After riding Harley in the Schleese for about a month now, I'm not convinced that he is completely happy with it. Although it fits him very well, no bridging, wide enough gullet, and not too long in the tree, the design of the saddle may not work for him. Harley is very sensitive about pressure in the withers/shoulder area, and the design of the front panels might be an issue.
However, while searching online for information about this problem, I discovered that the company that makes my previous saddle, also makes a line of saddles for horses with wide withers and shoulders. After shopping around, I found a merchant who was selling a model very similar to my first saddle, and they offer 7 different gullet plates to "custom" fit the saddle to the horse. I've ordered the saddle with 4 extra gullet plates, and am optimistic that one of them will fit him comfortably.
If one of these plates does not work on Harley, I may just get a western saddle and turn him into a warmblood trail horse. No, not really, but as you can tell, owning a horse can be a very frustrating, patience-testing experience. Be prepared to endure trials and tribulations, and never give up on your horse. Other people gave up on Harley, and I will not. He's so very special, and deserves to have someone believe in him and stick with him no matter what.
