Is this saddle dressage legal?

[Marigold4]

My young horse has strong opinions about saddles. He says he's only comfortable in a Torsion GP. I have spent a fortune on all sorts of saddles and saddlers. He seems to prefer a "wrap round" feel rather than panels and a gullet. We have progressed from virtually unrideable to ready to do a dressage test, thanks to his Torsion saddle.. Question is - should we enter HC or is this saddle dressage legal? We are entering an intro unaff.

TIA in advance to you dressage rules experts!

 

[Red-1]

No, I don't believe so.

From memory, it has to be "of English style."

An Ansur treeless is suitable though. The old Ansur ones (pre Solution) had a dressage saddle with no gullet, the classic (not Freestyle as they did have a shallow gullet).

For an unaffiliated intro, I would consult the organiser though.

This one is sold, but you get the idea. https://www.bettersaddles.co.uk/shop/ansur-classic-dressage-saddle

You can still drop lucky on ebay.

 

[Marigold4]

OK, thanks. We'll enter HC then.

 

[dominobrown]

I have Ansur saddle I am not using so if dressage goes well and you wan to do more let me know as I would sell mine. There aren’t many about now, they do look „traditional“ from a distance but feel very different from a normal saddle.

 

[Marigold4]

I have Ansur saddle I am not using so if dressage goes well and you wan to do more let me know as I would sell mine. There aren’t many about now, they do look „traditional“ from a distance but feel very different from a normal saddle.

Thanks! I was looking last night to see if any Ansurs were for sale - and couldn't find any. What size is yours? My horse has a short back so is swamped in bigger saddles. I'm going to sell my HM Vogue (his nibs is not keen) so was thinking of trying an Ansur. Shall I PM you?

 

[MissTyc]

It's not, but certainly at quite a few of my local unaffiliated venues, you'd be allowed to use it with judge's permission.

I used to do a lot of judging, and the show organiser and I always agreed that at the lower levels, we would aim to encourage correct riding with happy horses and relaxed riders, as long as permission was sought and granted before the class started. That saddle would not have been a problem.

Worth asking !

 

[Marigold4]

It's not, but certainly at quite a few of my local unaffiliated venues, you'd be allowed to use it with judge's permission.

I used to do a lot of judging, and the show organiser and I always agreed that at the lower levels, we would aim to encourage correct riding with happy horses and relaxed riders, as long as permission was sought and granted before the class started. That saddle would not have been a problem.

Worth asking !

Thanks. That's worth knowing. I'm over at the venue next week to show my horse around beforehand so can ask the organiser. It's certainly not going to give me any advantage as a rider!

 

[sbloom]

Definitely ask, anything outside of the rules can't automatically be assumed to be okay HC.

 

[Marigold4]

Definitely ask, anything outside of the rules can't automatically be assumed to be okay HC.

So even if I enter HC I might be stopped from doing the test??

 

[Goldenstar]

Yes you could , you need to ask .

 

[sbloom]

So even if I enter HC I might be stopped from doing the test??

Potentially yes, that's my understanding. The majority are run under BD rules, which apply to all competitors, HC is if you or your horse don't fulfill the entry criteria, but many think it means they don't have to follow the rules.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

I have a solutions dressage saddle for sale if you are interested I'll send you the details

 

[Marigold4]

I have a solutions dressage saddle for sale if you are interested I'll send you the details

Thanks - I tried Solutions and spent £££ with them but they all tipped back and put my weight in the wrong place and he doesn't get on with panels and gullets. Only happy with a "wrap round" feel like the Torsion. I know it sounds daft but he's clearly happy in one and not happy in another!

 

[Marigold4]

Potentially yes, that's my understanding. The majority are run under BD rules, which apply to all competitors, HC is if you or your horse don't fulfill the entry criteria, but many think it means they don't have to follow the rules.[/

Oh dear! I hope judge will be OK with it. I suppose there have to be rules so that someone doesn't have an advantage but some rules look like they are just for apppearance's sake - like no noseband and no raised pommel saddles.

