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Thorowgood T8 Compact GP Saddle
Fairfax Saddlery
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Item #22062
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Member Price:
(Members save 5% at SmartPak)
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(Because you have supplements on AutoShip, you save an extra 10% on this and all other SmartPak tack & apparel items!)
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(You save 5% as a member of . And, because you have supplements on AutoShip, you save an extra 10% on this and all other SmartPak tack & apparel items!)
SmartPerks Price:
(Because you have supplements on AutoShip, you can save an extra 10% on this and all other SmartPak tack & apparel items! Enter promo code PERKS at checkout.)
Your Price:
(You save 5% as a member of . Because you have supplements on AutoShip, you can save an extra 10% on this and all other SmartPak tack & apparel items! Enter promo code PERKS at checkout.)
SmartPerks Price:
(Because you have supplements on AutoShip, you save an extra 10% on this and all other SmartPak tack & apparel items!)
Your Price:
(You save 5% as a member of . And, because you have supplements on AutoShip, you save an extra 10% on this and all other SmartPak tack & apparel items!)
SmartPerks Price:
(Because you have supplements on AutoShip, you can save an extra 10% on this and all other SmartPak tack & apparel items! Enter promo code PERKS at checkout.)
Your Price:
(You save 5% as a member of . Because you have supplements on AutoShip, you can save an extra 10% on this and all other SmartPak tack & apparel items! Enter promo code PERKS at checkout.)
Free Shipping (Details)
As riders and online shoppers, we know it can be tough to buy a new bridle or pair of boots without trying them on. That's why we moved the fitting room to your living room (or barn)! From breeches to blankets, if you or your horse can try it on, you can return it, free! Just request a return with a FREE SmartPak return label from your Order History within 60 days of the purchase date. And of course, please make sure the item is in like-new condition with original packaging (we said 'fitting room', not 'war room'!).
Why We Love This
The Thorowgood T8 Compact GP Saddle is perfect for shorter backed, croup high or flat backed horses. It is also a great option for the petite rider on a large pony/small horse. Compared to similar saddles, the Compact GP saddle is compact for its size, has a neat seat, slimmer rear gussets and the tree is shorter and slightly flatter on the underside. It is made from a durable but practical combination of leather and synthetic materials.
Made in the UK
Test ride this saddle! Click here for details.
Made in the UK
Test ride this saddle! Click here for details.
Favorite Features
- Super-comfy deeper seat that gives you a little extra in-saddle security and locates you centrally for balance and control
- Versatile GP that's forward enough cut to allow for jumping and cross-country as well as schooling and hacking
- Fully adjustable knee and calf blocks provide customized leg support
- Quality leather seat and knee pads give the feel of riding on an all-leather saddle
- Changeable gullet for a custom fit
- Flocked with 100% British wool
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STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? SEE Q&A
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? SEE Q&A
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100% Happiness Guarantee
At SmartPak, your happiness is at the core of everything we do. We put our products to the test in our barns and on our horses, and back every order with our world-class customer service so that you can shop with confidence. As part of our Happiness Guarantee, we promise you:
- Expert advice from riders
- Free shipping every day
- Free return shipping on sized items
- Hassle-free returns up to 365 days after purchase
of customers would recommend this product to a friend!
The reviews provided on this website represent the experience of the individual posting the review. We do not adopt, edit, or endorse any of the submissions posted within the reviews section. Rather, the reviews are part of an online community of animal owners that desire to share their particular experience with other individuals. These reviews are not a substitute for discussing the health of your animal with a veterinarian.
SmartPak customers are some of the most conscientious animal owners around. We encourage you to share your experience with the products we sell to help fellow customers to make informed choices for their animals. We do not edit these reviews in any way - they are direct customer-to-customer communication. We do monitor reviews for positive and negative feedback, and use this feedback to improve our selection as well as sharing feedback with product manufacturers to help them improve their products. Please note that we recommend consulting your vet with serious health issues.
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Reviews
Thorowgood T8 Compact GP Saddle is rated
out of
5 by
11.
