Saddles - Top 5

[CSP]

Just wondering what are the top 5 things you look for in a saddle?

Here's mine:

Type of saddle - GP

1. Fairly straight cut to allow for shoulder movement
2. Help with leg position
3. Removable knee blocks
4. Panelling - I like serge outer and wool inside
5. Colour - needs to be black!

How about yours?

 

[FairyLights]

1. fits the horse
2. fits me
3. price
4. local to me so dont have to travel far
5. colour

 

[catkin]

1 fits the horse
2 fits me
3 fits us both as a combination whatever we want to do

everything else is 'icing on the cake' so to speak

 

[Tern]

1. Fits horse - dont worry so much about me as i fit in most things.
2. got to be very comfy
3. last more than 8 years in normal use (ie, not like fallen on when reared back etc)
4. brown has got to be true brown and match my bridle
5. Leather has got to be supple on arrival - will not sit on cardboard leather.

 

[khalswitz]

Aside from the obvious 'fit me, fit the horse', I look for a very forward cut jump saddle with a decent knee roll and slightly deeper seat than is usually popular. My horse likes jumps saddles that curve off the back at The rear as he jumps too, and something that curves out at the shoulder to let him move freely. Dressage saddle, I like a deep seat but not too much knee roll, as I hate feeling like my leg is held in position when doing dressage, and horse likes again plenty of shoulder room.

In both my horse likes a saddle a size too wide and padded up - he's funny and tense in a 'correctly' width fitting saddle.

I will never buy a GP again as I find them so unstable and no use for either flatwork or jumping...

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

1. Fits the horse - TOTAL priority. Listening to the horse here & gauging reactions when saddle put on his back first time
2. Fits me the rider: on parity with (1) really TBH as if I'm not comfy horse won't be either
3. Is it adjustable? Or will it cost an arm and a leg for a saddle fitter every time the horse f@rts?
4. Price (mmm, should be higher up really? As I like a lot of saddle's I can't afford!)
5. Customer service & aftercare. Have bought two saddles from the same set-up where the aftercare was cr@p!

Oh, can I have a sixth?? Forgot to say: Who is actually FITTING the saddle? Do they know their stuff? Do they know their product range? Or are they just trying to flog you something which you know patently doesn't fit??? Would probably place this priority between (1) and (2) TBH.

 

[FreshandMinty]

Aside from the obvious 'fit me, fit the horse', I look for a very forward cut jump saddle with a decent knee roll and slightly deeper seat than is usually popular. My horse likes jumps saddles that curve off the back at The rear as he jumps too, and something that curves out at the shoulder to let him move freely. Dressage saddle, I like a deep seat but not too much knee roll, as I hate feeling like my leg is held in position when doing dressage, and horse likes again plenty of shoulder room.

In both my horse likes a saddle a size too wide and padded up - he's funny and tense in a 'correctly' width fitting saddle.

I will never buy a GP again as I find them so unstable and no use for either flatwork or jumping...

which saddle do you have? Ive found the BC Wexford very like you describe.

Would have thought the ‘fit the horse/fit me’ was a given tbh...

My top 5 would be (not necessarily in any order)

1:Top quality leather that lasts and looks beautiful
2:A nice rich, dark havana colour
3:A comfortable, deep-ish (round cantle) with a narrower twist
4:Nice supportive thigh blocks
5: Decent knee blocks

 

[khalswitz]

which saddle do you have? Ive found the BC Wexford very like you describe.

Would have thought the ‘fit the horse/fit me’ was a given tbh...

My top 5 would be (not necessarily in any order)

1:Top quality leather that lasts and looks beautiful
2:A nice rich, dark havana colour
3:A comfortable, deep-ish (round cantle) with a narrower twist
4:Nice supportive thigh blocks
5: Decent knee blocks

For dressage I have an ancient Zaldi, with only the slightest of knee blocks but a decent deep seat and a wide twist (which my sore hip likes).

For jumping I've just acquired an old (but not so old as the Zaldi) secondhand saddle. It's marked as Kent Leather, Maidstone, with a badge that says 'Olympic'. Never heard of the make or model, but it's EXACTLY what I've been hunting for, if a slightly narrower twist than I'd prefer. Horse loves it, has a proper bascule in it, and has actually stopped refusing, even angled fences/bad strides.