Saddle for W I D E Walker

rockstarmom · 10-30-2009, 11:01 AM

Just bought wonderful Walker named Tucker. I have a Tucker GEN II High Plains in Extra Wide (fits my Shire mare) that seems to be too narrow for him. He is REALLY wide in the wither area-no withers to speak of. My saddle will slide back as we ride and then seems like it could be pinching him. Any suggestions? Are gaited horse saddles any different for fitting the horse or is it simply rider position that is different?

alliebath · 10-30-2009, 11:10 AM

Gaited saddles can be different due to the front flare of the bars - allowing the shoulder to move back. Wow - and extra wide and it doesn't fit! It might be worth going with the Fit to be Seen deal that I know some of the gaited saddle makers use (Dixieland and Alleganey) come to mind.

Horsie Michelle · 10-30-2009, 11:38 AM

My current western saddle is a Dixieland and I love it. I rode a pretty wide spotted saddle horse mare for many years in a Circle Y and she did fine-semi QH bars.

I like my gaited horse saddle but I've also been riding TWH and SSH's for many, many years in regular, non-gaiting saddles, and never had a problem. Sometimes it was harder to get a good fit and involved trying numerous saddles...but as long as I made sure the saddle fit I never had a back sore horse.

Best of luck...saddle shopping is fun!

NorthernHorseGirl · 10-30-2009, 12:59 PM

I had a dificult to saddle fit TWH and went through several saddles with him. At one clinic I tried other people's Tuckers, Imus 4-Beat, and a gaited horse saddle. He was wide through the shoulders-typical for walkers- and the saddles would slide back. My friend's Billy Cook cutting was the only saddle he was happy with and I ended up getting him a Circle G cutting saddle and he liked it. She now owns him and she got him a Circle G cutter as well as the Billy Cook was for her other horse.
The odd thing was that a couple of the saddles I tried seemed to fit him perfectly but he wasn't happy with them. The gaited horse saddle fit him like a glove. Luckily, he'd start walking funny as soon as I tried one on. He'd cock his tail to one side and do kind of a two-track thing while walking all crooked.
The thing is they do have big shoulders and often aren't comfortable in a regular saddle. They need room to move their shoulders properly.

CopperWalkin · 10-30-2009, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockstarmom

Just bought wonderful Walker named Tucker. I have a Tucker GEN II High Plains in Extra Wide (fits my Shire mare) that seems to be too narrow for him. He is REALLY wide in the wither area-no withers to speak of. My saddle will slide back as we ride and then seems like it could be pinching him. Any suggestions? Are gaited horse saddles any different for fitting the horse or is it simply rider position that is different?

Do you have a picture of this saddle on your Walker? Would you show the front and how it sits on his withers? Just trying to help!!

Chrystalstar · 10-30-2009, 06:41 PM

Walkers are for sure built different. I got a dixieland this summer and just love it on most of my horses. We bought the fit forms to get the proper tree. I also have a crestridge we use on the younger horses and I have a custom saddle that I think is on a steele tree that fits most of my walkers. I did find that most QH bar saddles (full and 3/4) pinched the withers or fell down on the withers. They were also to long and rubbed the hips on some horses.

fishing_trex · 10-31-2009, 11:51 AM

We bought a mountain horse a year and a half ago and my Tucker simply did not fit him. He's superwide at the withers and tapers down narrower from there -- very hard to fit. I got a used Orthoflex (flex panel) saddle and it is the only thing that seems to fit him. This saddle also fits my narrower TWH mare -- a nice advantage to the flex panel saddles. The big disadvantage of course is price, but I found a nice used one for less than I paid for my new Tucker.

Slim Pikkens · 11-02-2009, 08:26 AM

A pic of your horse's back with him standing square without a saddle and then with just the saddle, no pad or blanket would help.

theoldbear · 11-02-2009, 12:48 PM

I've had a couple of Walkers built "big" through the shoulders.

The first thing to realize is that on a Walker, the saddle naturally goes further back than on a non-gaited horse. Need to clear the shoulder blades!

The second thing is that there are ways to solve this problem without buying four or five saddles.

I swear by the old flat plate three way rigging. I've got two saddles with that rigging and full QH bars, and I've used them on my two big-built walkers, and on draft crosses. the key is to get the girth where it belongs on the horse by moving it to the front (full double) location. Most trail saddles are 3/4 or 7/8 rigged.

I know this is counter-intuitive, but if you can get ahold of Dave Jones articles or books on saddle fit, he explains this far better than I ever could. Dave used to make a five way adjustable rigging. Wish I could find one, I'd take out a loan at the bank to buy it!

mingiz · 11-04-2009, 03:53 PM

My walking horse is that way also. I have been riding him in a Eli Miller Buena vista with western fenders. I have no issues with it and it is a very comfy saddle. I have also put my FQHB Cy saddle on him and it sets him like a glove. Only problem is that it's a square skirt and it catches his hip. I had recently bought an Allegany trail saddle for him and I sold it..Didn't fit and was a very uncomfortable saddle.. My friend rides him in her Bob Marshall treeless and had no issues at all and uses a skito pad.

beckyp · 11-04-2009, 04:47 PM

My oldest granddaughter has a Walker,and she rides her with western saddle and English one and there doesn't seem to be a problem,I did notice when I tried to ride her with my English saddle that it didn't fit her like it does my TB and I was uncomfortable riding her and she was uncomfortable with me. She is a well-built mare,didn't think TWH were so solid.

