mustardsmum
Well-Known Member
That picture could be me when I had a K&M saddle. It was awful so I totally get your problem. I know I always post when I see a K&M saddle thread, but it caused so many problems for me. My little horse became incredibly nappy and sore because of my forward position. I was constantly shifting around trying to find the most comfortable place to sit which didn't help. I was unbalanced and felt insecure and nearly ruined our lovely new horse, who had no issues at all before. I dread to think what would have happened had I not known his entire history, and knew he was a really good chap so knew the nappiness was genuine pain/discomfort so at one point I had the saddler one week then took horse back to the saddler about two weeks later because he was so uncomfortable. I tried seat savers, but its very difficult to change the saddle shape underneath you without changing the saddle. I also felt that the stirrup bars were in a really odd position which tipped me even more. My daughter refused to jump in it because she felt so unbalanced and the pony kept stopping. It probably cost me about £400 in fittings, physio getting my pony back right. I had a saddler who firstly made the saddle wider and wider, then tried to insist my horse was being naughty and I should just "get after him". In the end I lost faith in saddle and saddler, and contacted a different saddler who thankfully knew her stuff. Sitting back on my newly flocked, 20 year old Ideal saddle was amazing. I went from an x-wide K&M, back to a medium width saddle which worked perfectly for us both, and he has not stopped since. If your saddler can't see you are sat so tipped forward, I would get a new saddler. However, I get the position you are in as you share and it may not be an option. But riding in that position will kill your hips/pelvis because you are not sat, you are perched on all the wrong bits! (I did try taking the knee rolls off but it just made it more insecure, even though my ideal barely has knee rolls compared to most modern saddles). I agree with other comments re seat size and wonder if the reason there are so many secondhand saddles for sale in good condition is because a lot of people seem to have the same issue? I was very surprised to find a second hand saddle that had barely been sat on, not even any marks on the girth straps. And I sold it on pretty much in the same condition!
