Dressage Saddle Help Please!! (picture)

grhands

grhands

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 June 2011
Messages
170
Visit site
Hi everyone I hope you might be able to help me with a dressage saddle question.

My osteopath yesterday recommended a change of saddle. I was hoping somebody in the know might be able to make a suggestion on what might suit us based on our requirements!

He is a 17hh warmblood with medium-high withers but he does have a very sloping back at present. This is because he's had issues with his poll and therefore his topline needs to better develop. So the saddle would need to be adjusted by my saddler in a few months easily to accommodate this.

As for me, I like a saddle with a nice deep seat, big knee blocks to help my position and preferably thigh blocks too. I like to feel secure!!!!

If anybody has anything for sale that would be great, do get in touch! Louis is a 17.5" Medium.

This is my boy, rubbish photo for seeing his back for obvious reasons but he's new and don't have many at the mo!!

Thanks

k8.png
 
The Ideal Jessica would be worth trying, very deep seat for security they fit different types of horses with not too much adjustment.
I am surprised though that you are looking for a medium he looks as if a med.wide would be more suitable, if you find he builds up topline now a saddle that is too narrow will restrict that development so be careful they can broaden very quickly.
Our eventer aged 14 has just gone into a generous med.wide fitting saddle from a medium even at his age in less than a year he has changed so much.
 
My boy has similar issues we tried loads but the Ideal Suzannah was by far the best and saddler says it will easily alter with flocking adjustments as he changes shape
Most comfy saddle for rider too, really feels like it locks you in position
 
I had my dressage saddle made by martin gulliver at woodseaves. he came and measured my horse and made the saddle to fit her. he also measured me and made the seat etc to fit me too. i also got to choose all the extra details, padding, depth of seat etc and he made the whole thing to my requirement. I even got to choose the type of leather and materials used! It cost in total £1750 but is worth every penny. and haven't ever sat in anything so comfortable and my horse works beautifully in it to :)
 
The best thing you can do is find a great fitter who can bring new or second hand stock depending on your budget, and see what suits your horse, from the deeper seated saddles. What works for someone else may not work for your horse, even if it sounds right for you.

I agree that he doesn't look as narrow as a medium fit, unless he has muscle wastage, but even then you should fit to the underlying ribcage shape, and use a riser pad to stop the saddle sinking into the wastage. Without naked photos and even with sometimes, it is impossible to tell what width he is. If it was possible then my job would be a lot easier! Some horses even fit differently to a well-taken tracing.

Few saddles can truly adjust from a dippy back to a flatter more muscled one. I own, and fit as a small part of my job (and I owned the saddle before I became a fitter) a ReactorPanel saddle. One of the very few than can be adjusted for quite significant bridging initially, and then fitted to a flatter back later. In traditional saddles a dippy back needs a quite different tree to a flat back.
 
hi i have a 17 1/2" reactor panel saddle currently for sale. It has removeable/adjustaable knee rolls and thigh blocks and provides a nice secure fit for any rider. it a great saddle in that you can adjust it as the horse changes shape and develops muscle and gives plenty of clearance off their backs. please contact me if you would like any more info and photos.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top