‘High withered’ is a term we saddle fitters hear all the time, and it can represent a massive variety of horses in all different shapes and sizes. Whether your horse has a shark fin of a wither, a long wither that runs into the saddle area, or just has a bit of shape to its back. Here are some points to consider:
The saddle tree (wooden or plastic) must reflect the shape of the horse's back, higher withers usually require a deeper tree to achieve a good saddle balance. Saddles with a deep tree can have drop panels to add support to the front of the saddle. The drop is panel has more shape to allow extra flocking to support the front of the tree and help keep wither clearance.
Make sure your saddle cloth doesn’t pull down onto your horse’s wither and cause pressure, lot of saddle cloths are now cut to high wither designs and attach at the dee rings to help stop the saddle cloth from slipping down on the wither.
A note of caution, be wary of using the point strap on the saddle if your horse has a high wither, always check with your SMS qualified saddle fitter before changing your girthing arrangement.
Here are some saddles that we find work well on high withered horses, (this is not an exhaustive list, only some saddles that we find work).
Kent & Masters High Wither Saddle KMHGP
Tailored for high-withered horses, such as Thoroughbreds, built on a hight headed tree and with drop panels specifically shaped to support the saddle from the horse's rib cage and maintain maximum clearance along the spine.
Thorowgood T8 Dressage Surface Block High Wither T8HDS
Tailored for high withered horses such as Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods, with an open headed tree and panels specially shaped to give maximum wither clearance.
A traditional two-flap created especially for the competitive rider who appreciates enhanced comfort and luxury from their competition saddle. Designed using the research and development that went their Performance Products to ensure the horse benefits from Fairfax’s fitting features and girthing options.
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Albion K2 Jump or GP with Thoroughbred tree (TB)
The K2 Jump saddle has been designed with a super soft seat and a closer positive leg position for added rider comfort. With a wider panel bearing surface and with the TB Adjusta-Tree technology, the K2 jump is as comfortable for the horse as it is for the rider. Riders looking for a slightly deeper seat with a very supportive leg love the K2 Jump Saddle.
Prestige Arezzo D Jumping Saddle
A saddle especially suited to riders aiming for a better posture in the saddle. Thanks to the medium-sized blocks (large ones are available on request), riders are provided with a narrower twist. The seat is of medium depth and thanks to the flocked panel the saddle offers horses the greatest comfort, even those with prominent withers.
Ideal Suzannah Dressage Twinflap
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If you would like to discuss your horse with our team, please call us on 0208 308 0500 or email sales@daviddyersaddles.co.uk
