Sorry - slightly different approach - saddle ideas please?

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Many apologies, but after posting about the Kent and Masters/Thorowgood saddles I've realised that I really want to explore other options; it is illogical and stupid, but I really don't feel entirely comfortable with those choices so I would like to see what else is out there. Sadly I know absolutely zilch about saddles.....

I have a 15.3hh 8YO 'sports cob' - he has changed shape massively in the 2 years I've had him, but ideally I'd still like more topline and muscle generally. Milliepops can probably describe him better than me! He is quite well muscled now, and has big powerful shoulders.

I am currently riding in a Harry Dabbs Classic GP - I like the saddle a LOT but it is quite straight cut, and my trainer has said I need a more forward cut saddle for jumping. At the moment my knees come forward over the saddle flaps when I jump!

I have borrowed an Ideal event saddle at the moment, and having been initially dubious I have realised that I have jumped higher than ever before in it, have never felt unsafe or wobbly in it, so surely it is a good option for me?

Are there any other saddles of this sort of stamp I could look at? I am definitely in the second hand market so I am hoping to find something then get a saddler to adjust/reflock it for me

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He looks a fairly normal shape, not that big in the shoulder that fitting should be a major issue but we do know how fitters like to complicate matters if what they prefer does not suit it becomes a problem with the horse rarely the saddle.
I would say an Ideal could be ideal, I have used them on many horses of different shapes and sizes and find them suited to most as they are fairly flat in the tree, I had one mare here come with an Albion that had been fitted but she disagreed, she was a different horse in an Ideal, the Ideal event would probably suit you well as you are not long in the leg, they are fairly easy to find second hand, they may not have an adjustable gullet but he shouldn't change that much now that a bit of flocking cannot cope with.
 
Sorry forgot to add that bit - I rode him in the Albion yesterday and although I don't like to be anthropomorphic he really did seem to be uncomfortable in it? Lots of tail swishing and sheath tension noises which were not apparent in the Harry Dabbs or the Ideal on the same evening

I TOTALLY agree with your opening sentence BePositive, and that is what drives me insane about saddlers - of course it is natural, but they want to sell you what they have? I am a bog standard plebby leisure rider (with absolutely no offence to anyone else, that is a description of ME) and since I don't have a lot of knowledge I am reliant on their 'expertise' which appears always to be biased

I'll have a look at Ideals :)
 
I'd agree with BP, I don't think he is a difficult kind of shape and I'm a fan of fitting a touch wide and shimming with a non adjustable saddle... I'm only mentioning this because I think he will fill out more now you're working him in a productive way. I know some people think it's not the way things should be done but but I would expect his topline to develop more if you can keep him going like this

ETA the horse is your best indicator of whether it fits or not, I've given up with trying to get a fitter I trust here and now I do my own. If the physio is happy and the horse is happy, and I am comfortable... that's good enough for me. Trust your judgement a little :wink3:

*ducks*
 
Lévrier;13763532 said:
Sorry forgot to add that bit - I rode him in the Albion yesterday and although I don't like to be anthropomorphic he really did seem to be uncomfortable in it? Lots of tail swishing and sheath tension noises which were not apparent in the Harry Dabbs or the Ideal on the same evening


I'll have a look at Ideals :)
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I know nothing about Ideals but I DO know that you should always listen to the horse, which will tell you if he is comfortable in the saddle or not. Yours was clearly saying NOT.
 
The mare that came here was on her last chance having been in various yards, had various vets, the saddle had been checked numerous times, yet after one ride in it I knew the saddle was probably the cause of most of her many issues, luckily I had an Ideal on one of mine and popped it on her and had a different horse, she was not the first to like it and I found an identical saddle locally which fitted her to stay with her.
I have seen far too many badly fitted saddles and the resultant behavioural issues to have much confidence in fitters and do most of my own using a local master saddler to tweak as required, he is brilliant as he does not stock a brand and mainly deals in second hand so will leave you with one or two for a trial period which can run into weeks when he is very busy!! sadly he is not near enough to you.
 
Lovely horse, Lev, especially for a permanent loan, (you lucky girl!) but he looks ISH, to me, not cob. I used to really love my Jeffries Event to jump in , but whatever he and you both like is the right saddle.


Like MP, I would always fit wide and pad up in a fixed tree saddle.
 
Congratulations: a fit looking cob! He has a wither and isn't rolling in fat over his shoulders, which means a "normal" saddle should fit him, and as others have said, go wide and shim to fit. The horse will tell you what is right for him and you sound sensible enough to listen to him (unlike many of the so-called "fitters" I have come across).
 
