Dressage saddles in 16.5 seat?

alsxx

alsxx

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Hoping to upgrade to a stressage saddle in a couple of months, but I'm lost in his current 17 inch seat saddle so ideally would like a smaller seat!

Does anyone know which makes come in the smaller size? Google has not been much of a friend on this one!! Second hand would be good but most I see for sale are wide fitting and he is a narrow TB type!!
 
The Ideal dressage range Susannah, Roella and Jessicar all come in 16.5 seats. If you order from new as well as the width fitting you can choose the finish i.e. suede or leather seat etc.

Very comfy saddles.

Have you looked at Saddles Direct website?
 
If you did want to stick with 17 inch saddles, then you will find that there are 'small' 17 ins and large 17ins. Like the Albions come up massive with their standard 17 inch saddle, but something like a Prestige or equipe will feel a lot smaller .
 
Thanks all good suggestions!!

Ideally if I can get a saddler out to try a selection I can then try all of the different styles :-) going to have fun looking at them all now :-)
 
alsxx said:
Snap! But I'm sure you have longer legs than me!!

Add to the list though :-)
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I do carry a lot of my height (5ft8) in my legs, mostly hip to knee. PS also has an Equipe and has a longer lower leg than me so there seems to be a bit of wiggle room.

If you do try one and like it, there's a few floating around on BD classifieds (how typical since I forked out for a brand new one!!!!).
 
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I have a wintec isabell in a 16.5 - might be looking to sell it though! Are you based with Scarlett? You would be welcome to try it if so? It's a few years old so wont be wanting much money for it and has an adjustable gullet. Has a W gullet in ATM I also have a M knocking about somewhere.
 
ecrozier said:
I have a wintec isabell in a 16.5 - might be looking to sell it though! Are you based with Scarlett? You would be welcome to try it if so? It's a few years old so wont be wanting much money for it and has an adjustable gullet. Has a W gullet in ATM I also have a M knocking about somewhere.
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Ah no I'm not, I'm round in Kent! Although I keep meaning to box up and go for a visit though :) I'd love the opportunity to try one if possible on him, will have to let you know once I've got a visit planned!
 
Well if you guys do manage to hatch a plan, let me know and I can pop over with the saddle (and maybe even a pony in tow to try some of that lovely hacking on the ranges ;) )
 
Its worth bearing in mind that the deeper the seat (as on a classic dressage saddle) the smaller it will feel so a 17" IWerth which has a v deep seat will feel like a 16.5" GP with a flat seat. I am finding it horrendous at the moment as pony needs a 16.5" and I can get in anything smaller than a 17".
 
All the ones I find are in narrow sizes and I need a wide one, typical. Ebay seems to have them come up fairly often if you keep looking.

I'm short, small and fairly used to riding in 15" saddles so my current 17" feels even more massive when I ride in it.
 
I think I will need to true few; his current saddle is more of a VSD, fairly straight cut panels but is 17 inch and tbh my bum gets a bit lost! Tend to find my seat slips back so want something to help my position ie that I'm not lost in. But also the saddle is almost at the last rib on him so a smaller one wouldn't hurt! He's a slight wee thing :-)

Bit reluctant to buy something off of eBay in case it doesn't fit!!!
 
I fit more 16.5" than anything else, dressage saddles included.

For the larger riders needing smaller saddles look for a shallow seat, which will suit wide flat backs better anyway, but shallow seats can still be found for more shapely backs. That flatness gives you more room.

Then look for a high placed thigh block, triangular, rather than a full height knee block, and/or a slightly more forward cut flap - both can help with a long femur, and women have a long femur anyway, proportionately longer than men, so a slightly rounder dressage flap can be a good idea.

Also make sure the rear gusset/panel is deep enough - it's very easy for a larger rider to end up sitting on the cantle, a deeper gusset can keep the cantle up and keep the saddle in balance, putting the rider back in the deepest part of the seat.
 
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