How do you feel in your saddle?

[Lilly-Mayspookatbags]

Strange ask I know but bit of a back story.

Bought a brand new m2m saddle 1 year ago for a bit of an awkward combination of horse and rider . She’s a compact 16hh ISH with a wide rib cage. I’m 5’3 petite rider (size 2/4 in clothing) so struggle to get my legs round her.

Bought this saddle as I wanted something small and suited us both. Now here it gets a bit difficult. When the saddle was being fitted it was fitted to her and was a spot on fit. But for me I expressed concern about how swamped I felt in the saddle and said I’d rather 16.5” than a 17” as it would suit my frame better. The saddle fitter said 17” would be better as I’d “grow into it” ( I am very much at my full height and have been for the past 10 years…) Explained this to her and she was adamant 17” was the better saddle .

Now I’ve not ridden much in the past year but I’m starting to ride more and I just feel like I’m drowning in the saddle. I don’t know if it’s all in my head or a fault with my position or lack of riding but this saddle just feels huge. It fits her well but I just bounce around in it and get no support.

so how does everyone else feel in there saddle? Is this a normal feeling?

 

[Polos Mum]

It would think the difference in feel on 0.5 of an inch wouldn't be much at all.

More likely that the style of saddle (absence of knee / thigh blocks) or flatter tree makes you feel like you have no support. Combined with (presumably) lack of riding muscles as you've had lots of time off.

I like to ride in a jumping saddle with massive knee and thigh blocks to hold my lower leg - I feel like I'm swimming around in a straight cut flat tree showing saddle - it's the shape not the size.

If you think it's seat size why not get a thick seat saver, one of those chunky memory foam ones, that would fill up the seat and give you less space and see if that made you feel better in it?

 

[Widgeon]

To be honest I can't tell. I'm 5'7" with a reasonably chunky bum but I can ride in anything measuring between 17" and 18" and I wouldn't have a clue what the difference was. So much of it is down to shape of the saddle - I've concluded that seat size in inches is only a guide, I'd never go by it religiously. It's noticeable at extremes (a friend ride's her husband's hunter in an 18" saddle, and she's only little. She has a gel seat saver on to take up a bit of the "extra" room) but I'm honestly not convinced that half an inch seat size is the critical thing in your situation. I'd probably be looking at shape of the saddle and your riding fitness first.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I love my dressage saddles they are 17" I'm 5'6 size 8 but the seat shape really makes all the difference to me, I like a curved deep seat I had a lovely show saddle for one of mine and I just couldn't get on with it, too flat felt like I was going to slip off the side a acavallo gel pad helped but never felt secure.

So it may be the seat shape is wrong for you

What sort of saddle is it?

 

[Lilly-Mayspookatbags]

Ahhh I should probably clarify , it’s not so much the seat that’s the issue, more the leg flaps.

It’s a jumping monoflap.

I have a bates dressage which I love to bits and feel lovely in.

 

[dixie]

If you don’t feel right, it’s not the right saddle for you.
I’ve the same problem atm as I bought a saddle to accommodate my long legs but failed to notice until it was too late that the saddle is too wide for me. ?
I would suggest trying a couple more styles if you can to see how you feel.

 

[Vodkagirly]

Depends which saddle. I was riding last week and thinking how secure I felt in that saddle, got home and saw one advertised and brought it for my other horse.
I'm definitely have a monoflap jump preference. Don't mind a decent dressage but not a gp fan

 

[Ratface]

Love my Christ Lammfelle Premium sheepskin saddle. I'm 5ft 8" and size 8-10. I feel totally secure on my 16hh spookathon Old Loon, who can spook and paraglide for England when observing an errant leaf . . . Worth a look?

 

[blitznbobs]

Like getting into comfy slippers in one - truly plugged in The other

 

[maya2008]

Current one: super comfy and secure. It’s the right size for me as well as pony though! I swim in 17” saddles and have had some super uncomfortable ones in the past.

 

[SEL]

I have a variety of 16" and 16.5" on the two little cobs and 1 is comfy, the other gives me a sore back. I also tried to refit a WOW saddle to one of the cobs and felt like I was tipping forward even though it was supposedly in balance.

If it's the knee flaps do they need blocks underneath? I'm 5'3" as well but I'm usually ok in 17" so I'd say it's probably just the wrong saddle for you. I had a saddle company one on my big mare and only realised how wrong it was for me when I tried her in something else

 

[Peglo]

I rode a friends horse and felt lost in the saddle. But the horse was also a 16.2 cob x and my horse is a very ponyish 14.2 so may have been the bigger wider horse too. I prefer a narrower horse I think.

 

[blitznbobs]

I have a fairfax monoflap jumo saddle and i think youd need to be a giant to feel secure in it but its nothing to do with the seat size i have dressage saddles and other jump saddles that feel secure and they are the same size its the design

 

[sbloom]

Fitting the rider has WAY more to it than most of us have realised in the past. The work of Maria Hallring in Sweden is transforming what we know. The larger seat makes a BIG difference, and it does relate to flap size/shape and stirrup bar placement so @blitznbobs you should potentially be in a smaller seat size in the jump saddle, or something else entirely. Also you can't compare different models/tree shapes, how they ride varies hugely, even if they're all 17".

The smaller the seat the wider it rides, the larger the seat the narrower it rides, all other things being equal. And the larger the seat size the further you usually are from the stirrup bars, so more likely to slide into a chair seat. The deeper the seat the smaller it rides but also it's more likely to tip the pelvis, and then need big blocks to help keep legs down. A flat seat that fits the pelvis will give just as much support and won't cause the tipping.

Monoflap saddles are brilliant...where they're needed. For someone with very widely hung hips (you can't really tell from the outside, this can include men too) then a monoflap may not be enough support for the leg, with the leg potentially swinging back, lower leg or both upper and lower, and may allow the pelvis to drop forwards too.

I think even without this more "advanced" approach the 16.5 sounds like it would have been better, saying an adult rider will grow into a larger saddle is nonsense. In fact the opposite can be true - for a rider who's not ridden in a dressage saddle for a while, or at all, we would expect their leg to drop, needing less space but also a thicker flap set up than you might expect, as they get used to riding in it, and perhaps work on flexibility in the pelvic and hip areas.