Jump saddle recommendations.....

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After my jumping clinic today i apparently need a more forward cut proper jumping saddle - at the moment I have a Harry Dabbs classic GP saddle that I love, but which has very straight cut saddle flaps.

Jensen is a lightweight sports cob type, with quite big shoulders (relatively) - i would guess he is a medium? Any recommendations please?
 
I've got a m2m Ryder Vantage (or Virage...one of the two - picture) that I'm really pleased with. It wasn't cheap, £2200, but there was a lot of choice with types of leather, piping, and flap position. They also gave me the option of a bigger seat on smaller panels but it wasn't necessary in the end. The only downside is that Ryder don't have a good resale value in the UK and for this reason I wouldn't go with a less well-known brand in future.

If I was shopping now I'd be looking at Equipe or Equiline but a lot of it is down to how well different saddles fit the combination of you and the horse :). I know Albion K2s and Ideal Impalas are very popular with a lot of eventers but I couldn't get on with the K2 and found the Impala really uncomfortable. Ideally you want a fitter that has a good second-hand stock and/or carries lots of different brands.

I'm surprised that your boy is only a medium (and not all mediums are created equal), have you got a photo of his current saddle head-on? When did he have it fitted/checked?
 
Really depends on what you like (flat seat? how much support? etc.) and not just the width but also the shape of your horses back.

Both my TB and my now retired holssteiner did very well with an older kieffer donau - the TB has a bit of a straight back and big shoulder for her relatively narrow body. The holsteiner has a very standard back, really any saddlefitters dream :)
As for me, I HATE saddles that make me feel stuck/locked into a position, so the kieffer donau fits me perfectly with it's flat seat and minimal support. A lot of the Passier models work well for me aswell (they have a bit more support than the Kieffer Donau) and they (can be made to) fit many shapes of horses.
 
Ah now I like deeper seats and some security - not locked into position but not flat? I might try an Albion - he might be a medium wide, his current saddle is a MW and is due for re-flocking as J has changed shape massively in the past few months
 
It also depends on your budget as well as what suits you. Also it’s a good idea to go for a well known make as they’re easier to resale.
I currently have and like a Black Country Wessex and a Jeffries Falcon. Both super comfy quality saddles

I tried a K2 but found it uncomfortable whilst hacking but I know lots of people like them.
 
I used to like my K2 GP years ago - and now I think about it, I didn’t seem to have the problems with it that I have with my current saddle? That was jumping up to BE100.

Unfortunately I haven’t really got any budget yet, so I think it will need to be cheap and cheerful at least initially - so no £2k saddles for me!
 
Hi Lev, I have a Paul Jones jump saddle which is medium. It’s like new as my horse decided v quickly that he wanted to only be ridden in his wow unfortunately! Not sure of rules on here so if you might be interested PM me x
 
I love prestige jump saddles - currently have a prestige Versailles with extra length flaps on my big WB. He's incredibly flat backed and it was basically the only one that fit him.

You could also look at a pessoa - the xp3 seems to fit a surprising amount of horses
 
For what it's worth, I have an Albion K2 jump saddle and love it. I have a Fairfax jump on my other horse as it fits him perfectly but I prefer the K2.
 
I would have died a long time ago without my Ideal Impala!

I felt the Albion K2 'perched' me on top of the horse and didn't feel like I was on his back. The Impala is really secure (I've stayed on through ridiculous things thanks to it) and you feel really close to the horse (not close contact version). Picked mine up £800 on ebay second hand. It's adjustable too, but has to be done by the saddler (mine's in a medium).
 
I love my prestige I have a paris D and loan horse has a michelle robert (meant to be for men) which I find a bit roomy even though they are both 17" so model makes a big difference. I think on the yard we have about 7 prestige jump saddles and everyone loves them. I got mine 2nd hand for £800, but I knew exactly what I wanted. Also they are adjustable (by 1 either way) I had mine widened and it cost £50.
I have also had a pessoa - didn't like the position it put me in and when it used to make my bum numb if I rode for 1hour +
Henri de rivel - Really good saddle for the price. Mine was 2nd hand £350 fitted. I found it quite secure and it looked really smart, unfortunately my horse fell and broke the tree! I used this on a WB with BIG shoulders and it was great
Lemetex - Really lightweight and comfy, but quite flat, I really loved this saddle
 
sit in as many as you can try on, Lev :) it's so, so personal. I liked some of the suggestions on this thread when I was last in the marked for a jumping saddle, others not so much and my Impala I couldn't wait to get rid of because it just put me in a horrible balance and I felt so insecure! Other people love them, so it just shows how much depends on the rider (for me, it's equal in importance to it fitting the horse). I settled on a Wow, love it.
 
I have a Falcon event saddle which I love, super comfy and enough support to really make you feel secure. Unfortunately it doesn't fit my new horse, so will be for sale.... 17.5 MW if of interest?! x
 
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