol. They are pricey, but most of them are available in XXXWide trees. When you invest in one of their saddles, the company sends you a demo saddle, along with a fitting kit, so you get try it on the horse, check if it fits, and return the saddle with the exact measurements of your horse (the kit tells you how to do this)so that they can customize the saddle to fit him. That's just one option. If you don't have a lot of money to spend, you can always try getting a saddle you can test-ride first to make sure it fits before purchasing, or you can try to get a synthetic saddle (English or Western) in a draft or XXWide tree. Big Horn makes some really good quality Western and endurance saddles that are available in draft sizes (their synthetics are usually less than $600), and they have flexible trees. Whip N Spur Tack Shop in Tampa, FL is a retailer for Big Horn-their website is www.whipnspur.com, or give them a call at 1 [phone]; the owner is a very knowledgeable horsewoman who can also give you saddle fitting suggestions.
Hope that helps. Good luck with your new big guy!

Answer 2

The best way to know is to try your saddle on the horse. You can buy a longer girth, if necessary. Proper saddle pads or blankets will help with the fit, too. If your saddle is not comfortable for the horse, take it to a dealer and see if they will make a trade or give you credit toward a saddle that works.

Some Australian saddles do have flexible trees. The copies made in India do not. You might do better with an English saddle.

Good luck with the new horse.

Answer 3

A saddle is like a pair jean, it's not 1 size fits all. Just like jeans you will have to pay a little extra to get a good fit. I have 8 horses and and I have certain saddles that I put on certain horses some.

Answer 4

Definitely not a one-size deal, and be careful! My first horse was ridden in an improperly fitted stock saddle. The resulting saddle sore was just awful, and so painful.