tallyy
Member
hey everyone,
I have a 16.1 french trotter mare on loan and the owner and I have been looking for a dressage saddle. We (my instructor, the owner and I) have tried a few different types of saddle, ranging from A.S.S (all saddle solutions using the air flair system), to ideal Suzannah (just a traditional tree) and now to a prestige with a heat moulded tree (basically it can be expanded or shrunk by one or two sizes).
So the A.S.S, I really liked for my position, I could ride really long and still feel in balance (took a bit of getting used to at first), but my instructor and I agreed that we felt like we were riding the saddle more than the horse. I.E. she has a really flat strange canter as she is a trotter but it felt like she was elevating and when I looked at her from the ground she quite clearly wasn't. My instructor also mentioned something about her not feeling connected from behind, although it gave her a lot more shoulder room and she said it felt better. (I didn't feel any of that though)
The ideal Suzannah was awful, Belle seemed alrightish in it but nothing special and put me completely out of balance with her and couldn't adjust myself, even after riding in it for a bit. (The saddler said he'd tailor-make it anyway, but I just didn't like it).
Then finally tried the Optimax (the one we are now probably getting). It's certainly easy on the eye, and was pretty comfy to ride in, but my feet were all over the place in the stirrups and my thighs were on the thigh rolls half the time. But apparently I sat up a lot straighter and maybe it's just my lower leg strength??
My instructor of course sat perfectly in all of them and pointed out various tiny details that I couldn't feel at all?! For example "She dropped in less through her shoulders in the prestige"
Any experiences with any of the saddles/advice on what to do/anything! I just want to make the right decision for this horse because she deserves it and has put with me riding her in a saddle that is like a rock on her back and she has still tried her best to do everything I asked, even when I don't know what I'm trying to ask half the time!
So please as many opinions as possible, anything and everything!!!
Thanks xxx
I have a 16.1 french trotter mare on loan and the owner and I have been looking for a dressage saddle. We (my instructor, the owner and I) have tried a few different types of saddle, ranging from A.S.S (all saddle solutions using the air flair system), to ideal Suzannah (just a traditional tree) and now to a prestige with a heat moulded tree (basically it can be expanded or shrunk by one or two sizes).
So the A.S.S, I really liked for my position, I could ride really long and still feel in balance (took a bit of getting used to at first), but my instructor and I agreed that we felt like we were riding the saddle more than the horse. I.E. she has a really flat strange canter as she is a trotter but it felt like she was elevating and when I looked at her from the ground she quite clearly wasn't. My instructor also mentioned something about her not feeling connected from behind, although it gave her a lot more shoulder room and she said it felt better. (I didn't feel any of that though)
The ideal Suzannah was awful, Belle seemed alrightish in it but nothing special and put me completely out of balance with her and couldn't adjust myself, even after riding in it for a bit. (The saddler said he'd tailor-make it anyway, but I just didn't like it).
Then finally tried the Optimax (the one we are now probably getting). It's certainly easy on the eye, and was pretty comfy to ride in, but my feet were all over the place in the stirrups and my thighs were on the thigh rolls half the time. But apparently I sat up a lot straighter and maybe it's just my lower leg strength??
My instructor of course sat perfectly in all of them and pointed out various tiny details that I couldn't feel at all?! For example "She dropped in less through her shoulders in the prestige"
Any experiences with any of the saddles/advice on what to do/anything! I just want to make the right decision for this horse because she deserves it and has put with me riding her in a saddle that is like a rock on her back and she has still tried her best to do everything I asked, even when I don't know what I'm trying to ask half the time!
So please as many opinions as possible, anything and everything!!!
Thanks xxx
