Jumping saddles

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hayleyc

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Has anyone got experience with fairfax jump saddles, I'm using an old barnsby whitaker at the moment and also a prestige but the saddles are not fitting my horses so my saddler has suggested I try fairfax jump or impala pro for them, these saddles look quite bulky to what I'm used to so wondered what other people think of these saddles as I can't find any reviews on them. Obviously I'm going to have to travel my horses to the saddler to be fitted but he only has these two type of saddles and the equipe saddles but I know these don't fit.
 
No but have a horse that does not fit prestige, stubben, albion etc etc. had 11 saddles eventually all fitted at first then didn't. However came across the ken taur monoflap event, you feel really close to the horse and hey presto it fits as the flap wraps around and the gullet size can be changed if he changes size. Nice wide gullet too. the bonus is that it also fits everything else. It costs about£1200 and is really nice leather on an elastic tree. Happy horse, happy rider and I managed to sell some of the others to pay for it so am not out of pocket. Your other alternative is find a saddler with lots of models in stock as he is difficult to fit. Good luck.
 
Amy has a Fairfax jump on her wide backed connie cross and they both love it. We've changed the gullet a couple of times in the last 18 months to accommodate the young mare's changing shape. the mare was able to use her shoulder noticeably more as soon as she started wearing it. It keeps Amy's leg in the right place and works for us...
 
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I have an Impala Pro and love it. It doesn't fit my horse anymore which I'm gutted about. It's a lovely comfortable, secure saddle.

I looked at the Fairfax jump as the saddle to replace it, but wasn't keen.

I don't find the Impala bulky at all.
 
The Kent and masters and Fairfax may be linked but they aren't the same saddle. The Fairfax has a split panel at the front which allows more freedom to the shoulder.

I've had an Impala pro and now have a Fairfax. Both suit my wide boy really well. I loved the impala but after a while I didnt feel as secure in it - looking back, possible because it was a little big for me. Really great saddle.

Now in a Fairfax which I adore, I went through numerous saddles after I changed my impala - none of which would stay still. Not an issue with the Fairfax. My boy goes really well in it. I find it really comfortable and feel secure in it even though it's not a blocky sort of saddle at all.
 
im looking for close contact changeable gullet jump saddle - thinking of splashing the cash for a fairfax as well -only for the split shoulder planel tho. They both really use their shoulders to jump and im curious to see if this feature will make a difference to their jump. if not will prob go for something like prestige and bank the spare £700!

baffled as to why the K&M has the spilt shoulder in the GP but not in the Jump! surely GP riders would not be bothered about this sort of thing? If you put the thorowgood, K&M and fairfax together you can see where the money is being spent - each is a big leapup from the previous, in trems of quaility finsh, bulkyness etc - but put the fiarfax next to another of the same elk and im not 100% sure why it it so expensive - possibly due to the research behind the saddles?

anyway love to hear about anyones split shoulder experince
 
My horse is tricky to fit, he will not have a forward facing tree point.

We had to get rid of two Butets, did not fit any of the other "posh" XC models :-(

For a while we had an Impala, wider than necessary with pads, and that seemed OK initilally, but he would not drop down drops properly, it was more like launch and drop down a lift shaft!

He now is eventing in a saddle made for me on a dressage tree with jump flaps, but it is less than ideal (pardon the pun). The tree has straight tree points, and my horse is comfortable and jumps off steps no problem now. It was instant more or less with the change of saddle.

The only problem, and why it is not ideal, is that because it is also an owen panel the flaps do curve inwards if you have cause to grip on, so it can feel like a bit of an ejector seat! I have decided it is OK for BE90 and 100, but will look at the Fairfax if we get to go Novice regularly. I would try to fix a day when we could have it pressure tested though.
 
I ride a horse in a Fairfax. Personally, I don't think it's the best saddle for us as a combination, but it's his owner's choice so can't really make a suggestion. What I will say, though, is it's blooming heavy. Really heavy. And not hugely comfortable. As a temporary measure, I had a Thorowgood T8 (the leather-polymer hybrid) which is as light as a feather and very comfortable for my own boy before he broke. I actually preferred it to the Fairfax, although they are pretty much the same shape. The K&M, which is the all-leather version of the Thorowgood (same tree), is not nearly as heavy as the Fairfax, either, and that has full panels.

My saddler did say, however, that the Thorowgood/K&M/Fairfax family were not as adaptable as first thought. They just don't suit some horses.
 
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