Ethankay
Member
I am to big for this saddle
- Thread starter Ethankay
- Start date
IrishMilo
Well-Known Member
I reckon you probably want to have something a touch bigger so you're in a more centralised position, but I wouldn't look at you and think it's concerning. Depends what the horse can get away with as well.
Ethankay
Member
cobgoblin
Bugrit! Millennium hand and shrimp.
I think it's a tad small. It would look a lot better if your stirrups were a bit longer so that your knees were on the flaps and your bum was more central.
Lady Jane
Well-Known Member
Teeny bit small but if you and the horse are happy I wouldn't worry too much. I don't think you will be very secure with your knees over the knee rolls like that
Merry neddy man
Well-Known Member
Another saying drop the stirrups a pin or maybe 2
dreamcometrue
Well-Known Member
Your thigh length is too long for that saddle. You need a size up.
meleeka
Well-Known Member
A tad too small, but you aren’t sitting in the middle. Your stirrups are very short. Try riding without stirrups for a session (if horse is safe) and then see how they feel.
irishdraft
Well-Known Member
Difficult to see the knee roll area if this is your usual stirrup lenght I think the saddle is too small for your leg .
Pearlsacarolsinger
Up in the clouds
It's possible that the saddle is an unsuitable shape for you, rather than the wrong size. As others have said, try lengthening your stirrups - and riding without stirupps benefits us all, ime.
windand rain
Well-Known Member
Stirrups are way too short and thats pushing your bum back tipping you forward. Fix that and the saddle will probably be fine. You could do with a slighly bigger one but if it fits the horse it could fit you as you are not bulging over it
LEC
Opinions are like bum holes, everyone has one.
To my eye the jump saddle isn't cut forwards enough for you and so you are being pushed to the back of the saddle. You could maybe do with a bigger seat but I think the saddle is the wrong shape for you. Your knee shouldn't be over the saddle roll at that length. Its only going to lead to issues jumping as you will always be too far back which will hamper your position especially when landing over a fence.
Ethankay
Member
I will drop my stirrups and take some pics and see how it is my saddle fitter said that the horse can have a saddle any bigger then this one
Ethankay
Member
Can’t
Stormforever
New User
Hi you need a saddle with a more forward projection of the flap to accommodate your lovely long thigh. Its a jumping saddle so when jumping your stirrups are the right length and putting them down is not an option . I think you need to go back to the saddle fitter and tell him to try a little harder for you or walk away. I would be looking to fit you into similar size with a more forward flap.
Lipglosspukka
Well-Known Member
I think its fine for a stop gap but I wouldn't be buying it with the intention to continue using it going forward. It can't be comfy.
Ethankay
Member
Ethankay
Member
TPO
🤠🏴
Yes, your thigh is too long for this saddle. Your knee should not be beyond the saddle flap/knee roll as is shown in your photographs.
Google pictures of William Fox-Pitt for reference. He is very tall and has very long legs (including a long thigh). His knees are not beyond the saddle flap when sitting in his saddles, riding on the flat or jumping. Ben Maher also has long legs iirc so worth a google too and William Whitaker. Once you can see for yourself and picture what a good fit looks like it might help you to make comparisons with your leg position in this saddle.
If your saddle fitter cannot supply a saddle that fits both you and your horse then you will need to try someone else. If you post your general location and/or a new post specifically about fitters I'm sure people on here would make recommendations.
Were you using a GP saddle before having this one fitted? That may be why it feels good to you, because it's better than your previous saddle, but it is not a good long term fit for you.
Google pictures of William Fox-Pitt for reference. He is very tall and has very long legs (including a long thigh). His knees are not beyond the saddle flap when sitting in his saddles, riding on the flat or jumping. Ben Maher also has long legs iirc so worth a google too and William Whitaker. Once you can see for yourself and picture what a good fit looks like it might help you to make comparisons with your leg position in this saddle.
If your saddle fitter cannot supply a saddle that fits both you and your horse then you will need to try someone else. If you post your general location and/or a new post specifically about fitters I'm sure people on here would make recommendations.
Were you using a GP saddle before having this one fitted? That may be why it feels good to you, because it's better than your previous saddle, but it is not a good long term fit for you.
LEC
Opinions are like bum holes, everyone has one.
Yep it’s completely wrong as you are at the back of the saddle. BTW I have this exact issue and can probably dig out some photos. I have to have flat seats and very forward cut knee rolls for this reason. Your balance should be in the centre of the saddle. Every time you land over a fence your weight will be in the wrong place. If you have to put your stirrups down then it’s telling you it’s not working.
my saddle was wrong for years and nobody ever said anything. Changed my saddle after a decent trainer picked up on it and everything was 50% better immediately.
Antw23uk
Well-Known Member
Too big for that saddle. I've seen worse but sadly its a no from me.
Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
I slightly deviate from the hive mind.
The saddle is not ideal, it looks like a close contact pure jump saddle, with no 'knee roll' as such, but with an upper thigh block. Thus, it is neither here nor there for safety if your knee is over the front. The safety is because your thigh is under the upper/front thigh block.