Rated 4 out of
5
by
HF4477 from
Rode for one year before reviewing
This was recommended by a saddle fitter for my Arab sport horse. Big gelding 15.1 15.2 estimate, croup slightly high, low withers, really really wide shoulder. He’s big boned Raffles guy. Anyway. This for really well. It cleans up very easy and despite a few falls no scratches or otherwise worse for wear. I use a toklat medallion pad and it fits well. Stirrup bars are tight and feel very secure. Low profile panel no rubbing of the inner thigh. I have used winter low profile Webber’s and traditional leathers. Both fit fine without issue. Very lightweight saddle. I trail ride very frequently and send on average 2 to 3 hours at a walk trot pace with a little soreness at the end. I think it sits deep. It feels nice and secure. Flaps are lean. It comes with moveable Velcro blocks. It comes with a medium gullet bar. It’s I think 6 hex skews to change the gullet. My guy wears a wide in late winter to early summer. Then I switch it to an extra wide when his weight is back up after the cold. Not always but we had a hard winter last year. It has a point billet !!! Yeah ! That was our biggest fit issue. I rode in the non compact version and it was a very deep seat but also really rolled my pelvis forward. The compact has eliminated this mostly. On trail rides with a lot of movement, steep hills or jumps I find I really have to remember to slide back and sit back. To be far I am not sure it’s the saddle but possibly just my croup high guy. It’s definitely not as apparent as the standard. I am 5 ft 5 inches, Jean size 12. And wt well, let’s say I carry most in my lower body and am approx. 170lbs. I find this saddle to be a great fit on my horse. Never a rub, no issues with girthing or sores. Mine has never squeaked and I have done nothing to it except wipe it off with a damp washcloth after a muddy adventure. I enjoy it and think it’s very soft and comfortable. This are my old saddle sweat marks not the T8 I posted this to show you his back.
Date published: 2020-12-16
Rated 4 out of
5
by
SouthwestRider from
Great Quality for the Price
I recently started an OTTB under saddle and knowing both that he has some asymmetries and that his shape would change, I was hesitant to invest a large chunk of change into a saddle. None of the saddle options I had were a good choice for him--he is thin-skinned, has a higher wither, but is THE widest non-draft horse I've ever sat on (think like sitting on a pitbull...), and a forward last rib AND girth groove--yikes.
Luckily, the Thorowgood T8 Compact GP saddle, on the budget I had (where having a saddle fitter come out wasn't an option at this time), solved all of these issues for a well-made, serviceable saddle with enough ability to adapt to a developing greenie.
I followed the instructions from Thorowgood on how to measure for gullet sizes, and ordered a different size (I think wide) than the medium the saddle comes with. I use a cut-forward girth that seems to help keep everything in place, and the panels are supportive enough that I have been riding without a half-pad, with no back soreness--he has also been using his back better.
I agree with the quality of this saddle mentioned by other reviewers, as well as its comfort--I find it extremely comfortable to ride in, and it puts me in a secure position, which I appreciate as he learns how to jump!
One other reviewer mentioned squeaking: I notice a small amount of squeaking of the synthetic parts of the saddle occasionally, but it generally goes away within a couple of minutes and appears to be related to how cold it is. (However, that's not a huge issue in the Southwest...)
Another reviewer noted that the panel extended down onto her horse's side to cause a pressure point--the compact model does not do this to my horse, but I had previously ordered the non-compact model, which did cause this issue. However, both the trial saddle program and Smartpak's customer service have been EXCELLENT in this process, and I could not be happier with having tried and bought a saddle through them.
A couple small things I do not like about the saddle (and what kept it from earning 5 stars):
1. The stirrup bars are curved upwards with no joint--I have always ridden with jointed bars, with the joints down and open as a safety feature, and I am not a huge fan of the fact that stirrup leathers cannot easily pull off if necessary.
2. As someone else noted, the billets are very stiff, particularly at first. They also seem like they have fewer holes, spaced closer together. The stitching and webbing seem more extensive than many saddles, and cut out the option of higher up holes--there are only six holes on each side.
Aside from these, I am exceptionally happy with this saddle, particularly at this price point!
Date published: 2018-12-13
Rated 3 out of
5
by
shannongiggy from
Good for casual riding
Leasing a short-backed irish sport horse and this is his saddle. Fits his back very nicely, but puts the rider in an awkward position. It throws me foward onto my crotch and makes it difficult to open up your hips, would not reccomend for equitation or anything more demanding than pleasure riding.
Date published: 2017-08-27
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Sandy from
Love the saddle
I test rode this saddle first and I was very impressed how comfortable the saddle was. It fit my short backed mare great! I typically ride in a Wintec AP saddle so this was an adjustment, the seat is deep but after a few rides I found it to be quite comfortable. The new saddle out of the box was just as comfy as the test ride saddle. Overall, I think this saddle is a great purchase and is excellent quality for the price. I also want to say that this was my first time purchasing through Smart Pack and their customer service is outstanding!
