How much do saddles interfere with your riding?

[Illusion100]

Just musing over a few points over the week.

One rider keep mentioning that they were struggling with getting what they wanted from their horse and their riding position. Agreed to have a nosey and the saddle fitted the rider so badly it was no wonder they were having a tough time. Yes, there were certain aspects that were purely down to the rider to 'train' themselves but the likelihood of achieving much in that saddle was pretty slim, imo, never mind focusing on the horses issues.

I've also noticed some saddles encourage a 'poor' position, in that the saddle is a good enough fit for the rider but it allows them to become 'lazy' in their position and as such need to work much harder and expend more energy than they would if they adjusted riding position.

Then, I rode in a treeless saddle for the first time ever and tbh didn't notice much difference at the time but when a video the owner took was played to me I was shocked! My position was definitely askew! Saddle fit really doesn't matter to me, I just adjust my stirrups to what puts me in the most correct position for that saddle and carry on and it's never affected my position before. I did exactly the same with the treeless and it did NOT look pretty.....

How much do you think your saddle affects your position and subsquent quality of riding and how much focus do you place on ensuring a saddle not only fits your horse but also you as to allow you to be as effective a rider as possible?

 

[be positive]

I think as a general rule the saddle fit will be of more influence to a less established rider than a rider who has a secure position in so far as the experienced rider will manage to sit and be effective despite the saddle, they may not feel comfortable or be as effective as normal but they will cope.

The less established rider may really struggle to stay on board and often have no idea that the saddle is causing them problems, I recently had a child turn up with her new pony for a lesson complete with the tack it was being bought with, after a few minutes of watching her tip forward hardly sitting in the saddle I took it off and popped on one of mine, the difference was immediately obvious, the saddle may have fitted the pony ok but it was totally unsuitable for anyone other than a midget to sit on.

One of my pet hates is reading on here about saddle fitters who fit the horse without seeing the rider in all paces and, if it is a GP or jumping saddle, over some fences, they proclaim it fits, take the money and leave, for a new owner who is inexperienced it can be a minefield and the cause of them struggling with their security.

I think it is equally important that the saddle fits the rider as well as the horse.

 

[Goldenstar]

I don't buy saddles that don't fit me , I know exactly what I like so I have them made to fit my horses .
That's not as hard as it sounds because if you buy a type of horse it's not difficult to achieve .

 

[Mike007]

Oh wow! Welcome to my pet hate and pet subject!I have made a lifetime study of saddles that fit a horse perfectly and ARE ABSOLUTE PANTS FOR THE RIDER. From a rider point of view ,in my opinion, there are two major factors. The position of the stirrup bars and the "twist" of the saddle. Get either wrong and you will ride like a muppet!My own saddle was built with wellep bars so I can adjust them according to what I am doing,or the horse I am on . Unfortunately it has too wide a twist and this causes a loss of positional security whilst jumping. I am a fairly good rider with a sense of balance ,but when I really need to slam my knees into the saddle , I simply cant as the twist is too wide.

 

[Micropony]

I had only ever ridden other people's horses in their own saddles before having my own, and never really gave much thought to the saddle, beyond being aware it was important that it fitted the horse.

When I acquired my own horse, it kind of happened gradually and I had to buy a saddle before it was clear we were going to have a long term relationship, shall we say. So I bought a cheap wintec, had it properly fitted, and cracked on.

It wasn't until about 12 months later, by which time the horse was mine and it was clear we were in it together for the long haul, that I got a really good saddler out to sell us a saddle that would be really great for us both. The difference was enormous, and I am now a very fussy saddle diva! I absolutely loved that saddle, and although the horse it was bought for had to be PTS in 2014 I still haven't been able to bring myself to sell it, just in case my new horse magically changes shape in the next couple of years. It sits in the tack room and I clean it and stroke it occasionally with a wistful look on my face.

 

[Illusion100]

I have 2 saddles that fit me like a second skin and also pretty much fit anything they're put on. Worth their weight in gold. They are old and worn but I'd ride in them anywhere.

 

[YorksG]

We have just bought two Solution Saddles and have found the difference to be amazing. I knew that the Appy's Jeffries saddle was a compromise, by the measuring your leg charts, I should ride in a minimum 18" saddle, but the mare can only cope with a 161/2" saddle, so I have had to work very hard at keeping my lower leg in place (the stirrup bars are two far forward). The last episode of physio on the mechanical horse the physio had noticed that my right leg was weaker than my left, I had noticed that the mare was not stepping through with her right hind as well as the left . We have had the solutions a while and on Saturday at the physio session the physio noticed that I was much more balanced, with the weakness on the right gone. The solutions are fitted to the rider and there are pads and shims which ensure that the saddles sit level on the horse, and can be moved, removed when the horse gains muscle in the right places. So yes I can definitely agree that the saddle can alter your riding.

