Dressage saddle for long legs

[Walrus]

Any experience from people who have a long hip to knee length and finding a dressage saddle. Currently in a fairfax elias but it's not very comfortable to be honest (actually quite painful by the end of a 1 hour hack). I'm not really tall (5'8") and neither is the horse (16hh) which might be part of the problem as we are limited to a 17.5" saddle for her. I just don't feel like my knees have enough room and I'm constantly braced against the blocks and then my lower leg is really unstable. A lot of this might just be competence and balance but I'm starting to think the saddle is not helping the situation. Any recommendations for what I should be looking for, specific styles that have worked etc would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[millitiger]

It really will be trial and error- do you have any saddlers who can come out, or you go to, who have a selection of brands and styles?

i am 5’10 and really long hip- knee; I find older style saddles better for me, with flatter seats and minimal blocks.

I like brands like Passier and Spalding but really the older models suit me and my horse, it’s honestly best to try as many as you can as what suits one person, another hates!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Is it this, with a big old knee block?


I will declare that I dislike big blocks on a saddle, I like to feel free to move. I'm 5ft 10 ins and my mare also needs a 17.5". I've got the Fairfax Classic Open Seat Dressage saddle, which the type of design that suits me. It's more old fashioned than the modern trend of blocky saddles, but then so am I .

 

[teapot]

Best one I've found for my long thighs was an Equipe (cannot for the life of me remember which style) but definitely smaller blocks is the way forward.

 

[Walrus]

Yes that's the one Tiddlypom. I had a fairfax Spencer before that but it was awful...felt like I was swimming about in it as the seat is really open...the elias seems to have a narrower twist so it was a big relief at the time to move into it. I did try a load when I bought it but my saddler stocks mainly bates and fairfax....the horse went significantly better in the elias which is why we chose it, despite me saying at the time I didn't want another fairfax. But most of the time I genuinely feel like I can't sit properly on my own horse....I've just assumed I'm really crap! But recently started hacking for a bit longer and realised I can't even get comfortable in walk and after an hour I want to get off. ?

 

[Barlow]

I have a ridiculously long thigh and I’m 5ft10. I have a Bates artiste which is great as you can adjust the block and also the stirrup bars and my position has improved significantly as a result!

 

[sbloom]

The latest approach is to fit the pelvis, which often means going g down a seat size, and speccing seat and upper flap to not onky keep you in neutral pelvis but also to allow the leg to drop better which means you don't need as much space. Stirrup bar in the right place is also crucial, the more you reach forwards for it the more, and massively more, your knee comes forwards. A shorter block will help, but it may be just fiddling around the edges.

Being in too large a seat for your pelvis so often leaves you unsupported and a way behind the stirrup bars, as bars can only be set back so far.

 

[Walrus]

The latest approach is to fit the pelvis, which often means going g down a seat size, and speccing seat and upper flap to not onky keep you in neutral pelvis but also to allow the leg to drop better which means you don't need as much space. Stirrup bar in the right place is also crucial, the more you reach forwards for it the more, and massively more, your knee comes forwards. A shorter block will help, but it may be just fiddling around the edges.

Being in too large a seat for your pelvis so often leaves you unsupported and a way behind the stirrup bars, as bars can only be set back so far.

Is there any info to read about that online do you know? I can't belive the seat is too big as I'm not a small person (dress size 14 and chunky...although I do have a flat bum! ?). Although I often feel like I'm perched a bit like a clothes peg with my legs flapping about. ?‍?‍

 

[Walrus]

I have a ridiculously long thigh and I’m 5ft10. I have a Bates artiste which is great as you can adjust the block and also the stirrup bars and my position has improved significantly as a result!

Just looked at that and that kind of looks like what I want to do to my Elias blocks...almost chop them in half to get my knee in. Interesting...thank you.

 

[sbloom]

Is there any info to read about that online do you know? I can't belive the seat is too big as I'm not a small person (dress size 14 and chunky...although I do have a flat bum! ?). Although I often feel like I'm perched a bit like a clothes peg with my legs flapping about. ?‍?‍

I'm 5'8 and a size 14 and I'm a 16.5 by pelvic length, i was always fitted to 17.5 and could never sit properly, i did have one 17", a Prestige jump, that was perhaps better. Look up Maria Hallring for her new approach to all this. Most riders go down 1 seat size, many go down 2-3, occasionally they stay in the same size or even go up in size, but we have lots of short wide pelvises in this country it seems.

 

[Zoeypxo]

Im 5’8/9 horse is 16.2
Fitted albion ultima platinum 17.5inch narrow seat
I find it extremely comfortable, not too much knee block but enough for a bit of support. I love it!
I ride a friends horse in a dressage saddle with big knee blocks and it actually makes my leg more unstable than little blocks

 

[nikkimariet]

I’m 5ft8 and much of my height is in my legs, particularly hip to knee.

Equipe are ‘ok’. Prestige are better (Helen X K and Passion mono come to mind). Better yet is Erreplus. I’ve had 2 dressage and not looking back. I like big blocks and deep seat due to back/hip issues (and I’m petite other wise so can end up swimming in something flatter and - for me - less supportive).

 

[sbloom]

Here's an interesting post on leg room https://www.facebook.com/beaumoorse...nmVETwXxCTh1fV7BMKECNxhrgQRkEvuqxhhDfRmtgznJl, it's about jump saddles but the same applies to all saddle types. When she had the previous saddle fitted the fitter was despairing of her "long femur" and put her in an 18". She actually has a relatively short femur, more typical (though definitely not confined to) of a man's leg proportions.