Jump Saddle for rider with long hip to thigh length

monte1

monte1

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As per title, I currently ride in an Albion Legend K2 jump, it all fits my horse fine, but i have always felt like it is not the most comfortable saddle for me and I find it hard to adopt a balanced, stable forward seat when galloping and going XC.
When XC schooling last week I was struggling to keep up off his back and I am pretty fit generally, so my trainer and I discussed the fact that my stirrups although short as I can really go, still looked to long over several combinations and my knee is right on the front of the saddle. I have about 5,8 so not hugely tall but i seem to have a very long hip to thigh length

so, can any of you lovely HH people recommend some jump saddle types which might, take my leg better and give me some more stability over and between fences ?

looks like we may be saddle shopping ... :-(
 
I am long from hip to knee, and I tried all sorts... eventually the only saddle I felt in balance in was a Wow. I had problems keeping my lower leg stable when in 2 point. The stirrup bars were all wrong and the knee rolls fairly unhelpful in everything else I tried, the Wow was an instant fix.
They are definitely a marmite saddle but I would not choose to jump in anything else these days (not that I jump a lot now, but i will do again when I get another horse :p ) they are rather £££ new but second hand bargains are out there.

Actually it was after a similar post on here that people suggested it was the saddle and not me that was causing this problem... so it's great that your trainer has spotted this. I struggled on for years trying to get better, when all the time I was just fighting the equipment.
 
i had the exact same problem and loved my albion and then ended up having to sell it - it just didnt work when i went up a level eventing, the seat was too deep and would catch me down big drops, i couldn't get my stirrups high enough and the knee blocks were completely wrong for me.

i ended up getting a saddle fitter out and riding in a range of the monoflap more forward cut event saddles. The prestige was a lovely fit but the budget was beyond me, so the saddle fitter made his own version of it. I got my stirrups up to the shortness i needed and then he measured the blocks and stuff around that. cost was about 1600 euro but was worth every penny as my position is 100% better than it was and im more secure in the saddle. pic of saddle in the link below. delighted i did it and know that i have a saddle that fits him and me

http://www.sagittarianphotography.e...oup-3/#photo=3f675a6e3928607688406fd5b5e70c47
 
I had this problem with a K2 and have been through a few saddles since. My saddler actually said I had the longest hip to knee she has seen! I now have an Ideal Impala Pro Jump saddle and it is incredibly comfortable and very good value :)
 
I am 5'10 :)

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I'm another one with long hip to knee. I'm only 5'6'' but if I were in proportion I'd be a few inches shorter no doubt! I have a Silhouette monoflap and it's really comfy (not that I jump very big at all!). Very reasonable price brand new, too.
 
I'm currently saddle hunting and having this problem too - exacerbated by shortbacked mare :( I had a 17.5 K2 on my TB which was fine -
I could ride as short as I wanted - but is way to big on new mare who takes a rug size a full foot shorter. We've so far tried: Albion, K&M, Prestige, Henri de Rival, Amerigo... if it's been short enough on her back my knees hang over the front plus she has a big shoulder so if the flaps come over they impede her movement :(
Suggestion from extremely tall trainer was a Butet but I don't quite have those funds!!! We have the Devoucoux chap coming out on Monday so fingers crossed.
 
Embo said:
I'm another one with long hip to knee. I'm only 5'6'' but if I were in proportion I'd be a few inches shorter no doubt! I have a Silhouette monoflap and it's really comfy (not that I jump very big at all!). Very reasonable price brand new, too.
Click to expand...

Girlracer said:
I am 5'10 :)

14666282_1013505702108365_8408652819928238960_n.jpg
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thanks Girlracer, i have been looking at those and really liked them !
 
