Dressage saddle suggestions please for a rider with an enormous derriere and no money

Gamebird

Gamebird

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I have had it pointed out today for the nth time that my dressage saddle really doesn't fit me and makes it very hard for to sit correctly on the horse. It's an ancient 17.5" Albion that I quite like riding in, but totally agree that it does me no favours at all :(. The seat is quite deep and the cantle quite high which reduces the available 'seating area' somewhat.

I've been on the lookout for an ancient second hand 18" Butet dressage saddle for months now, and Sederholm have been looking for me too, but to no avail. I think I'll have to change my saddle sooner or later but really have no money.

I have previously had an Ideal Jessica, which I didn't really get on with, and my friend has a Wintec Isabell Werth one which I have tried and tried to like but I just can't :(. If it came down to keeping my old saddle or buying a synthetic one I'd probably have to keep my old leather one. However snobby it sounds I just can't do synthetic :o.

Any ideas??? :confused: Anyone have anything tucked away that they'd like to swap for my Albion or donate to a poor penniless struggling eventer? I could probably get a couple of hundred quid for mine on ebay and might be able to add a bit to that (especially if I could use my credit card! :rolleyes:). I've had a look on ebay but nothing stands out :(.
 
Have you looked at something like the Bates Caprilli Dressage saddle? Just under £700 for a new leather one is pretty good (equestrian clearance)... just a thought
 
I really like my Ideal. I have the suzanna. I had mind made to measure so it was not cheap but it meant that I could have the blocks shortened for my long legs and you can customise them quite a lot i believe. You may be able to pick one up second hand as well as there seem to be a few about.

The quality is good and I have had mine adjusted a couple of times.
 
What width do you need? And could you deal with a brown saddle?

I have a 18" County with a very open seat which might suit - I swim in it being 5'2" and a size 8 so it's useless to me!
 
Hey, you do your behind a bit of a dis-service!! No need to make excuses about the Wintec Isabel because they are very similar in shape to your current one so probably wont suit.

No other helpful suggestions soz.
 
Megabeast - I will toddle off and have a look. Too expensive new, but might find a second hand one kicking about somewhere.

Fran and Kerilli - one to bear in mind. I am a bit scared of Ideal as I really hated the Jessica (goodness knows why I ever bought it, but I sold it back to the same saddlers 3 years later for exactly the same as I paid for it originally so at least I had a free saddle for 3 years! ;)) but I guess the Suzannah is a totally different shape.

TMH26 - that's more like it! I had a Black Country jumping saddle and it was very good quality. I have had a scout round the site though and found some other possible so I might give them a ring tomorrow.

Druid - the Albion is a medium and looks OK on him. I actually prefer brown but didn't want to specify it and appear too picky! I googled the County ones and the look quite deep seated? What model is it?

Pootler - would you mind PMing me the details please and roughly what you want for it?

Lollii - I aim to entertain! :D

Kezimac - thanks, will keep an eye on it.

Joss - :p

This is me in the saddle. The least flattering shot I can find. My stirrups are probably too short but you get the idea!

Fuggles3.jpg
 
I never liked the Jessica either but the Suzannah is amazing.
I have my 17.5 Cliff Barnsby for sale, its a medium. It fits Winston but not Snoopy which is why i have to sell it. Pics on my FB.
 
Bother if it had been a 17" I would have bought your Albion from you, but Bob is too short in the back for a 17.5" (which is a pity considering the size of my backside...)
 
Gazehound said:
Bother if it had been a 17" I would have bought your Albion from you, but Bob is too short in the back for a 17.5" (which is a pity considering the size of my backside...)
Click to expand...

Whereas I have a horse long enough to take a 20" saddle if such a thing existed. Lucky, considering the size of my backside :rolleyes: (though the size 12 jeans fit fine :confused:).
 
It's a WB (the previous incarnation of the Competitor) - I can get pics at the weekend if you're interested
 
I have an 18" medium black Albion K2 that I'm just about to trade in for an Ideal Suzannah. Albion doesn't fit horse, but OK for me (oh I dream of fitting into a pair size 12 jeans:o!) . If you can make me an offer slightly higher than the trade in price, happily do you a deal! Saddler coming Thursday, time is ticking...... I can send pictures ... tick tock :):).

good to hear how many people like the suzannah
 
just to add that i too detest the ideal jessica, but have ridden in clients suzannah and found it a million times better.

dont often see them second hand but the Harry Dabbs True Brit, which is basically a jaguar without the fancy details, has a not too deep seat and you get a lot of bang for your buck. around £1k when new so should be reasonable second hand if you can find one?

dont know how much a brown bates innova would go for second hand.....nice open seat and the sizes come up big, the 0 is meant to be up to 16.5-17 but is def 17.5 so the size 1 would be like an 18.
 