Date published: 2017-06-13
Rated 4 out of
5
by
ith2bmore from
Nice GP saddle so far
Only been riding in it for a few weeks and haven't tried jumping in it yet. I like how it's easy to clean. Gullets easy to change. Happy that it's wool flocked and can be adjusted/changed. The Billets are really stiff and can be hard to get girth buckles in - hopefully that softens with time. The stirrup bars are set deep and tight so it makes adjusting the stirrups really tough - I bought thinner stirrups to help with that, I hope. Over all is very comfortable and looking forward to using it for a long time.
Date published: 2017-02-22
Rated 2 out of
5
by
Kelli from
Great fit, comfortable, but squeaks like crazy!
I purchased the high wither GP saddle. This fit my young, super high withered, short backed horse GREAT. I bought it specifically because she's going to change shape a lot over the next year as she grows and is brought into work and the changeable gullets should work perfectly as she changes. It's probably the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden in and I've been riding horses for over 30 years. Unfortunately the saddle SQUEAKS like crazy. It's my first synthetic saddle and I expected some noise vs a leather saddle, but it can be hard to hear the instructor at times...that can't be normal!!! I tried all of the tips the manufacturer suggested to help get rid of the squeak, but none of them worked. Regrettably I'm going to return the saddle because of the squeaking.
Date published: 2017-01-15
Rated 3 out of
5
by
natascha from
not sure how to review waiting on saddle one ordered came in damaged sent back according to tracker saddle was returned 2 days ago waiting on shipping order for replacement
Date published: 2017-01-12
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Sornsju from
Nice fit for my shark fin TB
I appreciate the saddle test ride opportunity. It was nice to be able to try two saddles prior to purchase.
Date published: 2016-04-20
Rated 1 out of
5
by
Fara from
Design Flaw Keeps This From Being a 5 Star Saddle
I just test rode this saddle and loved how it fit my hard-to-fit tubby pony and how it fit me. It put me in excellent balance. I have the Thorowgood T8 dressage saddle - which I adore after 1.5 years of steady use - and I had high hopes for this being my new pop-over-small-fences saddle but it has a fundamental design flaw that I think would create a pressure point on my pony's back and which is keeping me from purchasing it. The back of the sweat panel connects to the saddle's underside panels at such a low/bad place as to create a pressure point on the horse's back. I'm not sure if this is a problem with this particular test ride saddle only or the whole series. My Thorowgood dressage saddle has the same issue with a bad/low connection point between the back of sweat panel and the underside saddle/back panel but it's not as severe - it JUST avoids being too low and creating a pressure point. Attached are some pictures with arrows pointing to what I mean.
Date published: 2016-02-19
Rated 5 out of
5
by
PML18 from
Great saddle for a great price
I rode hunter/jumper and after a break, am now slowly getting into dressage. I do not own or lease, but ride a variety of schooling horses in the breed of quarter horse or appendix. I had already test rode a used Pessoa jump saddle which put me into a chair seat and didn't fit the horse I rode at the time, so I changed my search to find an affordable all purpose that put me in a good position and had options for adjustment.
Of course, in a perfect world, there would be a perfect saddle for every horse and for every rider. But if you do not own or lease, you may be in my situation and stuck with barn saddles that are older than your grandmother. In the end, it's either biting the bullet and buying a saddle you hope will work out, or gritting your teeth while riding on something that is akin to a frozen pancake.
The Thorowgood is an excellent option for someone in my situation. I generally ride in a 17 inch, so I was a bit wary of test riding a 17.5, but it rode perfectly (I am 5'7) and put me into perfect placement. The leather seat and leather knee rolls are an added bonus. The saddle also has adjustable billets that you can move, which helps accommodate girth placement on different horses. The blocks are velcro, which is a great option to keep or remove (I removed mine).
I will say that unlike the other reviewer, the medium gullet that comes with the saddle was too big for the horse I usually ride. It fit another horse perfectly. I suggest buying the narrow/medium gullet and medium/wide gullet to partner with the medium gullet already in the saddle if you are test riding. Therefore you can get a good idea of if you need to go smaller or larger in terms of fit.
I paired the saddle with the Thorowgood synthetic stirrup leathers. I did not like the synthetic Thorowgood stirrups. Good looking, but it was like riding in tupperware. I had to stick with regular irons.
All and all, worth the three month wait! :)
Date published: 2016-02-14