Alternatives to butet dressage saddle?

RachelFerd

RachelFerd

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So, a bit of analysis later, and I am fairly certain that my dressage saddle, although it fits the horse well, and actually fits me fairly well... it does not fit me and the horse as a combination (!) as we are mis-matched in terms of height and length, and I simply can't ride this horse long enough to suit the saddle I have.

I am currently riding in a Prestige dressage saddle. At least ten years old, but very modern in style, deep seated, not overly huge in the block. I find it too deep in the seat, and especially with my horses rather downhill shape, I get pushed forwards.

I have ridden in a butet flat seated dressage saddle, which is basically absolutely perfect for me and If I had that kind of money sitting there, I would buy immediately.

However, I do not have £3000 burning a hole in my pocket, so just wondering if there were any other saddles out there that rode similarly? I want FLAT seated with VERY MINIMAL blocks. Ideally monoflap, but doesn't really matter too much in that respect.

Needs to be something I could pick up second hand around the £500 or less price bracket. Ideas on a postcard?
 
RachelFerd said:
So, a bit of analysis later, and I am fairly certain that my dressage saddle, although it fits the horse well, and actually fits me fairly well... it does not fit me and the horse as a combination (!) as we are mis-matched in terms of height and length, and I simply can't ride this horse long enough to suit the saddle I have.

I am currently riding in a Prestige dressage saddle. At least ten years old, but very modern in style, deep seated, not overly huge in the block. I find it too deep in the seat, and especially with my horses rather downhill shape, I get pushed forwards.

I have ridden in a butet flat seated dressage saddle, which is basically absolutely perfect for me and If I had that kind of money sitting there, I would buy immediately.

However, I do not have £3000 burning a hole in my pocket, so just wondering if there were any other saddles out there that rode similarly? I want FLAT seated with VERY MINIMAL blocks. Ideally monoflap, but doesn't really matter too much in that respect.

Needs to be something I could pick up second hand around the £500 or less price bracket. Ideas on a postcard?
Click to expand...
An older kieffer?
 
An old Passier? Stubben Schulteis? They are about as minimalist as they come!

Just as a note Keiffers hate me - the rise comes up too fast - so I suspect you might find similar.
 
I would have said an older Keiffer Wein. Another alternative which is very similar is an older Passier known as the Patron (or if Passier France then the Remmi). The seats on these two saddles will possibly not be as flat as you are looking for but neither model has large blocks. Not sure about the points on a Keiffer but the points on a Passier saddle are short so as not to interfere with shoulder movement.

In the last month I just picked up an older Passier in this model for around the 300 quid delivered mark off ebay.

Another worth a look might be the KN saddle. Certainly the Kieffer and the Passier are saddles that seem to put you in balance but not lock you in.

Happy shopping
 
I don't think, from what I've seen, that the keiffer saddles would fit Pete. He seems to suit the kind of panels that the butet/prestige/amerigo/jaguar type saddles have with the slight upwards curve at the back of the panel... if that makes any sense!
 
I bought my flat seated Butet dressage saddle second hand for £800, so they are out there but obviously a bit rare! However, like you, it suits me absolutely brilliantly and also seems to suit the TB horse. I have tried almost every brand of dressage saddle - Ideal Susannah, Albion SLK, Devoucoux Makila and Mendia etc - and the only one that comes close to the Butet in terms of fit for me and the horses has been a Passier Grand Gilbert. They retail for about £400-500 pounds and there's one on eBay in Medium at the moment for £499. They are very flat seated and minimal blocks and really helped my position. I do prefer the Butet but I'd have another Passier in a heartbeat - loved it.
 
The Passier does look ok to me - although would definitely want to try one on the horse first before shelling out, as not sure of the shape of the tree for him. Looks like it would be suitably inoffensive for me to ride in!

The stubben schulteis looks good too, although not many of them around!! The curved tree of most stubbens fit this horse well (have an old siegfried which is my 'spare' saddle which is fine for him).

I have seen that secondhand one on sederholm selected, and it is very tempting. If I could sell the prestige first for a reasonable amount then I could consider it... but I don't think saddles are shifting too easily at the moment, and don't want to stick it on ebay and end up with no dressage saddle at all :(
 
It is an expensive job swopping saddles and you quite rightly are concerned about fit and tree shapes etc. With that in mind, rather than taking a punt on something from ebay or a private seller, my thoughts are that you could do with finding a saddler who has a decent selection of all different makes and models so you could have a good rumage through them and a decent trial ride to see what suits you both best. They may also take your current saddle in part chop, granted that is not always going to give you the best price for your saddle!
 
I've a second hand Butet dressage saddle I no longer need. If it is the right size for your horse, I'd be prepared to sell it for £500. The panels are a bit harder than I'd like but otherwise it was a gorgeous saddle, it just didn't fit my horse.
 
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RachelFerd said:
The stubben schulteis looks good too, although not many of them around!! The curved tree of most stubbens fit this horse well (have an old siegfried which is my 'spare' saddle which is fine for him).
Click to expand...

The newer version of the Schultheis is called the Genesis Spezial cause I have one - they might be too new for many of them to be knocking around on the secondhand market, but just in case!
 
Shame you're not a bit closer to Nottingham. Am selling my Passier grand Gilbert so would have been welcome to try. As an idea re the blocks and shape this is it on my old horse, I'd say it suited a tb type ( though he was Dutch warmblood) with a big wither and fairly flat back (current pony has Connemara shaped back that rises to croup and needs bigger panels) same horse had stubben Roxane jump saddle.



Hope link works and photo not huge, haven worked out photobucket fom iPad :o
 
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Hi I had the same problem with my horse and I now have a Teversal Deessage saddle. Absolutely fantastic and I picked mine up second hand for £250.
 
Sillygillymare... I don't want to go down the saddler route. Don't mind getting them in to help improve something I already have... but all recent experiences of second-hand saddling fitting has been truly terrible. I have worked in the industry long enough to be able to tell what basically fits and what definitely doesn't, and my horse is pretty clear about it too! Last time I let a saddler 'advise' me against my better judgement I was left with a horse with white patches either side of the wither. Unfortunately never again!

I do get access to a lot of saddles at work, and also we have an electronic pressure testing system available, so I am pretty well equipped to make decisions on the fit front ;)

The thing for me is that a saddle selling for £300 on ebay, is generally going to be a £600 from a saddler, and I certainly won't get a good price for the Prestige which I might sell. But on the other hand I might keep hold of the Prestige as it is a nice saddle, and is good to ride in - just only when I can drop my stirrups slightly further on a taller horse. I'd prefer to take the risk on an ebay saddle, in the knowledge I can return it to ebay and sell again for a similar price.

Anyway, I think I just need to keep saving for the Butet or wait for a jaguar in the corrext size. Just not sure that anything else has ever given me that same kind of feel I would like :(
 
You are luckier than most I guess if you have access to many types of saddle to try without any pressure to buy. Makes things much easier then to take a punt on something off ebay/secondhand if you have had a play with one before hand and know it suits the horses shape and you. Like you say it also allows you to pick up something cheaper.
 
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