**KIEFFER SADDLES - ARE THEY COMFY?**

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JULESMGARNER

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I'm thinking of going to look at a horse and the saddle is negotiable separately. It is a Kieffer GP saddle, less than a year old, cost her £500 new and was specially fitted to the horse and is the saddle he was backed in and has been using since - apparently they are adjustable by a special Kieffer saddle fitter?

I just need to know are they COMFY? I'm trying to decide if its worth paying the extra for or whether I should save my money and just get a Wintec or Thorowgood for now and re-visit getting a better saddle later when I have more funds? Or maybe a SC saddle which is also adjustable. The saddle needs to be adjustable as he's only just 4 and will obviously grow and fill out.

I also wonder if it may be difficult locating a Kieffer saddle fitter?
 
I didn't find my particularly comfy to ride in at all but I do rate them as I bought an ajustable one for my 3 year old (now 8) and it was ajusted 4 times taking it from a NMM to MWW.

I lost £200 on its rrp part exchanging it for an Albion dressage saddle 2 years later which isn't horrendous depreciation.
 
I would personally always try to get the saddle with the horse, then at least you have something to ride in for the time being. My horse came with the most horrendously uncomfortable saddle, but I used it because I didn't have the funds to get my saddler out to get a new one on her straight after having paid for the horse and the vetting! Once I had my new saddle on her, I just gave my old saddle to the saddler, and eventually it was sold.
 
I have a Kieffer Garmisch GP saddle which I bought new in 2000ish. It cost about £850 at the time. I have used it at home on everything since then, do a lot of schooling, jump up to 1.30 in it and hack out in it. I also hunt up to 6 hours a time in it as I don't believe it is particularly good for horses' baacks (or my bum!) to be in a close contact saddle for that legth of time.

I love mine and find it very comfy and the service from Kieffer has been great (replaced the tree and various other bits for free a couple of years ago even though it was out of warranty and I'd lost the proof of purchase. Didn't even charge for carriage to and from Germany
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).

Would probably buy a more forward cut saddle if I did it again but have had no problems with comfiness at all.

Definitely agree with buying it with the horse - at least you start off with something that fits, then if you don't like it you've got it to part-ex or sell to buy a new one.
 
I love both of mine, a wein dressage and an AT jumping. Really comfy and horses go well in them.

I'm short with short thighs - rider shape/height does make a difference.
 
I totally forgot to say (the whole point of replying, to answer the original question!
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) one of the liveries at work had a lovely Kieffer Innsbruck dressage saddle. The lady is "larger" than me (I am a petite 5'6" size 8) and so the saddle was a bit huge, but I still found it really comfortable!
 
I have two keiffer dressage saddles and would never buy any thing other. Both of my horses are high wither, one has an extremely high wither and they fit like a dream and I am super secure when I ride, I love the deep seat and huge padded knee rolls on the models I have. I think as a disabled rider they have really helped me feel secure and have improved my position.

I have a 17.5" for my groom and a 18" for me, the grooms saddle is quite old and still looks fab and buffs up to a nice shine. Although I have heard the Kieffer jumping saddles are not so good, but I have not tried them personally so would not know.
 
It will of course depend on whether you fit (I am of big butt size, so is one of first things I think of lol).

I bought the saddle that came with my mare, a Penfold as was told it was a top make, and as a Master Saddler had said it fitted. My mare hated it. Two more Master Saddlers said it fitted. Someone forgot to tell my mare, she still hated it (turning bum on me when she saw it coming). Looked for Penfold, the company no longer exists. I found it very comfortable. Got an Albion, fitted by Jo Beavis of the National Saddle Centre. Mare stopped turning bum on me. I didn't find it comfortable, and more advanced riders said it tipped them slightly forwards, but mare liked it. According to Jo, it suited my 'pounds per square inch issue' lol. Now my mare has gone, hubby says keep it in case it fits next horse - it cost £1200 so he has a point I suppose. The £90 leather Albion girth that went with it rubbed my mare and I went back to the Aero(?) one.

Motto of the long and woffly story: just because they say it fits and the horse has been worked etc in it, does not mean that it does fit. And, just because something costs a lot, does not mean it is better than somethnig cheaper.

Happy horsing
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