dressage saddle for jumping?

[ed&arch]

I have just this minute got a new horse, cleveland bay x tb, gorgeous boy, hehe. He is 17 but still as fit as a 6 year old. He will jump anything and do every dressage move you can think of-piaffe, spanish walk-half past etc.
He has come with a made to measure jumping saddle but we can only loan it for a month until we get another one. I really want to do some prelim dressge, and a few 90cm jumps. Am I best getting a dressage saddle and every so often pop a few jumps, but also do some dressage, or get another jumping saddle? The problem is though, If I get a Jumping/GP saddle I wont be able to do dressage, without purchasing another saddle.
What is the best thing to do, I think the first option, but would like other peoples opinions.
Thanks for reading!

 

[Shay]

I would get a GP. You don't need a dressage saddle for prelim and you don't need a jumping saddle for 90cms. You can do dressage up to medium in a reaosnable GP - and probably beyond. You can also jump probably up to about 120cms in a GP - depending on the structure of your boy's shoulder.

If you want to carry on and do both disciplines you will at some point need both seperate saddles (and still have the GP for hacking, day work etc) but before then you would be better off with a saddle which fits both him and you really nicely and in which you can do everything.

 

[Caol Ila]

I've been jumping (and by jumping, I mean occasionally popping over fences 2'6 or less, though occasionally up to 2'9 when I get an unexpected attack of bravery) in my dressage saddle for years. The jumping saddle I bought for my previous horse never really fit my current horse (who I've had since 1999) and I wasn't doing enough jumping to justify buying one that did. I think if you're jumping competitively, you would probably look like a bit of a tool and if you intend on jumping really big, you would probably fall off, but for small jumps for your own amusement, it's no trouble.

 

[Suziq77]

You could always consider getting a working hunter / show saddle with knee flaps? Plenty straight enough to help with leg position for dressage but with enough security for a bit of jumping. I do everything in my show saddle although I do have a synthetic Thorowgood T8 GP for bigger (over 95cm) jumps and XC / hunting on wet and/or muddy days.

Something like this http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l601/suziq77ponies/Idealleft.jpg

This is not an advert as I have sold the saddle in the picture, just to illustrate the style I mean.

 

[Caol Ila]

If you can jump (or, you know, ride at all) in this, you can jump in anything:

 

[chestnut cob]

Why would you not be able to do dressage in a jumping or GP saddle? I know a girl who events at Nov (might even be Int) and only has a jumping saddle, she seems to manage the DR perfectly well in her jumping saddle.

FWIW I currently only have a DR saddle and managed a fun ride on Sunday in it, including jumping some decent hedges and pretty hefty rails. It's not ideal but I clung on. I had *only* a jumping saddle for my big horse for a long time, did DR (Prelim and Nov) in that.

I would get a GP or jumping saddle in your position.

 

[lara b]

I have a gp for hacking/jumping and a dressage for..well.. dressage! However I do jump small fences in my dressage, but think I would struggle with bigger ones (which I don't do anyway as am a wus) in case he took a flyer. Also hacking in a dressage gives me knee ache, so have to have two saddles (that's my excuse and am sticking by it !)

 

[wench]

Have they introduced some new dressage moves?
Spanish Walk?
Half Past?

I have not seen these on dressage sheets before

 

[Littlelegs]

You can jump in dressage saddles but not as well as in a gp or jump saddle. Whatever level you ride at, if you jump in a dressage saddle you need to do it at an easier level. And if you aren't confident/ experienced I wouldn't advise it at all. Either a gp or wh saddle would probably be best.

 

[catembi]

WOW with 2 sets of flaps? I ride in my dr flaps all the time except if I'm doing an sj lesson or comp. I usually have 1 or 2 jumps up in my school to have a pop over while schooling, & I wouldn't want to jump higher than 2 ft 6/9 in a dr saddle as I can't fold. I feel like a hindrance rather than a help over jumps any higher, & can't maintain an effective position.

T x

 

[Slightlyconfused]

As long as it allows the shoulder to move then you should be fine.
My saddler has a horse she fits that doesn't go well in a gp so she jumps him in a dressage.

 

[Perfect-Piaffe]

When i brought my horse i only did dressage so brought a dressage saddle- then got brave and started jumping, in the dressage saddle. As i got more brave the fences got bigger and I started going out competing and was doing 1.05/1.10 before I decided I should really get a jumping saddle due to the strange looks I was getting in the bigger classes! For a little bit of jumping and the odd show a dressage saddle will be fine if you find it more comfortable for everything else!

 

[KVH]

I would say your best bet would be to purchase a GP, unless you have a preference to either one of the discipline.
If you do, then as the others say, it is possible to do the lower levels of dressage in a jumping saddle, and vice versa.