 

[Pippity]

I'm currently saving up to buy my own saddle for my share horse, because his owner's fits me so badly. It has vast knee blocks in entirely the wrong place for me, so I'm left completely unable to get into a decent position. (His owner and I are very different shapes!) Depending on how I deal with it that day, I'm left with either aching hips or an aching lower back if I ride for more than an hour. It also impacts my share horse, because I can't be properly balanced.

I rode him briefly in the saddle I'm saving for, and the difference in both of us was amazing - he was more forward and responsive; I could actually get my arse under me and sit up straight. (My legs were all over the place, because I'm used to them being forcibly held in place by the blocks, but I can work on that!)

 

[DappleGreyDaydreamer]

I know I hate how my canter seat looks in a saddle, it's much nicer to look at bareback or without stirrups. I'm doing a LOT of work to improve it at the moment and it's exhausting haha
If only I could jump my competition heights bareback, life would be so much simpler

 

[Goldenstar]

I see lots of people struggling with their jumping because the saddle simply won't let them get into the correct position.
The difference when you get a jumping saddle that suits is enormous

 

[milliepops]

I see lots of people struggling with their jumping because the saddle simply won't let them get into the correct position.
The difference when you get a jumping saddle that suits is enormous

^^ this
I couldn't ever stay in balance even in 'decent' xc saddles until I tried a Wow - stirrup bar is in the absolute perfect place for me and I felt instantly secure and in a good position.

I also hate blocky saddles for jumping. They are never in the right place for me so I now have saddles that are basically flat seats and plain flaps. Tried jumping my project cob in her old albion VSD and the results were shocking

I don't find the 'wrong' dressage saddle to be too much of a hindrance (though I know what I like and find comfortable) but I think I'm fairly strong in my position on the flat. Can't ride for toffee in a GP though and wouldn't ever buy one again

 

[Wheels]

Pet hate here too!

I'm currently training to be a saddle fitter and I am taking a lot of time and making a point of looking at Saddles from both horse and rider points of view. There is no point finding a saddle that fits the horse if it doesn't fit the rider as the rider will invariably end up in the wrong position.

I have had a saddle where it was impossible for me to maintain a decent lower leg position try as I might that when I changed Saddles it was resolved immediately.

I have also seen recently a couple of people who had great leg positions, changed Saddles and now are in chair seat for much of the time. I'm afraid if the stirrup bar is very far forward as with some of the continental Saddles then this will happen to a lot of people.

I myself prefer a relatively flat seat with knee pads rather than giant blocks that get in the way

 

[AceAmara]

oh couldn’t agree more. My favourite is actually a jumping saddle, keeps my lower leg so stable that my fw is greatly improved in it also.

 

[applecart14]

Having competed up to elementary dressage, albeit unaffiliated in a Jefferies Falcon Event Saddle for a number of years I can say that it doesn't make diddly squat difference if that is all you have to hand at the time. I couldn't afford to buy a dressage saddle for years, and only managed that after winning a competition for a 'state of the art' jumping saddle and selling it, the saddle had been 'made to fit' my horse and ended up with him in tremendous pain with a number of attempts at re-fitting and re-jigging the saddle and me having two days of work and a trip to A&E.

Of course a different saddle, i.e a dressage saddle for dressage gives you a better position but we were never marked down for rider position or incorrect aids, and used to do okay with scores that averaged 63% - 64% with the long arena tests.

I love SJ in my Falcon saddle and tend to ride in it for hacking, ditching the dressage saddle and leaving that for practicing dressage and doing dressage competitions.

 

[milliepops]

Having competed up to elementary dressage, albeit unaffiliated in a Jefferies Falcon Event Saddle for a number of years I can say that it doesn't make diddly squat difference if that is all you have to hand at the time. .

Obviously if you only have access to one saddle and no choice then you just have to lump it.

The OP is more of an open ended question though, isn't it?
Thinking about this a bit more, I certainly find it easier to progress when using kit that helps rather than stuff I can *cope* with.
I've ridden and competed other people's horses for them and you just have to use what they've got in that situation. It's fine for popping a 90cm course or doing some low level dressage.

The difference for me is when training my own horses.
When I was eventing, staying in balance over a course of 115-120 cm fences or riding xc was more of a challenge in a saddle that forced me out of balance. It was more like steering and staying on rather than being effective and helping the horse. Training my green horse to jump is much more pleasant in a saddle that helps me stay in the right place, rather than putting me up her neck if she has a wobble.

Same applies for dressage IME, I could (and did) start early schooling in a GP but at this stage it's more useful to me to have something that sits me in the middle of the horse, with a longer and more stable leg and that I can give more subtle aid with because there is nothing hindering me. Every time I ride, I hope that we will finish the session a little bit better than when we started, so unless it's an easy stretching day or similar we are always pushing the boundaries. Dunno. Perhaps it's something you only appreciate when you've felt the difference. Interesting subject OP.