Saddle fitting - for the rider

[Bernster]

Thought I’d start a new thread rather than post on someone else’s post (which got me thinking). How do you work out what kind of saddle you/the rider needs and what would suit you/them?

i know the basics for horse saddle fitting but never really thought much about how to fit a saddle to a rider. Currently in a loan saddle and may need to order one, which I can get made for me, but I have no idea what I need. I’ve only ever worked it out from sitting in a saddle and seeing if it’s comfortable but as I don’t really know what to look for, I’m not sure I’ve ever bought one that really fitted me perfectly (if that even exists).

Obv will discuss with the saddler but interested in how you folks determine a good fit for you/the rider. Thanks.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I just found what works by sitting in them...

When I've had custom saddles made, normally the demo saddle will have velcro blocks so you can move them to find where suits best. For me, I need a short panel and generally higher blocks as my legs are really short, some off the peg saddles the knee block is about a hand-span away from my leg so not much use to me lol.

 

[milliepops]

for me it's been the moment of sitting in it on my horse and just feeling like everything is easy.

I had normal GP saddles when I started eventing, then thought i'd get a jump saddle as we were going up the levels. Bought a very popular model which fitted the horse well enough but I couldn't ride for toffee in it. I was interested in the technology and concept of Wow saddles so I sat in one on their mechanical horse on the stand at Badminton and instantly felt like 2 point was suuuuper easy. Tried one on my horse and knew that was "my" jumping saddle. the balance was just so natural. then playing around with options led me to a minimal block and flat seat combination that is my happy feeling for jumping. For me the stirrup bar placement is critical for a jump saddle.

I've ridden in loads of dressage saddles as I have ridden lots of other peoples horses.
I like a quite blocky saddle that I can get support for my knee from and a deep seat with a narrow twist - but the blocks have to be right as I have long thighs. I can't get on with albions or ideals long term, or anything that sort of shape, the blocks are often too "vague" and the twist is too wide and it makes my hips ache eventually. I am hypermobile and I think the wide twist just makes my hips too open so I have to put a lot of effort into keeping my legs close to the horse and not flapping around. I recently swapped Darcy from his horrid starter albion (bought because I knew it would fit him) into an amerigo and it has just taken the effort out of it all, my legs hang where they should be.

When I got my equipe (won it in a competition so not something i had been really looking for) I was immediately comfortable and impressed by the amount of feel i got through the seat, it's much more close contact than what I had before. I love it, my absolute favourite (Darcy's amerigo was a bargain buy which I selected because it's a similar shape).

 

[Wheels]

There are many many variables. Some you are aware of, some you are not.

Seat bone placement is so important and something rarely talked about, if the gap between the seatbones is wide then a saddle with narrow twist or a seat without a belly would find the rider out of balance. Narrow gap between the seatbones could see hip problems for a rider riding in a saddle with a wide twist.

Flap length, angle, thigh block, knee block and calf block positions can make a huge difference to some people. Blocks too big or fitted too far back can push riders too far back in the seat.

Stirrup bar placement for some riders is an issue although is less of an issue than some manufacturers would lead you to believe.

Width and padding of the pommel can make or break someones comfort

Seat depth and placement of the lowest part of the seat can also affect rider fit. Some of the cut back heads tend to sit the rider too far back.

With all that said, some riders with a really excellent seat can make anything work whereas others need everything set up perfectly or they are all over the place.

 

[Baywonder]

It is all about trying the saddle, and working with a good fitter and a good saddle maker.

There are so many 'tweaks' that can be done to make the saddle comfortable for the rider, the list is pretty long! (As @Wheels has already stated!). My DH spends a lot of time talking to customers about what they want from their saddle, and he makes the changes according to their needs. As one example, I agree the Velcro blocks are a fantastic idea. Whilst they are available widely for day-to-day use, not everyone likes them, so they are brilliant for determining exactly where you need a fixed block to go.

Ultimately, a saddle is an expensive piece of kit (ridiculously expensive in some cases) - it should feel right, and fit both the horse and rider.

 

[Bernster]

Lawks, now I feel better informed but more ignorant haha. It seems like there’s a lot to consider and you can take an almost scientific approach, but I’ve never considered any of this stuff in any detail and I’ve never had that type of discussion in any previous saddle fit session. Maybe the saddler was doing this all in their head and maybe my general feel does take into account some of this stuff, but I think I’ve been very hit n miss so far frankly.

