Saddles: Foam or Flock panels? HELP!

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Hello
I am buying a new saddle (this has proved a complete nightmare).
I did have a Barnsby Shockemohle on order but it has gone back. I am now looking at the Jaguar XJS in calfskin - rode very well, horse was happy, but i'm struggling to get one - unless i put another few hundred to my funds!
I tried another saddle last night - one i hadn't considered - it was the Equipe expression with foam panels. It rode well but i think it lifted at the back, saddle fitter assured me that this was the give/flexibility in the foam panels. However with a numnah & half pad it fitted great! (But in my opinion this should not be the case, the saddle should fit without anything underneath it)!

Everyone has an opinion on how saddles should fit and which panels they prefer etc. But i am just after some advice on foam panel saddles as i have no experience of them. I know that they cannot be altered, so they must fit bang on in the first place, apparently the tree can be altered though, but they must be sent back to the depo in Italy.

any experience / advice appreciated as I have to make a decision this week!

Thank you :O)
 
I would go for flock every time your post says it all The need to put stuff under to make it fit even at purchase no ability to make small adjustments having to send it abroad for a tree adjustment. My jumping saddles are all flocked ( I have some dressage saddles with the flair air bag system) all fit with only a thin saddle cloth under to cut down on the cleaning time several have belonged to several horses over there lives and have been striped down and re flocked more than once one has had a wider tree fitted when a young horse bulked up a lot as it came into full work . They are all mono block saddles a type that suits me I have 5 all the same they are flexible and as I never have more than 5 horses I don't expect to buy any more.
 
Goldenstar said:
I would go for flock every time your post says it all The need to put stuff under to make it fit even at purchase no ability to make small adjustments having to send it abroad for a tree adjustmentQUOTE]

Ha i did think this when i read my post back! Its hard to not listen to the sales pitch of the saddler when they are portrayed as experts in their field. But when spending £1600 plus, i don't want to have any doubts!
Thank you
Click to expand...
 
The only reason for buying a foam saddle is if it fits significantly better than anything else, or if you run a large yard and have to swap saddles - flock beds down to suit the individual horse whereas foam bounces back after each ride. A saddle lifting at the back is either too wide or too curvy period. A corrective pad should only be needed with a new saddle if the horse has muscle damage.
 
I have an Exselle Integra with foam panels and it fits my mare beautifully. The saddler did say that should she change shape the only way to alter the fit would be pads.
I wouldn't have bought it if it had needed padding straight away.
 
I have an Exselle Debut Close Contact jumping saddle with foam panels. Mine is fitted with a half pad though as it was the only saddle we could find which she liked and suited her shoulder confo. Shes only 4 so has to muscle up and fill out, but atm thats what is working for her and she goes super in it :)
 
Speaking to a saddler at the weekend, she told me that foam tends to compress down over time, but prestige saddles use a latex foam which holds it's softness very well and doesn't compact down over time. They are also very light.
 
Equipe saddles are latex foam, and actually mould very well to the horses shape. They suit my mare very well, as she is very round backed, and they seem to wrap around her a lot better. I think your horse is the best judge in all honesty, I wasn't convinced by the fit of my equipe when I got it, but it was the only saddle out of about 12 tried that she accepted, and the fit is fantastic now.
 
Can you try the foam panels and see how your horse goes in the saddle?

I've found mine currently go better in their foam panelled saddles than they did in flock, especially my big lad who is a little cold backed. I also love the close contact feel, but I've never ridden in a flock cc saddle so it could feel completely the same.

I've got the Equipe Synergie Special on one and its lovely to ride in, my only issue is my mare has been going so well in it that she has muscled up to the size of a tank and it now might be a little narrow, I'm having to look into getting a wider one or having the tree altered to fit.

My other foam panelled saddle is a Barnsby Whittaker, its old and battered but utterly glorious to ride in.

If you can try both options and see which your horse prefers.
 
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