Indecisive about what saddle to get??? VSD? Dressage? WH!?

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HorseyStar

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Hello

I have a 14h Welsh with big shoulders

Iv had a gp saddle 16'' seat as im only 8 stone but find it to small and wen i rise it gives me a weird trot and my knees stick out this was from saddle fitter by the way! I then bought a 2nd hand deessage saddle which i love!!! Super comfy doesnt restrict his shoulder etc... But im now going to gef saddle fitter out for a new one as after half hr glatwork were now starting the jumping / jumping lessons and this isnt ideal in a dressage saddle?! Arrrgghh! Lol but font like the luk of a jimping saddle?

Whats a VSD? Do u think this cud be the cimprimise?...

Ideally want a KES 16.5'' VSD Wide (if anyone has one for sale) ;)

Iv herd these r sttaighter cut than the gp??

Thoughts everyone?! Xx
 
VSD very slightly dressage,is I think what it stands for.They are straighter than a GP and still suitable for some jumping and would probably be ideal for what you are doing.
The Kes would probably be worth trying also an Ideal VSD is a lovely saddle.
 
VSD actually stands for "Vielseitigkeitssättel dressur" which translates as "versitility saddle (dressage)".

The VSD is more forward cut than a Working Hunter/Show saddle and less forward cut than the GP.

This is the perfect saddle for horses with big shoulders as the cut of the panels helps to eliminate constricting the movements of the horses shoulders and helps to stop the shoulder pushing the saddle backwards.

This is a great style of saddle for those of us who wish to jump a little and yet it is still acceptable today in Working Hunter classs and for showing, Dressage and Hacking.
 
It totally depends on the individual saddle and whether you want to show or not. For anyone showing regularly I'd say the right WH saddle would do the job. For others it would be a GP, and a GP made with a cob in mind will not be that forward cut - I sell lots of our GPs to people doing big workers tracks, but it also aligns people pretty well shoulder-hip-heel whereas many GPs will not so will not be good enough for dressage/effective flatwork.

A VSD can be more or less like a WH depending on the brand - there is sometimes no difference in reality.

And is there any chance your pony can't take a 16.5? There could be a good reason the fitter put you in a 16", though that is a small seat size for most 14hh ponies and I'd never put an adult over 5' in one out of choice.

Do remember that the shallower the seat the more room there is in a given seat size, and that the straighter cut you go, the more you might have to go for a larger seat size to give room to get your stirrups up for jumping.
 
I just wanted to add that of course it also depends what fits your horse - a WH that fits your horse will be better than a VSD that isn't quite as good a fit, and the same goes for you. Obviously I know, but it is easy to get carried away with dreaming about having a particular saddle before you know what will fit your horse - a WH tree will often be flatter than a VSD so the two types may fit different shapes of horses. And if you like to move in the saddle for jumping then a VSD can sometimes be restrictive as the seat can be deeper.

But, for flatwork and a bit of jumping, in the right range, the VSD could be exactly right.
 
I have an Albion Selecta, it has GP, dressage and WH interchangable knee rolls. Its not as good as having a pure dressage saddle, true WH, but is good enough for me and obviously you only have the cost of one saddle plus the knee rolls!
 
Thanku all! Traded my 16 gp and dressage saddle (which she said was pinching him a bit) :( for a VSD 17''

However im finding since gettin it last week my lower back really aches and wen i rise it ki d of feels aa tho im rising a bit high and pushing forwards from the knee! Strange?!.... It is v comfy to just sit in but also makes him feel 10 times wider than he is?....

Im really feeling its not right for us?... It is also to big for him at front if ridden without sheepskin halfpad which she fitted it with as she said any smaller wud restrict his growth as he is a 6 yr old welsh with lots more filling out to do!!...

Great wen i jumped in it... But flatwork?? Lol well thats gone to pot!! Feel totally weird and unbalanced in it.... Maybe its cos im short legged? I felt much nicer in dressage cut!! Not sure wat to do now?!! She did try WH ones on him but all far to big for his shoulder aa hes not 100% developed yet!!

Help!! I have no more funds left!! This new VSD Silhouette cost 2 saddles & £100!!

Shud i get her bk out??... Maybe trade again for dressage but then im stuck if i do WH?! Lol

I need to be rich !!! Ggrrr! He he x
 
Did you have the saddle on trial? Our new saddles all come on a week's trial which means you can suss these things out. If you're stuck with it, how long have you been riding in it? Some new saddles can take a while to get used to.

Was it a used saddle? I MIGHT leave someone with a used saddle that is a little wide but it is actually impossible to tell how a horse will change shape so I'd probably only do that if they had an exisiting saddle and it saved them buying another. And I have no idea why WH saddles were an issue with his shoulders, sounds very odd to me.

Some saddles do feel wider than others, but the fact it is a little wide for him means you could probably have had a narrower feeling saddle.However, a wide horse really does need a wide twist - the nature of wooden trees means that you need a closeish contact fit for a wide horse and you can only get that with flat rails and therefore a wide feeling saddle. When I fit XXW and upwards the tree I tend to use is VERY wide in the twist but it works better than anything else. The odd rider can't cope with it and we have to compromise with a different tree.

I would get her out again and say that you're really not getting on with the saddle at all. She should be prepared to discuss at least a partial refund. There are plenty of other VSDs and WHs out there that might work.
 
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