Do you have more than one saddle?

_April_

_April_

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As above really! I am just interested as up until now I have only ridden in GP saddles.

Do you have more than one saddle? (ie a DR one, a SJ one etc)

Does it make a difference and why?


The main reason I am asking is that the horse I loan has a VSD saddle and, whilst it is very comfortable, I hate jumping in it as I don't feel secure.
If it was my horse I would definitely be looking into getting another saddle but it's not really worth it as she's not mine.

Also one last thing... I have heard people talking about knee rolls that you can buy to stick on a saddle...
Has anyone tried these?
If they are recommended, any idea where I could get some?

thanks
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I have one that I exercise in which is quite good for schooling in too. I have one of my mum's old dressage saddles which I can quite proudly say I have never put on my coloured horse, and then I have an ideal event saddle, which isn't quite a jumping saddle but I find great for hunting etc.
 
I don't want to just blame the saddle and I am getting more used to it... on the other hand April isn't the easiest to jump and I think anything that would help has got to be a good thing!

We were comparing my saddle to others the other day and it is definitely very, very straight at the front.
I am actually thinking I might get a saddler out to see if any of our old ones with better knee rolls would fit her... that would be a solution that would be too good to be true though lol.

Thanks guys, I didn't want to be over dramatic but every little helps when jumping the loons hehe xx
 
I have a horrid GP one that she came with (doesn't fit her properly and therefore don't use) and bought jumping flaps for my Wow. I didn't get on with jumping flaps for everyday use, as my legs are too short, so I bought some VSD flaps which I love. So, after that long winded reply, the answer is just one saddle but two style flaps.
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Have not tried jumping her in the VSD flaps, as she is just coming back into work after an injury. They were very good, however, at keeping me in the saddle during her recent 10 mad laps of the menege!
 
I have 5 saddles. One horse has 2 saddles, a GP/Event and a dressage one although Im planning on selling the GP to get a proper forwarder cut event one. For home use he's ridden in the dressage one all the time as he seems to really like it. The other one has a Wintec Wide which I find comfy however its really started to wobble on him and isnt forward cut enough for jumping so thats going to go soon! THe other 2 saddles are an old pony one which must be a good 20 years old but is still going strong and a Thorowgood one which I HATE but it does fit the odd pony who comes through my doors sometimes.
 
having just found a make of saddle to fit jay i only have my WH right now but plan to get a GP of it and possibly a jumping one
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I have a Jump and a dressage. I used to have a VSD saddle and found it very hard to jump in, luckily she grew out of it... she used to me a MW, so we got the jump saddle, it was so much easier to jump in and has changeable knee rolls that can be moved about- is that what you mean? They are velcro so the saddle has to have the velcro sections to stick them to. I Only recently got the dressage and Oh mY word, it has made SUCH a difference to our flatwork, she has started really using her backend (in that in the 2 weeks she has had it she has developed a nice muscley bum) and is lovely and soft. I now hack out more in this as my jump is a close contact so not as comfy for her.

I know someone who evented to intermediate doing dressage in a jump saddle...! If i was to have one saddle id prob just have a jump... a GP does neither jobs well so might as well have a good one and work with it for the other disipline! I know of people with 3 (dr, jump AND GP) which seems a bit pointless to me!
 
Oh dear
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.I have just bought another saddle so that makes five for one horse,but in my defence 1 is at the shop to be sold,two are on ebay and that will leave my Wintec wide and the new one which will be here next week.
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I have two, used to have just one GP as he was at a riding school and only allowed one saddle.
But starting having back problems with it and any other GP we tried, so HAD to get two
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I have bates momentum xc saddle, which has a really flat cantle so feels like it doesn't hold you in, but it's sooo comfy!

Then have a Albion K2 dressage.
 
My horse has a dressage and a GP saddle and I can't even ride her any more! I can't jump in a dressage saddle as I tip forward even in a GP saddle, and find that a dressage saddle makes me almost collapse forwards completely. I can't dressage in a GP or jumping saddle as I then grip up with my knees.
The coloured I sometimes ride has a Wow with VSD flaps, nothing else. I took her galloping today and felt 100% comfy, even managed to sit her leap/rear/spin episodes. I've jumped in it fine too (albeit very small). I also school her in it and feel 100% comfy with longer length stirrups, even without using the set-back dressage stirrup bars.
I used to jump a horse I shared in a VSD Wintec, TBH I couldn't cope with it as it tipped me forwards and I couldn't get the correct length of stirrup because of the flaps being too straight. It wasn't a problem until I started getting up to 2'9"/3'.
 
That's very interesting Sil because it's only really been a problem these past few months now we are trying to go bigger (2'9 - 3'3.)

Thanks Bonita - glad it's not just me!

I can honestly say if she was mine I would have had a new saddle but I think I will see what we have available.

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply xx
 
Both my boys have a gp and dressage saddle. I absolutely hate doing flatwork in a gp, but hack and jump in it, although I will sometimes hack in my dressage saddle. Don't need a jumping saddle as the highest I've ever jumped is 3' and don't ever plan on jumping any higher!
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i have a GP saddle, and a HM SBS treeless saddle my horse seems more comfortable in a treeless sadle but i feel more safe for jumping in my GP saddle
 
I am not surprised you are struggling jumping with VSD flaps.

If you don't have a saddle that you can borrow to use on her, you could look at a cheap 2nd hand jumping saddle, or even a synthetic? I understand you not wanting to spend out money on a horse which isn't your own.

You will only be able to get interchangeable flaps on a saddle made for the purpose, and they are usually reasonably costly to start with, so probably not your solution.

Depending how big your yard/circle of friends are, I would see if you can do something to make your jumping easier. You could easily use a GP, it doesn't have to be an event or jumping saddle.. just not dressage!
 
DidiR - I have found it difficult and tbh I have fallen off twice jumping in the past 2 months with numerous other hairy moments and my confidence is taking a bit of a battering.
I am fine doing flat with long stirrups and can sit anything but when I go to jumping length I just feel like I am perched on top.

It's also a bit depressing to feel so ineffective as jumping really was my thing
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(I am loving learning DR on her though).
I didn't want to make the saddle the excuse for my lack of stickability but you have all given me hope that perhaps it really isn't helping.

There is quite a good supply of old saddles on the yard so I am going to have an investigation! I think there's about 4/5 I could try.
Can't believe I didn't think of this sooner but I've only been jumping her a year and only 'big' jumps since xmas time... that's when it started getting a bit hairy!

Thanks again everyone, you have no idea how much better I feel now. xx
 
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