Cob Jockey

After almost two days of staring at the gullet of the Stackhouse and thinking it would be too narrow for Connor, I finally have my answer:

It fits!  Very well, for buying it sight-unseen.  It's my second eBay leap of faith with a saddle that turned out well with Connor.  The only place I can knock it is the back panel, which is upswept a bit too much for his flat Cob back, but it's going to need such a minor correction that the riser pad you see in the photo was really too much.  I'll probably get some sort of shim pad for it.

Upsweeping issue apparent here without pad.

On the lunge, I was really able to observe saddle fit while he was moving, as the cool, windy weather had him in a forward mindset.  It took me quite a while to bring him down from the surprisingly controlled, balanced canter he offered immediately, and I was ecstatic to see that he was rocked back on his hocks and really working through his back under the saddle.  Gosh, he's going to have a nice canter when we get things sorted out.

As far as it feels for me, it puts my leg more under me than the Beval did, which my trainer will be happy about.  It's so, so comfy, and the leather is just impeccably well-maintained and soft.  Plus, it has little knee rolls, which I have not ridden with in years.  I think the twist might be a hair wider than my old saddle, and the seat is a 16.5" instead of a 16", which I noticed more than I thought I would, but neither issue bothered me.  We had a quick walk and trot ride and I was able to stay very balanced while posting, sitting and in two-point.  I can't wait to get over a jump in this saddle!

In conclusion, it's not a custom fit, but for $699 I'm thrilled with it and the way he reacted to it, and it will definitely be staying as long as it fits both of us!