I have also got an albion to rehome, but is a completely different shape to yours... is also a TB tree so prob wont suit??!!

However, a possible alternative is the Barnsby Luxus or Raven as it was previously known... even I manage to get a half decent position in it, it has a close contact seat and is LOVELY to ride in... and they come up cheap (mine was immaculate 2nd hand for £425 from a saddler...)
 
Have a look on Ebay at the Passier saddles. I used to have a Grand Gilbert and it was the most lovely saddle to ride in, quite a flat seat and even though it was flocked, it was very close contact. They are quite minimal in terms of blocks and I have a feeling you'd get on with them if you like the Butets. There are a few reasonably priced ones on Ebay that I was eyeing for my newbie...

FWIW I had an Ideal Suzannah and it was very nice but definitely felt like too much saddle. The blocks were big and the seat was deep and it was generally enormous to ride in and enormous to cart about, if that makes sense. From your photo, it looks like the problem isn't so much the seat size as your (enviably) long legs. Maybe a more forward cut flap is the way to go so you're not shunted back onto the cantle.
 
I'm not much help re saddles, except I found the Albion Ultima quite generous in the 'arse' department!!!
I don't think its your derriere that is the problem, looks more like long hip to thigh measurement........that's my excuse anyway, and it seems to work!
Sorry, no help really, just thought I'd add my thoughts!!!!
(wish I could work the smilies!!!)
 
I'm pretty sure you'd get on with a Passier as they're the only saddle that seems to fit me "off the rack" and we're a similar shape. (Although it's possible I'm even freakier - I've left legions of saddlers left scratching their heads in my wake. :D ) I'm not just trying to be nice (me? never :) ) but I suspect part of what's causing you problems is your length of thigh, so if you try to fit the flaps/blocks you get pushed out the back.

And just so everyone has someone to throw rocks at for entertainment this evening, I rode for years in a Stubben Tristan Schultheis model, which I loved. And oddly, the horses were not all crippled in it.;) I still like a good Stubben as they tend to have a long seat, not too wide a twist, and small blocks. I'm not as keen on the modern "bull fighter" saddles, but that may be because I've always ridden in other peoples, so presumably not the "freak friendly" designs. :cool:
 
Thanks for all the suggestions. I have read them all, and will be googling most of them when I get 5 minutes. Thanks also to all the people who have offered me saddles, but the problem is, as always, money :(. I will have to put a new saddle on my credit card, then pay back as much as I can when I sell my current saddle. All of which makes it virtually impossible to buy from a private seller :(. So thanks, but unless you're offering a credit agreement I might have to go with ebay/saddle retailer.

On the upside I have looked at these:

I like this one, wrong colour but should have reasonable resale value (I will be trading up to a Butet one day! ;)) and I like the concept of the 'make me an offer' button:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Barnsby-18-Dr...tZUK_Horse_Wear_Equipment?hash=item53df76cfe2

And slightly scruffier, no knowledge of the make:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BEAUTIFUL-LEM...tZUK_Horse_Wear_Equipment?hash=item3efe0d601e

Any feedback? There's also this which is probably just too expensive, but at least the right colour (shallow? moi?):

http://www.saddlesdirect.co.uk/Dressage-Saddles/prestige-top-dressage1/product_details.html

To all those (Kit and Tarrsteps spring to mind) who said that my calf is too long I have looked at the pic again and I fear you may be correct! My bum does tend to get pushed back so that I sit on the cantle and I think that anything that could bring my knee forwards/downwards would be an advantage as surely my seat would follow. :confused:
 
No one else has pointed it out, so maybe it is just me... but looking at that photo of you riding in the saddle, the balance appears to be out. The pommel appears to be higher than the cantle which would almost make you collaspe onto the back of the saddle rather than sitting in the middle and therefore giving you more room?

Maybe it is just the photo!
 
If you're on a budget I can highly recommend the Kent & Masters Dressage Saddle - the seat isn't deep and the blocks are moveable to where it suits your leg best - I was buying an Albion Platinum Ultima (actually writing the cheque) until my saddle pulled this out of her truck, didn't tell me make or price but sold me on it's adjustability! Love it! And I only paid £650 for it brand new... sure you could get £200 at least part-ex on yours, so £450 on the cc, job done!

http://www.kentandmasters.co.uk/dressage.html
 
Oooh I didn't know K&M did a dressage saddle!

GB we are pretty much identical in a height/weight/proportion way and I absolutely love my friend's K&M GP, so if you can get to have a sit on the dressage version I wouldn't dismiss it.

BTW I have the same probs as you and am also looking for a 2nd hand Butet 18inch...they are like hens teeth :( I keep looking at this

http://www.sederholmselected.co.uk/product_p/shs55.htm

But where on earth does your arse go?!!
 
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