Endurance & Total Contact Saddle ?

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kirsti

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hi, i put a post on a few weeks ago asking if anyone had ridden in a Total Contact saddle (basically bareback with stirrups) and the response was great but i didn't ask what you all did as a 'discipline'.
i do long distance riding with my Arab & sponsored rides etc, i would like to ask if anyone else has ridden/hacked long rides and their thoughts on the saddle.
Did it cause sore spots on the withers ?
Did you find that your horse got a sore back from you sitting on his 'bareback' for so long, even with a thick pad/gelpad?
i know that the principle of the saddle makes you ride more on your feet but thats ok for jumping, schooling etc but what about 'just riding' ?
any opinion would be great, i am having a trial of a TC saddle in a couple of weeks but would really appreciate some feedback from anyone.
Regards Kirsti
 
i help my sister who does endurance and she doesn know anyone with one, ( no help there) however she mentions a few saddles that she knows of specially for endurance if any good to you.
free and easy- pathfinder - podium- treeless heather moffatt, torsion, fitform- saintwestwell- orthoflex
 
thanks for those suggestions, i'm having trouble with his saddle as he is so flat backed and broad shouldered, he wears a xxw synthetic saddle at moment but it slides forwards. i am interested in trying the TC as he has always seemed 'uncomfortable' in a 'normal saddle'. we always used to suffer with saddles slipping sideways but cured that with the synthetic, i have just brought a 'limpet' pad as a last resort to the sliding forward problem. the TC is an idea that maybe worth trying.
thanks kirsti
 
I've been involved in endurance for many years and don't know of anyone with a total contact saddle. Basically for endurance you need any saddle that fits your horse really well and doesn't restrict the horse's movement and supports the rider's weight. TBH, I wouldn't think a total contact would be suitable. Some of the treeless saddles are pretty good, but a lot of riders don't feel they have enough support (knee rolls etc.) when riding across tricky terrain at speed.
 
We do have a Total Contact saddle but don't do endurance, the longest ride it has been used on is about 8 miles. My daughter has done Pony Club rallies and also SJ and flatwork training with it but her instructors are dubious about it's distributing the weight over too small an area. I now use it for hacking out and whilst we are hacking I am trying to get the horse to work towards building appropriate muscle in his neck and topline to enable him to work in an outline. It is proving brilliant for this, he seems much freeer through his back, and I find it more comfortable for me than a "proper" saddle.

We use ours with a Shires gel pad and with a thickish numnah. It does tend to slip back though on my very high withered horse and I'm going to have to try a different gel pad to try and combat this.

Hope this helps.
 
hello again, i think you guys are right, it's ok for short hacks, jumping etc when lots of transitions and paces are involved but just long distance hacking where i will be 'sat' on his back for a long period time might cause pressure points.
i have emailed the lady that has treated his back in the past and asked for her opinion.
i will go ahead with the trial because it will be an interesting experience, it's good to try different things, sometimes you find some surprising results. will let you know how it goes.
Kirsti
 
I do a lot of endurance and have never heard of the Total Contact saddle. Both my Arabs have done well in the Griffin endurance saddle from Thorowgood - I use Nuumed HiWither half wool numnahs and the saddles have never slipped. I find that because there are knee rolls and thigh blocks the saddles feel very secure, and they are also designed to spread the rider's weight over a wider area.
 
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