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10-30-2009, 11:01 AM
rockstarmom Halter broke Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: new florence,pa Posts: 99	Saddle for W I D E Walker Just bought wonderful Walker named Tucker. I have a Tucker GEN II High Plains in Extra Wide (fits my Shire mare) that seems to be too narrow for him. He is REALLY wide in the wither area-no withers to speak of. My saddle will slide back as we ride and then seems like it could be pinching him. Any suggestions? Are gaited horse saddles any different for fitting the horse or is it simply rider position that is different?

10-30-2009, 11:10 AM
alliebath Long Yearling Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Leavenworth, Kansas Posts: 1,089	Gaited saddles can be different due to the front flare of the bars - allowing the shoulder to move back. Wow - and extra wide and it doesn't fit! It might be worth going with the Fit to be Seen deal that I know some of the gaited saddle makers use (Dixieland and Alleganey) come to mind.

10-30-2009, 11:38 AM
Horsie Michelle Yearling Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Summerfield, FL Posts: 910	My current western saddle is a Dixieland and I love it. I rode a pretty wide spotted saddle horse mare for many years in a Circle Y and she did fine-semi QH bars. I like my gaited horse saddle but I've also been riding TWH and SSH's for many, many years in regular, non-gaiting saddles, and never had a problem. Sometimes it was harder to get a good fit and involved trying numerous saddles...but as long as I made sure the saddle fit I never had a back sore horse. Best of luck...saddle shopping is fun! __________________ ~~"All that we love deeply becomes part of us" ~~ Helen Keller

10-30-2009, 12:59 PM
NorthernHorseGirl Yearling Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 509	I had a dificult to saddle fit TWH and went through several saddles with him. At one clinic I tried other people's Tuckers, Imus 4-Beat, and a gaited horse saddle. He was wide through the shoulders-typical for walkers- and the saddles would slide back. My friend's Billy Cook cutting was the only saddle he was happy with and I ended up getting him a Circle G cutting saddle and he liked it. She now owns him and she got him a Circle G cutter as well as the Billy Cook was for her other horse. The odd thing was that a couple of the saddles I tried seemed to fit him perfectly but he wasn't happy with them. The gaited horse saddle fit him like a glove. Luckily, he'd start walking funny as soon as I tried one on. He'd cock his tail to one side and do kind of a two-track thing while walking all crooked. The thing is they do have big shoulders and often aren't comfortable in a regular saddle. They need room to move their shoulders properly. __________________ Some horses come into our lives and quickly go. Others stay awhile and make hoofprints on our hearts and we are never, ever the same. Anonymous Rest in peace Clint, I'll always love you and I'll miss you for the rest of my life. You were and will always be my perfect horse.

10-30-2009, 06:41 PM
Chrystalstar Halter broke Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alberta Posts: 185	Walkers are for sure built different. I got a dixieland this summer and just love it on most of my horses. We bought the fit forms to get the proper tree. I also have a crestridge we use on the younger horses and I have a custom saddle that I think is on a steele tree that fits most of my walkers. I did find that most QH bar saddles (full and 3/4) pinched the withers or fell down on the withers. They were also to long and rubbed the hips on some horses.

10-31-2009, 11:51 AM
fishing_trex Greenbroke Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3,435	We bought a mountain horse a year and a half ago and my Tucker simply did not fit him. He's superwide at the withers and tapers down narrower from there -- very hard to fit. I got a used Orthoflex (flex panel) saddle and it is the only thing that seems to fit him. This saddle also fits my narrower TWH mare -- a nice advantage to the flex panel saddles. The big disadvantage of course is price, but I found a nice used one for less than I paid for my new Tucker. __________________ -- There are two ways to slide easily through life -- to believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways will save you from thinking.

11-02-2009, 08:26 AM
Slim Pikkens Seasoned Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,047	A pic of your horse's back with him standing square without a saddle and then with just the saddle, no pad or blanket would help.

11-02-2009, 12:48 PM
theoldbear Yearling Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Arcadia, Florida Posts: 771	I've had a couple of Walkers built "big" through the shoulders. The first thing to realize is that on a Walker, the saddle naturally goes further back than on a non-gaited horse. Need to clear the shoulder blades! The second thing is that there are ways to solve this problem without buying four or five saddles. I swear by the old flat plate three way rigging. I've got two saddles with that rigging and full QH bars, and I've used them on my two big-built walkers, and on draft crosses. the key is to get the girth where it belongs on the horse by moving it to the front (full double) location. Most trail saddles are 3/4 or 7/8 rigged. I know this is counter-intuitive, but if you can get ahold of Dave Jones articles or books on saddle fit, he explains this far better than I ever could. Dave used to make a five way adjustable rigging. Wish I could find one, I'd take out a loan at the bank to buy it!

11-04-2009, 03:53 PM
mingiz Weanling Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Southern MD Posts: 416	My walking horse is that way also. I have been riding him in a Eli Miller Buena vista with western fenders. I have no issues with it and it is a very comfy saddle. I have also put my FQHB Cy saddle on him and it sets him like a glove. Only problem is that it's a square skirt and it catches his hip. I had recently bought an Allegany trail saddle for him and I sold it..Didn't fit and was a very uncomfortable saddle.. My friend rides him in her Bob Marshall treeless and had no issues at all and uses a skito pad. __________________ Never Ride Faster Than Your Guardian Angel Can Fly **Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.... 1 TWHBEA, 1 Missouri Fox Trotter 03 Exiss Event 3H ,06 F250 extcab 6.0**

11-04-2009, 04:47 PM
beckyp Seasoned Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: utica,ky Posts: 4,471	My oldest granddaughter has a Walker,and she rides her with western saddle and English one and there doesn't seem to be a problem,I did notice when I tried to ride her with my English saddle that it didn't fit her like it does my TB and I was uncomfortable riding her and she was uncomfortable with me. She is a well-built mare,didn't think TWH were so solid. __________________ If not at home try the barn.