Dressage tack and turnout dilemna

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Gypley

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Looking to buy the boy his first dressage saddle (kind of convinced myself this will solve all our schooling issues ;) )
However, I really don't like him in black tack - hes a skewbald and I usually compete in brown GP and tweed jacket. BUT finding a second hand BROWN Bates DR saddle is like searching for a unicorn.
Does anyone else compete in mismatched tack and tweed?? Does it really look horrendous? Im such a stickler for looking smart im not sure I can do it!

Would you;
1) Mismatch and don't worry about it
2) Hunt for the unicorn saddle
3) Buy a whole new black wardrobe (and white breeches!!!!!!-im not sure anyone needs to see me in white breeches)

Also, although im aware theyre much easier to find in brown, im not really interested in a showing saddle right now as they don't offer me the support im looking for.
 
Brown ones do come up occasionally, so maybe mix and match until the unicorn saddle appears? Once you're sat on it you wont seen much of it anyway!
 
Does it have to be a Bates saddle?

I have an older model brown Ideal (no idea of model!) that I've been trying to sell for ages, but it appears that brown dressage saddles are just not in fashion at the moment!
 
Casey76 said:
Does it have to be a Bates saddle?

I have an older model brown Ideal (no idea of model!) that I've been trying to sell for ages, but it appears that brown dressage saddles are just not in fashion at the moment!
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Only because the saddler had a bates the fit really nicely. Im sure there would be others that fit him too, hes not particularly difficult to fit, but it would take the guess work out of shelling out for saddles that may not fit.
 
What size are you after... there is this one 17.5in http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bates-dre...566134?hash=item3d396ec676:g:TM8AAOSwopRYimwh

This one doesn't mention size but is half price from new: http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/s...=/search?keyword=bates+&sectionId=2188&page=2

17" VSD? http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/s...=/search?keyword=bates+&sectionId=2188&page=3

Actually there are quite a few brown Bates saddles on preloved - I just searched on "Bates" in "Horse" and it came up with pages, just look through for the brown ones :)
 
I would hang on for the brown one but then I only use brown tack :) you don't have to change your clothes if you have black tack a tweed and beige jods go fine with black tack.
 
I had a similar conversation with a friend the other day as other than on HHO I had never come across this need to match tack so carefully, I have competed at decent levels in all spheres and used what fits the horse best as I have always had more than 1 horse to find kit for, often a brown bridle and black saddle, tweed worn at the lower levels, only for showing would I take more care to use brown but I have still used a black saddle on occasions if it was the best fit.

My friends response was that her daughter is competing at the top end of BD with a miss matched bridle, it has some parts in brown and like myself had never considered it that important, the only person who will be really aware is the rider, the judge will be looking at how the horse goes and will not care if the saddle and bridle do not match as long as the overall impression is correct.
 
Casey76 said:
What size are you after... there is this one 17.5in http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bates-dre...566134?hash=item3d396ec676:g:TM8AAOSwopRYimwh

This one doesn't mention size but is half price from new: http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/s...=/search?keyword=bates+&sectionId=2188&page=2

17" VSD? http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/s...=/search?keyword=bates+&sectionId=2188&page=3

Actually there are quite a few brown Bates saddles on preloved - I just searched on "Bates" in "Horse" and it came up with pages, just look through for the brown ones :)
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Oh you are clever! Ill have a browse :)
 
be positive said:
I had a similar conversation with a friend the other day as other than on HHO I had never come across this need to match tack so carefully, I have competed at decent levels in all spheres and used what fits the horse best as I have always had more than 1 horse to find kit for, often a brown bridle and black saddle, tweed worn at the lower levels, only for showing would I take more care to use brown but I have still used a black saddle on occasions if it was the best fit.

My friends response was that her daughter is competing at the top end of BD with a miss matched bridle, it has some parts in brown and like myself had never considered it that important, the only person who will be really aware is the rider, the judge will be looking at how the horse goes and will not care if the saddle and bridle do not match as long as the overall impression is correct.
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You speak utter sense but shamefully, its probably just down to vanity!
 
be positive said:
I had a similar conversation with a friend the other day as other than on HHO I had never come across this need to match tack so carefully, I have competed at decent levels in all spheres and used what fits the horse best as I have always had more than 1 horse to find kit for, often a brown bridle and black saddle, tweed worn at the lower levels, only for showing would I take more care to use brown but I have still used a black saddle on occasions if it was the best fit.

