27/10/2019
Stubben Custom Sales and Saddle Fitting - North Carolina
TOO NARROW OR TOO WIDE?
👉 THE GOAL OF THIS POST:
1. To show consumers why they may get opposite answers about the correct tree width of their saddle from Fitters with different certifications and training.
2. To educate riders about Stubben’s unique headplate and its mechanics.
👉 PROBLEM:
For this discussion, we intentionally put a Stubben saddle with the wrong tree size on this horse. The saddle is PINCHING the withers.
👉 In order find the SOLUTION, you must FIRST be able to CORRECTLY DIAGNOSE WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM.
⚠️ First we have to ask: WHY IS THE SADDLE PINCHING THE WITHERS?
— Is it pinching because the saddle is TOO WIDE at the tree points, allowing the pommel to fall down onto the withers?
— OR is it pinching because the pommel shape is TOO NARROW for the horse’s withers?
⚠️ THIS IS WHERE KNOWLEDGE OF THE MECHANICS OF THE HEADPLATE AND THE SADDLE’S DESIGN will determine if you fit the saddle correctly.
⚠️ You can see in the latter illustrations that the CORRECT conclusion is the only option, otherwise you will harm the horse.
✅ THE CORRECT ANSWER:
— SADDLE TYPE: Stubben
— WHAT DO WE KNOW? Stubben’s have a U-shaped headplate that DOES NOT CHANGE when you adjust tree width.
— This design allows you to make the tree narrower without the pommel pinching the withers.
— When the U-headplate sits too close to the withers, it is almost ALWAYS a case of the TREE WIDTH being TOO WIDE.
— THE FIX: GO NARROWER IN TREE WIDTH to pick the saddle up off the withers. The correct width is when the tree points lie parallel against the horse’s sides.
- The correct width will almost ALWAYS provide adequate wither clearance due to the headplate design.
👉 WHAT IF IT HAD BEEN A DIFFERENT BRAND?
— 99% of English saddles on the market today are built with a VEE-SHAPED HEADPLATE.
— Vee-headplates become NARROWER throughout the POMMEL when the width is made narrower. Care must be taken not to pinch the withers when going to a narrower size.
— With is design, on some horses, you must widen the tree to provide enough space in the pommel for the withers.
— IMPORTANT TO NOTE: When the Vee-headplate appears to pinch the withers, it is often because the HEADPLATE/POMMEL is TOO NARROW.
— THE FIX FOR THE V-HEADPLATE: Go wider and pad the voids under the tree points, either with front gussets or a correction pad.
👉 AS YOU CAN SEE: Fitting these two headplate shapes is like comparing apples and oranges. ONE CANNOT BE FIT LIKE THE OTHER.
✅ Knowing the product and how to correct issues saves money, time, and headaches.
⚠️ It is a mistake to assume that all the brands, with their differences in design, materials, and construction, should be fit the same way.
✅ EDUCATION about the product you are fitting is key to assessing and fitting different types of saddles correctly.