 

[GinaGeo]

Thanks - I tried Solutions and spent £££ with them but they all tipped back and put my weight in the wrong place and he doesn't get on with panels and gullets. Only happy with a "wrap round" feel like the Torsion. I know it sounds daft but he's clearly happy in one and not happy in another!

Might be worth contacting a Solution Fitter and seeing if they could try an Solution Energist or Ansur Classic (Same Saddle pretty much - one is the original American version). They look more traditional, but don't have the gullet.

The old fashioned Solutions with Gullets might work better than the new ones. They are my preference.

 

[Hallo2012]

it would be worth sending a pic on the horse to BD, i asked about thorn pads and they just said it must have a defined pommel and cantle so thorn pad was a no but this might squeak through.

 

[Marigold4]

Well I sent a photo of the saddle to BD adviser for rules who says it's dressage legal!

 

[sbloom]

Well I sent a photo of the saddle to BD adviser for rules who says it's dressage legal!

Excellent, thanks for posting, I think we all thought it was still needing to look like a regular saddle.

 

[little_critter]

Well I sent a photo of the saddle to BD adviser for rules who says it's dressage legal! View attachment 94714

Take a copy of that email with you to the comp. The organisers might not have the same opinion so it’s worth having in writing from BD.

 

[Marigold4]

Take a copy of that email with you to the comp. The organisers might not have the same opinion so it’s worth having in writing from BD.

I'm going to make several copies in colour with the logo and both parts of the email conversation.

I'm a bit surprised ( though obviously very pleased) as rules say "no raised pommels" - I wonder what a raised pommel is then, if the one on my saddle is allowed??

 

[Hallo2012]

I'm going to make several copies in colour with the logo and both parts of the email conversation.

I'm a bit surprised ( though obviously very pleased) as rules say "no raised pommels" - I wonder what a raised pommel is then, if the one on my saddle is allowed??

western/iberian style ones.

 

[Red-1]

Well I sent a photo of the saddle to BD adviser for rules who says it's dressage legal! View attachment 94714

Well that has changed since I had a treeless then. Great to know.

Good luck with your competition.

 

[maya2008]

I have competed up to Elementary in exactly that saddle with no problems.

 

[Marigold4]

I have competed up to Elementary in exactly that saddle with no problems.

That's good to know. Has anyone every questioned the saddle? I don't know whether to show BD email and tell judge beforehand or just go in?

 

[sbloom]

That's good to know. Has anyone every questioned the saddle? I don't know whether to show BD email and tell judge beforehand or just go in?

I would say you only need to dig that out for the organisers if you get any problems. It's not the judge that really needs to know, unless they try and eliminate you. I did once have a judge at RC teams take the spurs off a junior in the team I managed as she thought they weren't allowed in the dressage test (they're not allowed in the riding/equitation test) and the poor girl had to just go in and compete in over 30 degrees with a late teens mare that had been ridden in spurs long before this girl had her.

Usually you're judged as is, and any issues come up after the test.

 

[maya2008]

That's good to know. Has anyone every questioned the saddle? I don't know whether to show BD email and tell judge beforehand or just go in?

No, no issues, ever. Go and enjoy yourself!!

 

[Marigold4]

I would say you only need to dig that out for the organisers if you get any problems. It's not the judge that really needs to know, unless they try and eliminate you. I did once have a judge at RC teams take the spurs off a junior in the team I managed as she thought they weren't allowed in the dressage test (they're not allowed in the riding/equitation test) and the poor girl had to just go in and compete in over 30 degrees with a late teens mare that had been ridden in spurs long before this girl had her.

Usually you're judged as is, and any issues come up after the test.

I once had an outraged, very experienced BD judge who came out of her judging box at an unaffiliated show, yelled at me as I left the arena to wait, and then gave me an earful about competing without a noseband and disqualified me. That was the only time rules have been an issue and it was very much the BD judge, not the organisers, challenging.