Saddle fitting
Saddles for a cob • The right seat size • How saddle fit helps riding position • Synthetic saddles
QMy cob has a flat back with large shoulders. His current saddle is lifting at the back, sliding to the right, seems way too long and slips backwards. What could be causing these issues? Liz Smith, Bishop’s Stortford
AWell, clearly the saddle you have is not the ideal one for your cob. Sliding to the right could either be caused by an asymmetry in your cob’s back, the tree being twisted, or the saddle not being flocked symmetrically. The other symptoms you describe suggest that your current saddle is too wide, which would be causing the lifting at the back and also the sliding backwards. There could also be too much curve in the tree from front to back, or even too much flocking in the centre of the panel, which will stop it sitting correctly on your cob’s back. Without seeing your cob and measuring his back it’s difficult to recommend a saddle, but we’ve had great success with Ideal Highland and Cob saddles in such situations. Call in a Society of Master Saddlers’ qualified saddle fitter who is also a master saddler — two separate qualifications. They’ll recommend the best saddle for your cob and also be able to alter and adjust it to fit well. As for your cob’s large shoulders, again, without seeing him it’s difficult to advise, but my suggestion would be a VSD-cut saddle (versatility dressage saddle). It’s a myth that forward-cut saddles impede a large-shouldered horse’s movement — if the saddle slides back in this situation, it’s more likely to be caused by atrophy behind the shoulder.