Goodbye Saddle, Temporarily

The saddle fitter who gave us the saddle for August came by on Sunday to pick it up. I'm about 90% wanting to buy it but I told him that I was a little skeptical only because the saddle keeps sliding forward. I like everything else about it, the block is a good size but isn't restricting my leg at all. The seat is comfortable (even when the fit isn't perfect). The leather is good quality. It's a fully modular saddle so if I decide to change out the block or the seat, I won't have to buy a completely new saddle. But ugh, this forward sliding thing. 

I just love this horse

But does TC just have a body type that all saddles will slide forward on? Do I buy this one because it doesn't have tree points so it doesn't matter toooo much that it slides forward (it mostly annoys me)? Or do I hold out to buy something absolutely perfect? 

If I buy it now, am I settling? If I don't buy it, am I in for a year or more of battling to find the perfect saddle only to find out that there is no perfect saddle?

Saddle shopping is the worst. 

He's going pretty well right now despite minimal
riding in the smoke

After our last lesson with local trainer, his right
lead canter has improved so much

Those were all questions I was feeling when he came by. I asked him about the sliding and he says he's 100% confident that with a different tree (slightly wider), we can get it to stop sliding. And if that doesn't work, we can move the billets forward, which may restrict the shoulder a bit, but it won't slide. I can actually do that adjustment myself, so we can basically try out different billet placements and let TC decide where he wants his billets.  

He adjusted it to rebalance it, but we didn't have the different tree to try (and the discussion of the billets came after we were all done). After the adjustment it did seem to stay put for longer, so that was positive, but it did slide, so I gave it back. 

I asked him if there was a refund policy, like if I buy it and it doesn't work, can I return it? No. Ugh. I couldn't commit at that point, so I felt really bummed as we walked back to the barn. But then I realized that there might be another option. 

The right is still super tricky, I am excited to see
what his PT thinks about it! 

Now the left lead is harder lol

I asked when he was coming back and he said in three weeks. I asked if he'd have the correct size tree then (he was saying he put in an order for a bunch of different ones because all his clients' horses are bulking up right now I guess. He said he would and then I asked if he'd be willing to let me try the demo again with the correct tree. If it worked, I'd put in my order. One month's delay is a lot on a saddle that will take 10 weeks to get here, but who knows how much I'll be riding this fall and winter anyway and I did just get my fancy bareback pad and am doing more core work, so maybe I could do some bareback boot camp when we can actually ride. 

He said that would absolutely work and he picked up the saddle. I got a pang of bummed-out-ness and then I asked him on a whim if he ever sold demos. Like could I just take that saddle if it works? 

He seemed slightly surprised that I'd want it. I think a lot of people get excited about all the fancy stuff you can do with it, fancy leather and fancy back plates and all that. I am so unbelievably desperate to have something to ride in and to save a fair amount of money and 10 weeks would mean a ton to me! I want to start riding with both trainers again the moment we can (the moment the fires go out, TC will get a lung ultrasound and then go back to full work!). I'm also not a fancy saddle person. Maybe in the future when this saddle becomes new horse's saddle and I have lots of money (I'm putting a lot of pressure on future Megan lol). 

I'll miss this saddle! 

Goodbye saddle!

So, that's where we are at. My goal for the next three and a half weeks is to get TC in as many other saddles as possible. If I can find something that we both like and that doesn't slide or get in the way of his shoulders, I'll let this saddle fitter know that I'm not interested. If we get to the saddle fit appointment, then fingers crossed it works and I can buy it!