Dressage Saddles..... Whats the best/comfiest brand??

HorseyStar

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I have a Welsh D..... Not found a dressage saddle suited to us both as yet.....

I am only 5ft 4 but find that I have very short calves but from my knee to my hip, so basically my thigh is quite long,, hence why I'm riding in a jumpin saddle at the mo as I've tried vsd and wh saddles an even tho I don't ride short my knee pops over the top cos my top half of my legs long with little calls,, I'm weird!! Lol

What are comfy dressage saddles etc..?? I've got Crohns Disease too so comfier the better and my welsh is a bucker and sharp so need a deep seat,, lol

Just Savin up at the mo......

He's a 16.5 or 17'' med/wide

Thanks x
 

Arizahn

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Best advice I can give you is try lots of different ones! Visit tack shops and ask to sit on them there, get a saddler out and let him know your budget/what you want the saddle for. A good saddler should be able to fit your horse with a saddle that fits properly and that is comfy for you.
Good luck!
 

LynH

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I have a Jeffries Elite, a Wintec Isabell and Charles Mountford and I like them all but think the Jeffries is definitely the most comfortable. The Wintec has been the most useful esp as I have an older TB who has changed shape building up when she was first reschooled after finishing racing and then as she has lost a little topline with age.
 

sbloom

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As a fitter I can say that the best thing you can do is try a load - the poster who loves Wows, some people hate them, it's all very personal.

With a long femur I'd recommend a more forward flap rather than a larger seat size, in most instances. VSDs kind of fall into this category but are in reality so different to a dressage saddle - the flaps are shorter, the blocks are a different shape, the seat may not be as deep etc.

A higher placed thigh rather than knee block will help give the illusion of a more forward flap as it gives room for the knee.

I specialise in fitting natives and cobs, you will probably need a saddle designed for a flat back, as even though with his width fitting he clearly has withers, the rear of his back will be pretty wide and flat. Look for a wide seat (ie the bit where your seatbones are) and fairly flat panels, both from side to side, and from front to back - a small to medium rear gusset will probably be needed to ensure the saddle is in balance.
 

HorseyStar

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Thanks for all ur advice!! I defo have v weird length legs!! Doh!!!

Just suppose its a case or trial an error :/

Will keep the search up!!

If anyone has one for sale pls let me kno :) x
 

crabbymare

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I love the Albion Platinum and I also loved a friends Prestige D1 but I think you need to find one that suits you and your horse as what I like for my shape could feel totally wrong for someone else.
 

amiacat

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I have long thighs too! I have a Frank Baines reflex duluxe and it is soooo comfy. But def try as many as you can to see how they fit you and your horse. Good luck!
 

Venevidivici

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I tried lots and narrowed it down to the 2 that fitted both me and my horse best-at that point it was about which was comfiest(the Kieffer) and I was v pleased to find out it was the cheaper of the final 2!
 

Passtheshampoo

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I've got an Ideal Josephine for my RID who has a broad flat back but with withers. The saddle has a wide seat with square cantle and is built on the H&C tree. Very comfy but I also use a seatsaver as I've had a spinal fusion so need to be as comfortable as poss.
 

sharron1

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I have a Bates and I love it. When they buck you just don't move, i feel really secure in it. ( It has been properly fitted, by the way, he just bucks cos its winter and he's been stuck in.) It took a bit of getting used to at first because it put my hips in a position I wasn't used to and I'm not as supple as I used to be. It has an adjustable gullet and cair panels and my wide cob likes it. A good saddle fitter will be a big help.
 

splashgirl45

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ive got an old albion and find it very comfortable and quite deep seated but when my friend rode my horse she didnt like the saddle so i think it is very individual as we are all different sizes and shapes. its a shame im in the wrong part of the country to you as mine is a wide fit and i dont use it anymore as my horse is now 21 and a happy hacker. i keep thinking i ought to sell it but havent got round to it. i think you just need to try loads of them till you find "the one" good luck
 

ThePony

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Agree with those above who suggest just trying as many as you can.

I am long hip to knee and tried heaps - some were horribly uncomfortable and I couldn't even ride a 20m circle in them lol!! I thought I would love the Black Country Vinici (looks just gorgeous I think!) but it was awful, because of where the knee blocks are I would have had to ride with pretty much dead straight legs as they pushed my knees right back (too far back it felt like). After a while of trying I wondered if i would find anything to fit us both as I like less saddle under me, but mare is wide as a truck but I like a v narrow twist - ummm, impossible lol! I have a albion platinum ulltra with deeper rear gussets and it is the best thing ever. I am slightly more removed than I imagined I would like (I would love a cc but they are agony to sit in because of the wider twist needed) but I got used to it very quickly and now I feel really connected. The knee blocks are higher and shorter than usual (I guess thigh blocks really) so they are supportive but don't adversly affect my leg position. They are just where I want them and they finish plenty before my knee.

Keep trying them, there will be something out there you love, and there will be many recommended ones that you just hate!!
 
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