Saddle - dressage and jumping

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Stroppy Mare

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What makes/styles would you say were most suited to a connyxtb mare - currently in a barnsby omega gp which fits, albeit a little wide.

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Ive tried a wow saddle on her - it slipped round her belly in canter and a sue carson - panache fitted her but too wide for me, and harmony fine for me but too narrow for her.

So far, only tried on dressage but ideally would like to swap my gp for a dressage and a jumping.

I have a reasonable budget. Shes somewhere between a W and an XW (barnsbys an XW, but saddler said XW was too wide but W was too narrow for wow).
 
soloequestrian said:
http://www.balanceinternational.com/saddles.html

She's got quite a healthy back, but you can see the beginnings of dipping in her thoracic trapezius area.
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Shes only small and im quite tall, lots of padding makes her saddle slip and me perched. (not good on a spooky pony with a history of bucking) thats one thing i didnt like about the wow saddle - the amount of padding we'd need to make it fit.
 
Please don't take this the wrong way but she looks quite well covered from those photos. Is she her normal weight or does she have some to lose?

I only ask because you don't want to be shelling out loads on a new saddle if she's going to be changing shape.
 
Where are you based?

I don't ever 'choose' a saddle... The saddler comes and finds the ones that fit the horse, then I get to find out if it fits me :D

I'd love to just choose one, but have found that I can't do that as the chances of it fitting my horse is about nil.

Ho hum.
 
maesseren said:
Shes only small and im quite tall, lots of padding makes her saddle slip and me perched. (not good on a spooky pony with a history of bucking) thats one thing i didnt like about the wow saddle - the amount of padding we'd need to make it fit.
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Don't knock it till you've tried it!! They're not WOW saddles!! Although they are wow with a small 'w'.
 
In those pics you can easily feel ribs (just not see). Im based in east midlands.

Id like to have an idea on make as there are a select few saddlers selling various brands, but each only sell a small number of makes (ideals dont fit me, harry dabbs/jaguar/wow/kieffer/stubben dont fit her and sue carson fits neither of us. Ive already spent best part of £200 wasted on saddle fittings which imo were useless. I have no objection to paying £££ for callout, but i dont want any more of my time and money wasted, and time wise same for saddlers. Im nearly at the point where i give up and just 'make do' with my gp.
 
soloequestrian said:
Don't knock it till you've tried it!! They're not WOW saddles!! Although they are wow with a small 'w'.
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I didnt say it was a wow, the padding/perched feeling on a daily basis came from a kieffer which was fitted as a similar contraption. After getting bucked off and being close to a broken wrist after she kicked it with the padding/saddle slipping on mounting we gave up and bought a barnsby. :)
 
If your saddler stocks Jeffries saddles ask him to bring an Elite next time. It's the only saddle that fitted my anglo-arab mare (her back looks a similar shape to your horse's) and we tried loads!

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MrsMozart said:
Try Laura at Bridlepath International. She is good. It's taken me a number of saddlers to get happy with one :)
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We had Peter out last time, rate him, my only issue is that their range is quite limited with what is in budget/right shape etc. I think the only make they stock making the journey worthwhile would be barnsby, as never had the more expensive brands on her.

Will enquire about jeffries thanks, i can remember riding a friends cob in a falcon gp and liking it.

My only gripe with barnsby is that my saddle hasnt had a huge amount of use (owned 3yrs but had a whole year off riding so was cleaned and packed away til we were both fit to ride again, since then ridden probs every other day and yet the marks from wear are atrocious despite looking after it (and its kept at home, not at the yard and always been this way). Im a little disappointed with that, otherwise id go back to barnsby as theyve some saddles i like the look of.

I might give bridlepath a call and see if theyve anything else in second hand but still well looked after.
 
maesseren said:
thats one thing i didnt like about the wow saddle
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You did say it was a wow.....

Really, try BALANCE, they are the best saddles in the world. Have a search through their whole website, they have lots of interesting stuff on there. The saddles are beautifully made by Frank Baines, and horses absolutely love them.
 
soloequestrian said:
You did say it was a wow.....

Really, try BALANCE, they are the best saddles in the world. Have a search through their whole website, they have lots of interesting stuff on there. The saddles are beautifully made by Frank Baines, and horses absolutely love them.
Click to expand...

Ok, how much roughly for a balance saddle (im limited on net as on my phone). I like frank baines saddles, however if i remember correctly theyre not cheap and would only be able to get one saddle at the moment, if they were to fit us both. Also need to do the impossible and find a fitter for anything i decide to go with next of course :/
 
You don't say where you are, but if none of the people on this link can help, get in touch directly with BALANCE and they will advise.

The system is around £1500 - £1600 new depending on which pads your horse likes. There are also second hand saddles available.

Lavinia Mitchell has her own company now too - she used to be a senior consultant for BALANCE. She has her own saddles now which are along the same lines, and also sometimes has BALANCE saddles for sale on her website.
 
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