My friends response was that her daughter is competing at the top end of BD with a miss matched bridle, it has some parts in brown and like myself had never considered it that important, the only person who will be really aware is the rider, the judge will be looking at how the horse goes and will not care if the saddle and bridle do not match as long as the overall impression is correct.
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Completely agree - unless you are showing, the colour of your tack is completely irrelevant. It won't lose you any points, and most people won't even notice. At dressage, they look at how you ride and how the horse goes, nothing else.
 
Yes, I did think if spending my hard earned cash I would be much happier with a brown one and keenly snapped up one that came up :) (mines an ideal, currently in storage 'in case')

fwiw I have a VSD too, the two are completely incomparable for doing dressage in :D. I tried to make my vsd as dressagey as I could as can change blocks etc but nope still not quite right!
 
be positive said:
I had a similar conversation with a friend the other day as other than on HHO I had never come across this need to match tack so carefully, I have competed at decent levels in all spheres and used what fits the horse best as I have always had more than 1 horse to find kit for, often a brown bridle and black saddle, tweed worn at the lower levels, only for showing would I take more care to use brown but I have still used a black saddle on occasions if it was the best fit.

My friends response was that her daughter is competing at the top end of BD with a miss matched bridle, it has some parts in brown and like myself had never considered it that important, the only person who will be really aware is the rider, the judge will be looking at how the horse goes and will not care if the saddle and bridle do not match as long as the overall impression is correct.
Click to expand...

I used to always have brown tack for jumping and black for dressage... now I have 2 horses in double bridles so one has the brown bridle and one has the black one. Brown bridle horse also does a bit of showing now, and her bits cost a bomb, plus I'm too idle to swap and change for the sake of a few mins in the ring. So she does dressage in a brown bridle and black saddle, the other horse is all matching. I don't care!
 
I've seen quite a few brown Bates saddles on ebay and preloved. I don't have the money to buy at the moment, but when I do it will probably be a Bates (though I'm not fussed on colour) so I keep an eye out for them and add them to my watch list on ebay :p
 
Gypley said:
Looking to buy the boy his first dressage saddle (kind of convinced myself this will solve all our schooling issues ;) )


Would you;
1) Mismatch and don't worry about it
2) Hunt for the unicorn saddle
3) Buy a whole new black wardrobe (and white breeches!!!!!!-im not sure anyone needs to see me in white breeches)
Click to expand...

Probably none of the above. It's nice to have a saddle and bridle that match so could always find a cheap and cheerful bridle for competing depending on the saddle you find.

However I don't see the need to match your wardrobe to the tack and that brown tack = tweed and black tack = black. Tack always used to come in brown and what you wore depended on the level so kids and lower levels in tweed and navy/black for higher levels. Even in showing which is where most attention is paid to tack and turnout, brown tack is correct but the tweed/navy/black jacket depends on the type of horse you are showing.

ETA I prefer brown tack but have a mixture as I have always bought saddles secondhand and it can be difficult enough to find one that suits your horse, you and is within budget without adding colour into the wish list.


The only thing I would say is that black tack is fashionable for dressage and brown dressage saddles can be more difficult to sell on as there is a really narrow market for them.
 
be positive said:
I had a similar conversation with a friend the other day as other than on HHO I had never come across this need to match tack so carefully, I have competed at decent levels in all spheres and used what fits the horse best as I have always had more than 1 horse to find kit for, often a brown bridle and black saddle, tweed worn at the lower levels, only for showing would I take more care to use brown but I have still used a black saddle on occasions if it was the best fit.

My friends response was that her daughter is competing at the top end of BD with a miss matched bridle, it has some parts in brown and like myself had never considered it that important, the only person who will be really aware is the rider, the judge will be looking at how the horse goes and will not care if the saddle and bridle do not match as long as the overall impression is correct.
Click to expand...

My thoughts entirely, well said.
 
Gypley, if you have been looking for one for a long time already, then choose one of the other two options.
If you are still willing to wait, then do so. Eventually, the saddle you're looking for will show up and it will be pleasing to your eyes whenever you tack up your horse.
 
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