saddle fitting the rider

[spookypony]

I have the saddle fitter coming out next week to adjust both saddles. They came with the pony, and are both elderly 17" Thorowgoods (one GP, one dressage). Now, I measured my upper leg the way the Thorowgood site suggests for the rider, and it appears that I ought really to be riding in an 18" saddle, "depending on build"

!

I have ridiculously long legs, and a very short upper body (yes I'm strange-looking

), and am of fairly normal fat-ness (size 8 or 10 on top, size 12 on bottom; 28 in jodhs). Is the length of the saddle more connected with the leg length, or the bum size? I think 18" would be too long for the pony, tbh...ack! Best thing is probably just to ask the saddle fitter, but what are your experiences? What does "depending on build" mean??

 

[connie1288]

I am not tall, but I have quiet a long thigh, and so I dont fit into some saddles, either knee over knee roll or bum on cantle. I usually find a saddle with smaller higher knee rolls and more forward cut suits me better, for my life I have never been able to ride in a GP saddle.

 

[Ginn]

You sound about similar size to me and I find anything bigger than a 17.5" too big in the seat - i feel lost in it! I am however fairly long from hip to knee and find a standard GP is no good for when I whack my stirrups up. Now have a jump saddle which is hugely better though I'm looking to get some XC flaps as find the current ones just don't quite let me go short enough now jumps are getting bigger), just the right seat size for me and horse (she won't take longer than a 17.5" either) but ample room for my legs. I also have a dr saddle (well same saddle, dr flaps) with slightly angled forward flaps which fits my legs and bum perfectly.

So, don't think it is so much seat size (though this will help) but more type, cut and position of the flaps...

This was my old gp with my stirrups at a standard hacking length (would have gone up a 3-4 holes for jumping):

This is in current jump saddle:

And dressage (stirrups will ultimately go down a hole or two but like having a bit more knee flexion for some of her more gymnastic moments!):

 

[Kentisheventer]

I think its best to try them- they're all different cuts/fits etc and they all do different things. I do not think going for a longer saddle is ideal, perhaps a more forward cut saddle with bigger knee rolls would do the trick?

 

[spookypony]

Hmm, thanks for the input, everyone! Since the dressage saddle is actually ok, I think, perhaps it would be good to go for something more forward-cut anyway, for the other saddle! I think the current GP saddle does tend to push me a bit onto the cantle, unless I ride with rather long stirrups.

 

[millitiger]

my dressage saddle is an 18" and i am a size 10-12 so not huge ar$e but i am extremely long from hip to knee.

 

[oingyboingy]

I've always found fitting leg-length is more to do with the positioning of the knee block/roll than the length of the seat itself - I'm rather ridiculously lanky but ride mostly smaller horses and ponies, so generally sit in a 15-16.5" seat cos the saddle's been chosen for the horse not me. And I find them a nice fit for my bum, but my knee can sometimes be right over the front of the panel if it's a saddle designed for ponies, but a much better fit if it's a hunting/jumping-emphasis-GP saddle in a smaller size (my own saddle is a berney bros hunting saddle in 15" and it fits both of us like a glove!). If I ride a larger horse with a 17" or 18" seated saddle, I do feel loose and kind of dwarfed by it, like I'm a skinny kid riding in dad's saddle and rattling about all over the place, heh.
I reckon 'depending on build' is a discreet way of saying 'if you're much fatter than average the chart doesn't apply', cos obviously bigger people need more room in the seat