Am I making excuses for myself?

[milliepops]

While all this used to be much more simple and someone had their saddle and plonked it on everything what was much more common was horses with huge white patches on their backs scarrred withers etc etc .

absolutely this
I was on a yard for many years where all the horses had white marks around their withers. old fashioned hunting (winter) and eventing (summer) yard. it was seen as almost normal. I'd be guilt ridden if one of mine got those marks.

 

[Goldenstar]

Back to saddle fit for riders you absolutely need to have a saddle that suits you as well as the horse .
I made this mistake years ago with my first expensive dressage saddle a well respected local saddler sold me the saddle and yes it did fit the horse but I felt awful in it I really believed I could not ride sit to the trot etc etc throughout that horses career I believed I was crap I rode her up to three star .
She was retired and when the young one came ready for a dressage saddle I was working with a different person saddle wise I produced this saddle and she said we can’t use that it will never fit you I was speechless she produced a cheap and cheerful second hand ideal Jessica the difference I can’t tell you I did not know if I should laugh or cry .
I learnt from that if you don’t like a saddle it’s probaly wrong for you .

 

[maya2008]

I like the old-style Thorowgood saddles. Very secure and comfy. I'm quite short though and ride ponies...

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I have an ancient, fixed gullet TG endurance saddle that I had for one hugely fat pony (xxxw) and that was fine. Have also tried a TG griffin, an old Wintec 500 and a wintec dressage (werth) all of which were horrific to ride in-the Werth especially so, was like sitting on an ironing board. the loan horse came with a very expensive barry swain saddle and it crippled me-first time I ever understood the term chuff chafe.

Loved my Wow, love my Tekna GP and am currently trialling a Silhouette GP which seems to be ok. so yes, massive difference!


I've heard that sjers even now will have few saddles for the amount of horses-but then they are generally riding very similar horses these days. and back in the day, there were fewer cobs and foreign horses about and yes, more white hairs in places there shouldn't be. when I was in the US, in barns that were mostly hunt seat and nt western-well they all (riders) had their own saddles too, don't know if thats changed.

 

[taraj]

The thorowgood saddles I find are great for backing/horses changing shape but as a temporary measure. I have the t4 cob on a horse I have in for schooling, the horse being very "downhill" built it felt soo unsafe, like I was perched on top (despite being a pretty good fit) so I popped my favourite ideal h and c on him and it was like riding a different horse, in an armchair!.

 

[SpotsandBays]

Saddles make a huge difference but I found that it took somebody else telling me. I invited a friend over to shout at me whilst I schooled. I was having issues with my lower leg and she wanted to understand what's I was feeling so she hopped on. After about a minute or two she came over and told me how awful my saddle was for support. After a few months I had to replace the saddle anyway due to my boy changing shape and it's unbelievable how differently I ride in the new one.

 

[emfen1305]

I have just had to accept that my new saddle that I've had for just under a year doesn't suit me and makes me sit very strangely which in turn makes it not fit my horse so I have bit the bullet and bought a new one today. Couldn't believe how much more confident I felt riding in the new one so definitely another one that thinks saddles definitely make the difference.

 

[Apercrumbie]

I had a the same lightbulb moment a few years ago. Unfortunately I had already sold a horse that I had been struggling with because in that lightbulb moment I realised how much more effectively I could have ridden him had I not felt so insecure in his saddly. I had assumed that it was my seat and that it was just him but it was just an awful saddle. He was a small Andalusian and needed a very straight cut saddle. The only one that fitted had a really flat seat in a very slippy leather, no knee rolls etc. I probably would have felt more secure bareback! Frustrating because I would have done a better job reschooling him had I not had to grip so hard. Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

 

[rosiesowner]

I really hate riding in thorowgood saddles, feel perched on top as some others have said. On a far more shallow note they're ugly as hell. The same two things apply to any kent and masters saddles i've ridden in too which i suppose makes sense as they're the same thing in essence aren't they? just the synthetic and leather version? or am i totally wrong?

In hindsight i can't believe how lucky i was to find my saddle which chilli loves because of the swept up panels and that i love too. on top of it being so comfy it's also bloody gorgeous too (if you like patent leather and bling!).

saddles do change the way you ride though, I really liked the black country GP monoflap that chilli came with to jump in. so comfy. I don't mind the newer wintecs. Chilli hated the prestige and PDS monoflaps I tried on her when the saddler came, and that's when we ended up with the stübben, much to the dismay of my bank account!!