I’ll book another appt with saddler. I feel able to ask a few more intelligent questions based on the above. Thanks!

 

[Baywonder]

Lawks, now I feel better informed but more ignorant haha. It seems like there’s a lot to consider and you can take an almost scientific approach, but I’ve never considered any of this stuff in any detail and I’ve never had that type of discussion in any previous saddle fit session. Maybe the saddler was doing this all in their head and maybe my general feel does take into account some of this stuff, but I think I’ve been very hit n miss so far frankly.

I’ll book another appt with saddler. I feel able to ask a few more intelligent questions based on the above. Thanks!

Ask as many questions as you need - but please don't feel you have to sound like you know everything about saddles, and blind your saddler with science.

Just tell your saddler how it is for you, and just be honest. If the seat feels tight for you, tell them just that. Likewise, if the stirrup bar feels in the wrong position, or the flap / knee roll / blocks do not feel right, or your position is compromised, tell them. No matter how trivial the niggle may seem, it is better they know about it so they can ultimately get the right saddle for you (and your horse of course!)

 

[milliepops]

sometimes it's obvious that something is wrong, but sometimes you can only really tell what works for you by comparing how different saddles or set ups feel. i think that's when some fitters that only carry a small number of brands can be a bit limiting cos you never really get a chance to compare a range of options and end up effectively just fitting the horse and not the rider, so much.

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Yep I don't go by the scientific 'correct' knowledge, I just go with what feels right for me and the horse. I never noticed an issue with my leg position jumping Topaz, but on Skylla I suddenly found it whizzing about despite using the same saddles on both. As Skylla is more apt to get it wrong and put duff strides in I needed a little more help to stay neat and in the right position*! This also shows you need to trial the saddle in the discipline you want to use it for, no point just doing flat work in a jump saddle .


*Ok mostly it keeps me in the right position, I can get myself into positions even a saddle can't fix lol.

 

[Meredith]

I have been uncomfortable in many saddles and could not work out why.
My last saddle was so excruciatingly painful, although it was fine for my horse, that it has badly affected my riding.
I went to a saddler that had an outdoor school and many types of saddle. Fortunately my horse was easy to fit and I rode in about half a dozen different saddles before finding one that felt good.
My old GP saddle was narrow at the waist and had an average width deep seat. My new saddle has a wider waist and a medium deep wide seat and although called a jump saddle I would describe it as GP/jump.
It is great.
I would look at your existing saddle and decide exactly what it is and find which part makes it uncomfortable. When you see your saddler you will be able to explain exactly how it feels when you ride.
I hope you can find something comfortable.

 

[Wheels]

Rider comfort is paramount but importantly it should be that the rider is comfortable whilst sitting in the correct position and shoulder - hip - heel alignment.

Some saddles will be very comfortable but not allowing the correct position and this is when you see things like chair seats etc - the seat may be very comfortable and this can lull you into thinking that comfort = suitable when it may well not be ideal.

The saddle fitter should make sure you can sit correctly in all paces and jumping if you are buying a saddle to jump in and not rely on rider feel as this doesnt always show up problems in the short term but will do in the long term.

 

[fankino04]

The only time I had a saddle made to measure I told them all the bits I liked on different saddles, or seat on one, knee rolls on another, blocks from another make etc and they put it all together and I had the most comfy saddle that was also made to fit my mare. Weirdly years later I bought an ideal gp for the current horse and realised that was pretty much what I had put together all those years ago ?

 

[SpotsandBays]

Best thing I did was get a saddler out and tried a few different styles and sizes she had on the van. I would say what was comfortable and she would see any issues. I have long legs and a small butt so if the saddle was too short I was pushed back, so needed a bigger saddle but with a seat that wasn’t too big for me also.

 

[sbloom]

And remember that, overall, for most riders, a bit of space in the saddle for you to find where you need to be for any particular movement, can be better than massive blocks and a deep seat. Sure, some people love them, but if they're in remotely the wrong place they will cause you way more jip than a saddle that allows you to find your space (within reason, I see plenty of riders in too big a seat size). For this reason I much prefer a shallower seat and medium blocks for most riders, but bear in mind I only fit wide, tricky horses, and then big blocks and deep seats on those work doubly against you in many cases.