It's so personal isn't it! I had the impala (double flap) and hated it. I had it from new when they first came out and it was terrible for me :D
 
Lanky Loll said:
I'm currently saddle hunting and having this problem too - exacerbated by shortbacked mare :( I had a 17.5 K2 on my TB which was fine -
I could ride as short as I wanted - but is way to big on new mare who takes a rug size a full foot shorter. We've so far tried: Albion, K&M, Prestige, Henri de Rival, Amerigo... if it's been short enough on her back my knees hang over the front plus she has a big shoulder so if the flaps come over they impede her movement :(
Suggestion from extremely tall trainer was a Butet but I don't quite have those funds!!! We have the Devoucoux chap coming out on Monday so fingers crossed.
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did you try a kieffer? they have a fairly forward cut mono flap. I know some of the saddles feel like theres lots over the shoulder but once the saddle is placed correctly and the button part is behind shoulder, then even if it is forward cut it shouldn't affect her shoulder as its just the saddle material, not actually weight bearing. i worried about the same thing with one of mine, but saddle fitter reassured me
 
paddi22 said:
did you try a kieffer? they have a fairly forward cut mono flap. I know some of the saddles feel like theres lots over the shoulder but once the saddle is placed correctly and the button part is behind shoulder, then even if it is forward cut it shouldn't affect her shoulder as its just the saddle material, not actually weight bearing. i worried about the same thing with one of mine, but saddle fitter reassured me
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don't think we've tried a Kieffer.. I've lost track we've tried so many! She's got quite big muscle behind the shoulder (the Yob had the same but was slightly easier to find one to fit him), and anything that impinges on that seems to affect her :( The Devoucoux chap has measured her up already and was going away to find something to try and fit as what he had with him wasn't working and he ran out of time!
 
I think it's sometimes horses for courses even with the same problem. I'm long hip-knee and find myself most comfortable in a non-blocky close contact, devoucoux, butet and the prestige made whitakers I've all had good experiences with.
 
It's worth going up a seat size too if possible - on current horse I can't go bigger than 17.5 (and in brands like Albion that's too big as my 17.5 Albion seems to measure 18).
 
thanks guys, lots to consider, I really am at my limit with 17.5 I think, as horse quite short coupled, but I will look around and see what can work fro us.
i also quite liked the Style XC saddles, sat in one at Mattingley a few years ago and liked the position, might be different once on the horse though!
 
I have a similar problem (same height and long legs) and whilst I haven't tried loads of saddles my current one, which is a Jeffries Falcon Event, is very good. I think its because it doesn't have massive blocks that it works so well and my knee sits nicely in the flap.

Also I used to have a Black Country Wexford which was also pretty good, and my mothers is a Black Country Richochet (I think) and that works very well too.
 
monte1 said:
thanks guys, lots to consider, I really am at my limit with 17.5 I think, as horse quite short coupled, but I will look around and see what can work fro us.
i also quite liked the Style XC saddles, sat in one at Mattingley a few years ago and liked the position, might be different once on the horse though!
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Yes I have this problem too as King is very short coupled - my Ideal is 17.5" :)
 
monte1 said:
thanks guys, lots to consider, I really am at my limit with 17.5 I think, as horse quite short coupled, but I will look around and see what can work fro us.
i also quite liked the Style XC saddles, sat in one at Mattingley a few years ago and liked the position, might be different once on the horse though!
Click to expand...

I was going to suggest a style, I'm short but my taller with longer thighed friend fitted into it well (mine as an older double flap close contact and only 17inch seat)
 
I have this problem too - Add in my pony is 14h, AND she will NOT tolerate long tree points.....My other horses are 13.1 and 14.3.....

I have very flat, close contact, no block type saddles. I have a very old, beautifully worn in Barnsby Milton on one, a newer Barnsby Whittaker on another (least favorite of the lot, has some blocks) and a Prestige Paris D on the fussy 14h. The Prestige is my favorite I think. It is like sitting on an ironing board though!

Certainly I think the Prestige can be made with flaps in varying positions of "forwardness".
 
I have a prestige arrezo. I'm 5'6 and long hip to knee and it fits me perfectly. I think it's got extra projection on the flaps which help, also puts me in a good position which helps as well.
I think you need to try a few as its so personal and what works for one might not work for other's.
 
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