Second hand dressage saddle recommendations?

[LauraBR]

Santa kindly gave me some money to get a Dressage saddle

I'm not looking for anything flash as I'm not a big dressage rider, only getting one as my day to day saddle is a jumping one which I find hard to ride long in properly. Only looking to spend around the £300 mark although would stretch to £500 absolute max if I found the perfect one for both of us.

Just a simple saddle that will be comfy for ned and comfy for me too.

Never had a dressage saddle before so don't really know what I'm looking for!

Any advice/recommendations/steer clear warnings?

 

[CrazyMare]

Ideal Jessica's are very comfy but I've never had one jsut ridden in friends.

I'm a big fan of Ideal saddles, theres the Ideal VSD with is a more straight cut GP, or I have the Ideal working hunter, which I do EVERYTHING in, a very comfortable saddle that I've seen second hand for around £350

 

[icestationzebra]

How about a synthetic one? Richard Davison has designed ones for Thorowgood which are supposed to be very very good. I want to look at one of these next year for myself.....

 

[Iestyn]

Hello you!!! Hope you had a merry Christmas? I took my boy to Derby House for a dressage saddle - I had a budget of about £600 at the time. They were really helpful and I ended up buying a Derby House Kentuky dressage saddle for £475. It was used but in good condition - I was told it used to be Ian Woodhead's saddle - a pro dressage rider. If it was good enough for him, then...

It's a nice saddle, comfy seat and puts me in a much better position than my Event saddle did. I'm saving up for a better dressage saddle but this one does the job just right for now! I know Derby House is far, but maybe you could keep an eye out for this saddle - or give them a ring, pop over to collect what they may have and then get a local saddler to check them. You'd probably have to pay for them to take them away - but put them on a credit card as you will get the money back when you take them back anyways. Not sure if Derby House does this but a saddler local to us does.

 

[nomini]

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Ideal Jessica's are very comfy but I've never had one jsut ridden in friends.


[/ QUOTE ]
I have an ideal jessica - is very comfy and I love it

 

[charlie76]

I have an Albion Lux that is for sale. Its very nice to ride in but the daft horse has injured himself and won't be doing dressage for a good while yet!

 

[mat]

Wintec saddles are good as they can be changed easily for every horses shape and as they have cair panels the horse finds it comfy, they are also easy to clean, have adgustable knee blocks and are very cheap. They also comer in leather- I couldnt do without mine when I ride my two/three yr olds (as í would never risk my keiffer on a young horse). <font color="blue"> </font>

 

[KatB]

I thought the same of the Wintec, until I tried one and found it FAAARRRR too bulky! Felt like I was riding the saddle and not the horse!! Quite liked the Ideal Jessica, although it was a tad bulky for my liking...... I like narrower saddles though, so really depends on what you personally find most comfortable!

 

[eventingdiva]

I have an ideal jessica which is lovely!
Also have an albion lux which i love and looks better on my little TB than the ideal.
The dressage yard i work at have prestige saddles, they're gorgeous but i think they may be a little expensive!! x

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I bought a Bates Dressage saddle 2nd hand, only about 4 months old, with leathers at a price towards the upper limit of your range so they are out there. You could get a perfectly serviceable used synthetic for considerably less though

 

[Hattikins]

Big thumbs up for the Ideal Jessica - fantastic saddle and you can pick them up 2nd hand for around £500 i think, so a little on the expensive side but well worth it

Also the Isabel Werth synthetic saddle is amazing too and you can pick that up for between £250 and £350 2nd hand i would think

Happy Saddle Hunting

 

[jnb]

I have an EBay bargain - Frank Baines Eclipse dressage saddle which is amazing -£375.
My YO prefers it to her brand new mono flap Harry Dabbs!

 

[Governor]

Albion K2 Legend gets my vote.

Not sure if you'd find one for £300-£500 but its worth a try!

 

[teapot]

Ideal jessicas are really nice, dont complain when I get to do flat work in it thats for sure

 

[LEC]

My recomnmendation is not to go on recommendation but to try them out. Each rider is different and likes different things and the only way you can tell what suits you and horse is to sit in them.
Also make a decision on whether you want leather or synthetic.
I had 6 on trial and out of them only 1 I loved and felt improved both horse and me. When it fits and works its like a revelation everything becomes easy on the flat!
Go to your local saddler say you definately want one but you need to try them out as unsure what you are after. They are usualy very acommodating.

 

[cariadssogreat]

Go for an Ideal Jessica. I was devastated when I had to sell mine. I had one with a suede seat, it looked beautiful and was beautiful to ride in - one day I will get another!

 

[Gingernags]

Greetings!!!!!

As an official santa's little helper, he suggested I tell you the following... give Rideaway a ring, arrange to take ned over there - they have loads of second hand dressage saddles as well as new synthetics etc. - you can try them all on!

They have a school opposite now I think, so you'd be able to have them fitted and see how you feel on them?

I'm going to go for a nosey at some point and hope I can swap/downgrade my WHP saddle to a second hand dressage or synthetic as I have no use for the show saddle any more but would like a dressage one...

Sale starts in Feb!!!

J x

 

[0]

I had a wintec Isabel for a while and HATED it - it got swaped pretty quick for an Amerigo which I liked but didn't love so I swapped that and got an Albion SLK Ultima which I do love.
Saddle companies love me - I buy new saddles, lose loads selling them second hand and am back at the saddlers for another new one!!!The above three were in well under a year!
Luckily I'll be sticking with the SLK for a while!
Have also tried the Jaguar, Keiffer and Sue Carson dressage saddles and disliked all three although the SC was the best of them, i really didn't like the other two.
Don't like the Ideal Jessica either but I know a lot of people do. I'm just very fussy about saddle's for both myself and my horse.
The cheaper Albions (K2/SL) would be my choice on a smaller budget. I'm sure you could get a second hand good condition K2 for £400ish.

 

[mrdarcy]

I might have an Albion K2 for sale at the end of next week

for around that price. 17.5", MW fitting, excellent condition. It's a very comfy saddle but now I've got my Fhoenix saddle I don't need it.

Of all the treed dressage saddles I do prefer the Albions. My friend has an Ideal Jessica which is a nice saddle but doesn't put you in as nice a postion as the Albion. I also like KNs for the riding position but they are a heavier saddle than the Albion so more suited to warmblood or stocky types I think.

 

[igglepiggle]

lec is right, try as many as you can, although annoyingly this is hard as most saddlers stock certain makes. i did have an ideal jessica which was very comfortable but didnt ever fit my horse well enough and i binned the saddler because of it. then i had a made to measure black country eden which fits horsey great but i dont feel as comfy in it as i did before. wish i had held out and tried more but it always seems such a rush at the time! on the other hand the jumping saddle i have at the moment is a second hand keith baines and has been the most successful of all, far better than the fieldhouse, albion k2 and prestige eventing i had before. good luck.

 

[LauraBR]

Wow, thanks for all the replies!!! Posted this and then got roped into helping hubbie with something, forgot clean about it! Been away for New Year and been thinking about where to best find new saddle all the way home, great to come back to all this hehe!

Really useful, a few to go looking for

Been thinking about taking the neds to Rideaway as his travel buddy needs a jumping saddle...

My eyes are now peeled, if anyone spots and bargains anywhere 17.5 MW let me know