Comfiest saddle ever?

I love my Lavinia Mitchell GP on current horse. Had a Kieffer GP for years on my old horse which was the only saddle both he and I fitted comfortably.
 
I rode an Equipe dressage saddle once, can't remember which type it it was but my god I didn't move. It was heaven.
 
Mine are Bob Marshall endurance saddles. Used those for around 25 years. So comfy.

This is the one, (not mine and sadly the dog isn't either) skito pad underneath, sheepskin on top, adapted to Y rigging and stirrups set back.

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HuskyFluff said:
My albion k2 jump saddle. Unfortunately it was completely wrong in every respect for my current horse so I had to sell it to fund her saddle.
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I swear K2s are love or hate. I cannot stand them (ridden in a fair few as quite a common rs saddle I've found)
 
sbloom said:
[re the Podhajski] That's the only saddle I fell out of in 15 years 😄, making my point for me I suppose!
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Easy to fall off, yes, because so flat and open and slippery, but that also made it easy to get back into the centre. I was a newish rider in my sixties. I never fell off in years of using it. My lessons were all about balance. Including bareback.
But modern ways are different. I now have a different share which has a plastic GP saddle, which is the absolute opposite, shaped to keep one in place and there are plastic dots on my new riding breeches also to stop one slipping about. This week for the first time in ages I rode a long way in gentle sitting canter, and it was problem free. Probably due to the modern saddle and modern breeches glueing me on.

Even so, if i were to get a horse of my own I would have the Podhajski again unless our saddler told me it would not do.
 
The most comfy I ever rode in was a Butet belonging to a friend who had it custom made for her (positioning of blocks etc). She and I are very similar in height, weight, limb length and physique, and this saddle was just so lovely. That was probably 14 years ago. I bought a second hand Butet recently and it's nice but not the same feeling of a saddle just fitting perfectly. I have never liked any Albions I have ridden in. Ideals often seem to suit me quite well. (Agree with sbloom that this is not a recommendation in any way!).
 
Torsion treeless. Can hack for hours and hours and hours with never a saddle sore for me or the horse. Always fits, always comfy. Rubbish for jumping though - I guess everything must have a flaw!
 
The comfiest saddle - a half tree exercise saddle with 2 thick pilypads and a riser pad underneath.

Of my show saddles my fell ponies saddle is am absolute delight to sit in. Its a shame I don't really have anything to wear it now. But I will keep it as I will get myself another fell pony one day. I'm not 100% sure of the make, Kay Hastilow fitted it, it's a working hunter saddle.
 
A Sabre WH saddle I had in the late 1980s. It's a shame they don't make saddles now. It was sublime to ride in.
 
sbloom said:
For me it's got to be wide and short, a 16.5 ErgoX2 B1 tree model with padded skirts. I have literally never found a saddle in my whole ridden career that was comfortable AND let me sit correctly.
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Funny, I tried a horse who had an ErgoX2 (can't remember if it was a Confidence or Courage) a couple of months ago and it was the most uncomfortable saddle I've ever had the displeasure to ride in. Even a crappy old Thorowgood T4 rides better.

I find the whole concept of ErgoX2 very overhyped and overpriced, and it seems that their popularity has dwindled some lately judging by how many second hand saddles in almost new condition you can buy nowadays in the Swedish second hand market. I have also first hand seen how the owner of the brand communicates with customers that were for various reasons not happy with their saddles and that alone was sufficient to put me off ErgoX2.

For me it's Albion K2 all the way- both dressage and jump, btw. Lovely saddles.
 
Well Ive tried a fair few over the last 12 months 🙈 🤣 and tbh with my history of bad luck with horses, a lot of different ones over the years.
I do think what suits one, wont suit another and the horse has a lot to answer for too! Im used to Sports Horses, never been any wider than a MW/W and that seemed to suit my shape? I used to just love dressage saddles with deep seats and big knee blocks but Im now in the Native club everything has changed. I currently have a Lavinia Mitchell that I need to sell, it wasnt a bad fit, maybe needed to be a midge wider but omg it crucified me, so much so I had to crawl on my hands and knees to the loo during the night! and Im still not right now, I think Ive sciatica as a result. I certainly dont think it was any fault of the saddle, it was obviously me, it felt a little wide for me but seemed very comfortable at the time, but I think the pony being so wide, hence a very wide saddle just played havoc with my hips and lower back. Someone else may have been perfectly fine but my old bones couldnt cope lol!!
I have to say my new Symonds saddle is like heaven, my back hasnt hurt, nor have my hips. It doesnt pin me in, yet my legs just seem to do what they should with no effort at all. I did sit in this saddle before it was adjusted to fit my barrel pony and it felt so comfortable, hence why I really didnt want to part with it. It obviously feels wider now but thankfully it has not affected me in any way and is just as comfortable.
 
Another vote for Ideal :D my old pony came with an Ideal WH and it was the comfiest saddle ever, I just loved it and felt so secure, even with no knee rolls! It was originally fitted for a 10 year old (pony was 13hh) and fit me perfectly as well :D I still have it at home as I refuse to part with it (lost pony in 2017).
Currently I have an Ideal Event which I bought 2 years ago and I love that too but not quite as much as the WH!
 
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