Dressage saddle for heavier rider - plus monoflap question

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IsabelleJ

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Hello CR!

My boy did his first dressage tests with his new sharer at the weekend, and on looking at the photos I noticed that he looked a LOT unhappier than usual. I was just about to place a call to my vet (he has had IRAP injections to both hocks in the last few months, so I thought it was something to do with that.) However, I had the saddler due out the next day, so thought I would wait and see what she said.

I could KICK myself! His Albion SL dressage saddle, which I have never been convinced about, doesn't fit him at all. It has been blocking him and giving him a really bad back. Poor boy :( The annoying thing is that I noticed that he wasn't liking as much, but thought it was due to me being heavier than sharer, and I have been riding in his GP (which does fit!!) for the last 6 months. So I got my sharer to ride in the GP the next evening... oh my GOODNESS! The difference in the horse! Sharer was grinning, horse was happy, expressive, off the leg. Sharer said he felt like a different horse!

So saddler has suggested that a Black Country dressage saddle will suit best, and it can be customised to fit us. I need a 18 or 18.5 inch seat, horse is a fairly wide Shire/TB with quite a short back. The back panels on the Albion are quite a lot longer than on any of the others we have seen, and he carried the length of the Albion ok. I am very concerned about the weight distribution, as I am a heavier rider.

One of the Black Country possibilities is a Monoflap. Now, I understand that it's just the flap that is close contact on this, but I'm still concerned about the weight bearing. Has anyone got any experience of monoflaps in this sort of situation, and any advice? And recommendations for good saddles for the heavier rider would also be much appreciated. Obviously, the saddle has to fit the horse, most importantly, and then me afterwards, but I am interested to hear what everyone has to say.

Sloe gin for everyone who got this far, and thanks in advance!!

Isabelle
 
Have you considered a WOW saddle - much larger weight bearing surface and panel can be fitted to horse with a seat to fit the rider (ie 17" panel for horse with 18" seat)
 
Would thoroughly recomend Black Country, or Ideal, we use these a lot & they can be are incredibly versatile with combinations of seat, trees, panels, gussets etc. You need a saddler who understands saddle fitting from the tree up, but they would be my choice.
Re monoflaps - no impact on bearing surface as only indicates the closeness of the leg due to lack of leather where the riders leg is (sorry I am RUBBISH at explaining things!)

HTH
 
I wouldn't have thought a wow would be quite so good with a heavier rider, surely the air would get compressed more and be harder on the horses back.

I'm not familiar with Black Country, but you can get I deals made just how you need them.
 
A heavier rider, especially if also taller, will tend to sit more on the cantle and may need a deeper rear gussetted panel, if the only rider, or a rear riser (I personally only work with Mattes correction pads for any of this type of shimming) to lift the back of the saddle and keep the rider in the correct place. I often fit at the other end of the scale - adults on smaller natives, so face this quite often.

You obviously need a decent width of panel, but the panel can't be TOO wide - it must stay on the main muscular weight bearing area on the back. A longer panel is useful but of course not on a short backed horse, and most that I fit are and the situation you are in (if short backed are you sure it can take an 18"+ saddle?). Black Country, like several bench made English saddles, could add deeper rear gussets to any of their models, we do it often. And I'm sure their panels are shorter than many Albion models, though I believe the K2 models are slightly shorter.

I would recommend looking at a flexi panel saddle - I fit ReactorPanels but there are other brands. They have a much larger weight bearing area against the horse, offer flexibility and adjustability, but the stability of a traditional tree and seat for the rider. You can also get a much larger seat size on a smaller back than you otherwise might. I have an Icelandic on my books that can only take a very compact 15" tree, but is ridden in a 17" ReactorPanel.

I can't see that a monoflap would make any difference but do read up about them - UDBB (google it) has a thread on it currently about this and (I don't fit them so know nothing :)) there are some thoughts that they work well if you have a very stable leg, less well if less stable. I have heard on the professional grapevine that they do seem to be causing more issues for bodyworkers but I have NO idea what, or how.
 
Thanks for the thoughts everyone.

Saddler does fit WOW, but hasn't suggested them. From what I have seen, they have fallen a bit out of favour recently, so I was not particularly keen on them, but will ask saddler about them.

She did not recommend Ideals for me, as she said they were on thinner panels (something somewhere was thinner, at least!) so not as good for weight bearing.

Horse is not TOO short backed, and this is probably made up for by the fact that the panels on the SL come out SO much further than any of the other panels I've seen - even my K2 GP has shorter panels. Obviously, the priority is for it to fit the horse - with a custom fit, everything will be done for his comfort, and then to accomodate me afterwards.

I am leaning against the monoflap - I have heard of the possibility of it not being as good for the horse's back, plus I don't think I am a good enough rider to appreciate the difference, so it's not really worth it for me. With the bulkiness and the heaviness of the SL, anything will seem closer contact, LOL!

Thank you so much for he detailed information, Sbloom! Will print it out and discuss. I really do want to do my homework - this will hopefully be a purchase that lasts a few years, and there is no point in buying a saddle if it isn't going to be what we need. After reading up on saddles the last few days, I think I have an idea of the questions to ask.

Thanks so much everyone, would offer you all sloe gin, but it might be a bit early in the day to start drinking ;)

Isabelle
 
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