observation whilst watching olympia

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There are a lot of ignorant comments on this thread, it's really quite amusing.

I thought there was some craking riding on display today, every single horse was capable and forwards and positive in their rounds- top class jumping.
 
Lol

I did say I was NO expert
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Just passing the observation that the saddle doesn't appear to fit on a couple of horses.
 
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When I worked for an international show jumper there were 13 horses in work and at home there were 2 saddles which all of the horses wore and there were also 2 seperate saddles for use at shows. Those 2 saddles went of everything on the yard from a 17.3hh higher level horse horse to a 16hh youngster. None of the horses had bad backs of were cranky when you put the saddles on.

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The half pads, riser pads etc contribute to the fit of the saddle. So yes, many horses use the same saddle. How many of you have had a saddle fitted professionally, then stuck a half pad under it because you think it looks good, meaning the saddle technically no longer fits? More than few I'm prepared to bet
 
Regarding saddles, I don't know about showjumping as it's not my discipline but I have ridden with some international GP riders / trainers and all of them only had a couple of saddles to fit all horses they had in work. This was the rule -- saddle fits the rider, not the horse!

When I sent my horse for training to a well-respected, fairly big name I left his own saddle there but it never got used -- trainer only used his own saddle.
 
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When I worked for an international show jumper there were 13 horses in work and at home there were 2 saddles which all of the horses wore and there were also 2 seperate saddles for use at shows. Those 2 saddles went of everything on the yard from a 17.3hh higher level horse horse to a 16hh youngster. None of the horses had bad backs of were cranky when you put the saddles on.

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The half pads, riser pads etc contribute to the fit of the saddle. So yes, many horses use the same saddle. How many of you have had a saddle fitted professionally, then stuck a half pad under it because you think it looks good, meaning the saddle technically no longer fits? More than few I'm prepared to bet

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I will add that the only horse who had any additions under his saddle was the top horse who had a lambs wool pad. Everything else just had a thin saddle cloth.
 
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I will add that the only horse who had any additions under his saddle was the top horse who had a lambs wool pad. Everything else just had a thin saddle cloth.

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Presumably the saddles sat well on all of the others then?

I did have a saddle (which I'm mortified I no longer own) that seemed to fit everything I ever put it on with no help whatsoever. I want it back!

Colleen_miss_tom - imagine if you took all of the Irish people from the forum then, show jumping would never have seen anything like it :P
 
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FB did your horse suffer as an affect of that?

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No, not at all... I guess he was being ridden so well, and being trained so correctly, that a not-perfect saddle didn't really have any adverse effects.

It seems to be the norm here in Europe that the rider chooses a saddle they're comfortable with and that saddle gets used on anything.

Even at my current yard (where they do use my own correctly-fitting saddles even when they ride my horses), there are about 30 horses in training and only 9 saddles in the tack room! (two of which are mine!)
 
I agree Colleen_miss_tom. :P Twomey is a fantastic rider, sorry he didnt make the jump off and Cians horse went superbly!
Loved Oki and thought he was just unlucky and Tomboy looked class - a real winner!
For the record, the showjumpers I have worked with/am friends with (both national and international (irish of course:P) all had 3-4 saddles and used them on all their horses. Most riders had one preferred saddle and all the saddles were slightly diff fit but most of the yards had at least one odd shaped horse who required its own/a different saddle to the others. Racing yards were muh the same.
 
I used to keep my horse on the yard of an ex-international SJer and she had probably 3 main saddles that were used on everything....but each saddle was a slightly different fit and therefore generally one of them would more or less fit whatever was on the yard.
I'm very particular about saddle fit - and having seen the difference it has made to my horse she is now coming round to my way of thinking
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But when you have 20+ horses on the yard - some of which are there for training and selling on it isn't always practical to have a custom fit saddle for all of them. And so often the pads etc are used to adjust the fit.
As far as horse's being pulled to the outside and having incorrect bend...... there is a big difference between that and using a counter-bend!
Oh and as for the HHO team - I'm available and have first dibs on Oki Doki and Robin Hood please.
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They all seemed to yes. When I first started there everytime I tacked up something for the first time I always checked the saddles out of curiosity so see if they were a reasonable fit and (from my limited saddle fitting knowledge
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)everything loked fine.
 
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When I worked for an international show jumper there were 13 horses in work and at home there were 2 saddles which all of the horses wore and there were also 2 seperate saddles for use at shows. Those 2 saddles went of everything on the yard from a 17.3hh higher level horse horse to a 16hh youngster. None of the horses had bad backs of were cranky when you put the saddles on.

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The half pads, riser pads etc contribute to the fit of the saddle. So yes, many horses use the same saddle. How many of you have had a saddle fitted professionally, then stuck a half pad under it because you think it looks good, meaning the saddle technically no longer fits? More than few I'm prepared to bet

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Excuse me, those aren't my words, please so don't quote it as me!
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And for the record, no, I've never done that.
 
Most of the saddles used nowadays by SJers are close contact types which are less "fitted" than some of the more structured, bigger types of saddles - I had a Bates close contact which fitted everything I ever put it on, from a witherless 15.3 WBx to a 17.2 ISH with a wither like a knife. It rode more like an attachment for the stirrups than something to sit "in"

the closest comparison I can find is to look at the Albions of the 90s to the "xtreme" model today

and before anyone doubts my ability to assess saddle fit, my OH is a saddler.
 
Ah, ok, generally when you quote someone then it's best to do it in direct reply to their posts to avoid any confusion of who said what.
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Withy regard to the horses' way of going, I would say that Olympia is a very small enclosed arena with some huge fences and that in an ideal world, yes, it would be possible to canter round and jump in a calm, quiet mannered way, with the correct lead and bend at all times.

To jump fences that size, horses have to love their job and will naturally be fired up and wanting to get to the fences - it may therefore be necessary to take an unpretty pull on occasion to make sure they get to the fence on the right stride. They will also want to cut the corners to get to the jumps - again, keeping them out on the corners may lead to outside bend.....

Effectiveness is not always pretty...... if you want to see "pretty" showjumping, go to the States where they have "hunter" classes which are show jumping classes judged on style - where landing on the incorrect lead loses you marks.

I have a show jumper who hacks and jumps in a pelham - he is the only horse I've ever ridden who will leap, spin and be generally very rude in his attempt to get at the fence when we're hacking round the farm (and not meant to be jumping!!) - he luurves his jumping and would be wild if he was ever jumping in the arena at Olympia.... not sure he would look pretty either
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lecture over
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Ah, ok, generally when you quote someone then it's best to do it in direct reply to their posts to avoid any confusion of who said what.
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Sorry, but I can rarely be arsed, and if people are reading the thread then I'm sure they can see who I'm quoting, if they care.
 
Have to agree with spacefaer. We are talking about showjumping here - it's not showing, it's not dressage and it doesn't always look perfect but these riders are talented, professional and usually effective. The horses can jump, usually want to jump and are sometimes overly enthusiastic about getting to the fence. The rider's job is then to get them there with the best possible chance of juming the fence. Theory on how to jump a 'perfect round' is great but this has to be combined with experience on what works for your horse. I personally think seeing all the different styles, tack and horse/rider combinations is a great eye-opener
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