That being said, the shape of the saddle flap is wrong. In these jump saddles, with no knee block, and if I am correct the panel doesn't come far down beyond the tree point either, the flaps actually flex and ride OVER the shoulder as opposed to sitting behind the shoulder as a panelled GP saddle would do. Thus, the saddle could have a bigger flap and your horse could accommodate that.
These saddles tend to come in a seat size, so 16.5, 17, 17.5, 18, and a with, so N (in continental saddles this is usually 'Normal' as opposed to narrow, and also NW, W etc. Then, they also have a flap size, this may be simply a 2, but that could do a 3 or even a 4. Then, they have flap angle, so A is more straight, AA is more forward etc. Different brands are different, but this is just to demonstrate that even I the seat size is the max your horse can have, the flap may be able to be bigger.
In this type of saddle, once you are up and trotting/cantering, the look will be different. Once your weight is in 2 point seat (as in weight more in stirrups and your weight off their backs) you will probably be in the correct place in the saddle.
For jumping, if this is so, I would not be concerned about this saddle. However, if you wanted to also hack, as in sit your a$$ in the saddle when walking round, then I would be concerned as you are sitting too far back. These saddles don't have as large a panel area anyway, and if you sit too far to the back, it compounds the issue.
Hope that helps!
The saddle is not ideal, it looks like a close contact pure jump saddle, with no 'knee roll' as such, but with an upper thigh block. Thus, it is neither here nor there for safety if your knee is over the front. The safety is because your thigh is under the upper/front thigh block.
That being said, the shape of the saddle flap is wrong. In these jump saddles, with no knee block, and if I am correct the panel doesn't come far down beyond the tree point either, the flaps actually flex and ride OVER the shoulder as opposed to sitting behind the shoulder as a panelled GP saddle would do. Thus, the saddle could have a bigger flap and your horse could accommodate that.
These saddles tend to come in a seat size, so 16.5, 17, 17.5, 18, and a with, so N (in continental saddles this is usually 'Normal' as opposed to narrow, and also NW, W etc. Then, they also have a flap size, this may be simply a 2, but that could do a 3 or even a 4. Then, they have flap angle, so A is more straight, AA is more forward etc. Different brands are different, but this is just to demonstrate that even I the seat size is the max your horse can have, the flap may be able to be bigger.
In this type of saddle, once you are up and trotting/cantering, the look will be different. Once your weight is in 2 point seat (as in weight more in stirrups and your weight off their backs) you will probably be in the correct place in the saddle.
For jumping, if this is so, I would not be concerned about this saddle. However, if you wanted to also hack, as in sit your a$$ in the saddle when walking round, then I would be concerned as you are sitting too far back. These saddles don't have as large a panel area anyway, and if you sit too far to the back, it compounds the issue.
Hope that helps!
LEC
Opinions are like bum holes, everyone has one.
Sadly it doesn’t really work that way. With jumping length the knee needs to be at least 45 degs even with 2 point. If you have incorrect saddle flaps to fit it will still push you back as not enough room at the front for the knee. This will still push you to the back of the saddle and increase pressure points on landing because your bum comes back into the saddle on landing. This is why you need to be central or more forwards in a jump saddle. I can ride in a 17 inch seat fwd cut but over bigger jumps I end up compromised in take off or on landing as risk hitting the cantle. Tbh it’s a massive issue I see time and time again. I will dig out some photos in an hour or so to demonstrate.
Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
I am just going on my experience with 17.5 inch, both Butet and Cheldric. I seem to be too far back in the saddle when sat walking, but when we got moving, they were both fine. Evented for years in one anyway. No sore backs. Worked for me.
LEC
Opinions are like bum holes, everyone has one.
But both those examples are super flat seats with really forward cut knee rolls so you would have enough space with shortened stirrups at 45 degs.
Ethankay
Member
The saddle will be for show jumping and cross country and I have a dressage I ride out in my horse is very compact and this is the only saddle that has fit him
jhoward
Demon exorcist...
The issue is you are sat on the rear of the saddle, a tree in a saddle is designed for central weight and you are not central, this will mean your weight distribution on the saddle/horse is not correct, what you may find and feel is that your horse is not flowing/ working through his quarters as he should if he's hitting poles it's probably why.
I'd be looking at a slightly deeper seat (to put you more on the centre) and a lower knee roll/more forward cut.
For some one like you looking at eventing saddles opposed to jumping can offer a better choice.
Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
If the saddler and your trainer say it is good, then I'm not sure we could say any better from a few photos. It looks a lot better in the pictures where you have put the stirrups down.
I guess to say any better, we would have to see a video. My experience is that, when you get moving, you will flex the ankle more as he weight goes through the stirrups. This has been my experience even when landing from a fence, my ankles stay flexed and I fit in the saddle, whereas when just sat or walking, I am a bit less flexed in the ankle and look a bit more awkward in the saddle. It is about comfort in very short stirrups that close the ankle joint.
My saddles were like this, both had no knee roll whatsoever, both were just soft padded leather, with just a thigh block above the thigh. They are both XC models. Your saddle looks similar in the limited view offered by these photos.