Has anyone ridden in a racing saddle?

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VoyPor

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Hi everyone - quick question.

I have ex racers - who will obviously have always hacked out and been ridden in racing saddles.

I too have ridden racehorses before - and to be honest if i had the choice of riding in a racing saddle or a 'normal' saddle then i would always choose a racing saddle - i ride very short and i find them more comfortable.

Whenever i have worked and ridden racehorses before - i have always put things (blankets, numnahs, rugs and so on) under the saddle for extra comfort for the horse).

So basically - has anyone ridden in them before?

As i say - it wont exactly be new for my horses as they have been used to it all my life.

Thanks.
 
Thanks - sorry my post probably wasnt clear - i am wondering if i could hack out using racing saddles on my 2 as we wont be doing anything glamorous - no dressage and so on - just hacking them.
 
yep!! I still have mine from when I worked in Newmarket! I keep it for sentimental value and for the memories!
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Thanks guys - i dont know what it is really - i just find them comfier and i ride quite short. I think it is because i am used to riding with a racing saddle so it has become second nature.

Thanks for the link air78!!!
 
No reason why you can't!!
I prefer to ride my ex-racer in a jumping saddle as he's now re-schooled as an all rounder.
It'll be cheaper for you to continue using racing saddles rather than forking out for GP's!
 
Yes but I think they only suit the job there designed for, I wouldnt want to use one on daily basis for 'normal riding/schooling'.
 
Im not really going for cheapness per se - more of what i am used to and what the horse is used to - i will of course make sure that the saddle fits properly - as i would with any other saddle.

I just prefer racing saddles thats all.

Thanks for the replies everyone!
 
Oh yes only once and once only! I have P2P's who gallop in race saddles but hack out in GP's (I do the hacking - son does the galloping) I had to meet him on Sunday and ride horse back from the gallops - in the racing saddle - horrible! I like my horses to switch off between galloping, and I find doing their roadwork in an ordinary saddle helps me to help them bring their heads down, work in an outline and build up topline muscle. Something that Henrietta Knight does a lot of.
The only problem with using GP saddles is that the horses change shape alot from coming in from the field (fattish) to getting fully fit (lean & muscled) so you can get back problems. My back person says htat most of the problems I have got with mine is due ot the binding on the polypad rubbing them - and has suggested sheepskin instead. If I had an ex-racer, of which I have had few, I would ride it from day one in a GP - but as one of the other posters said - get it properly fitted at some stage.
 
Friends TB was ridden in a race saddle for months, hunting, schooling, hacking etc. His back was absolutly knackered when she first got him
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nd it took months for the swelling and damaged to repair itself enough for him to start working again.

The saddles are not designed for long term riding - they have shockingly bad surface area (meaning pressure under them is high) and they're usually stupidly narrow too. If you're planning on long hacks, a race saddle is quite likely to damage the back.

Why not have a look at jumping saddles? - they have the same flat seat and allowed very short stirrups but have much better pressure distibution.
 
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