Just to add I think if you are comfy in the saddle as you say that’s also really important. Mine is in a GFS monarch which I also rode my last horse in. It’s been reflocked and fits him fine but I was hankering after an equipe expression (which also fit him). Well thank god I tried it as I absolutely hated it to ride in!!! So stuck with my monarch. And saved myself 2k!
 
Michen said:
Just to add I think if you are comfy in the saddle as you say that’s also really important. Mine is in a GFS monarch which I also rode my last horse in. It’s been reflocked and fits him fine but I was hankering after an equipe expression (which also fit him). Well thank god I tried it as I absolutely hated it to ride in!!! So stuck with my monarch. And saved myself 2k!
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Now that is definitely a plus :D :D I am too old school :(, I see modern saddles and think that I refuse to pay for more than £2k for a saddle! Maybe that is limiting my options....
 
Lévrier;13763578 said:
Now that is definitely a plus :D :D I am too old school :(, I see modern saddles and think that I refuse to pay for more than £2k for a saddle! Maybe that is limiting my options....
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I know!! The Horse went exactly the same in it as well. I was secretly disappointed not to have a reason to buy one but hey ho ;)
 
Cortez said:
Congratulations: a fit looking cob! He has a wither and isn't rolling in fat over his shoulders, which means a "normal" saddle should fit him, and as others have said, go wide and shim to fit. The horse will tell you what is right for him and you sound sensible enough to listen to him (unlike many of the so-called "fitters" I have come across).
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Thank you Cortez, that makes me very happy :)
 
ycbm said:
Lovely horse, Lev, especially for a permanent loan, (you lucky girl!) but he looks ISH, to me, not cob. I used to really love my Jeffries Event to jump in , but whatever he and you both like is the right saddle.


Like MP, I would always fit wide and pad up in a fixed tree saddle.
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Thank you YCBM :) I will look at the Jefferies too - eBay is my friend :p
 
Michen said:
Just to add I think if you are comfy in the saddle as you say that’s also really important. Mine is in a GFS monarch which I also rode my last horse in. It’s been reflocked and fits him fine but I was hankering after an equipe expression (which also fit him). Well thank god I tried it as I absolutely hated it to ride in!!! So stuck with my monarch. And saved myself 2k!
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Haha, I did a similar when my horse's ideal was no longer wide enough for him. I had got together a good budget so that (the stupid expensive aside), I wouldn't be restricted by budget at all. Got saddle fitter out and tried all manner of expensive saddles, Albions, Fairfax, Equipe, Amerigo, WOW (which is the one I loved and really wanted).... And my horse turned his nose up at every.single.one.

So I went full circle and ended up in another Ideal, just a different model and a size wider. Blummin horse - I felt like he was mocking me for having ideas above my station :D
 
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DabDab said:
Haha, I did a similar when my horse's ideal was no longer wide enough for him. I had got together a good budget so that (the stupid expensive aside), I wouldn't be restricted by budget at all. Got saddle fitter out and tried all manner of expensive saddles, Albions, Fairfax, Equipe, Amerigo, WOW (which is the one I loved and really wanted).... And my horse turned his nose up at every.single.one.

So I went full circle and ended up in another Ideal, just a different model and a size wider. Blummin horse - I felt like he was mocking me for having ideas above my station :D
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Well yes, we know what my horse thinks of YOUR Ideal :D :D :D

I am so changeable - having ridden in the Ideal for a few weeks, I got back onto my (supposedly much loved) Harry Dabbs reflocked GP last night and thought 'oooh I prefer the other one!' The HD saddle was much more pronounced around the saddle bars?

**sigh** I dunno..... :D
 
Your horse looks a very similar shape to mine (16.1hh ISH, 8 yr old). I have her in a Wintec adjustable at the moment, and she seems very happy in it. Our previous saddle was an Ideal GP and it appears to have given her a sore back over time. Not good! Good luck and let us know what you decide to buy xx
 
Harry Dabbs do some nice flocked CC jump saddles.

Or maybe look at the GFS Monarch or Pessoas with the changeable gullet. They look very traditional abut with the bonus of a bit of adjustment.

Ideal Impala?

I'm the opposite - I left the more traditional, English brands behind a few years ago after sitting in an Equipe Synergy. Yes it felt odd to start with, then I found my balance and now I rarely sit in anything else. My jumping position improved ten fold after a couple of frustrating years just thinking I was useless. It's just as important the saddle fit you as it does the horse.

Good luck! :)
 
I love my Ideal Impala more than anything in the world (possibly more than the horse himself ;))

Both horse and I hated Albions, K&M and Thorowgoods.

It's SO secure and is a perfect fit for my otherwise hard-to-fit gelding. However it's more forward cut than the Event, so there's that to consider if you do loads of flatwork (though I BD in it and don't have any issues at Prelim).

I got mine for 800 second hand on ebay, there always seems to be loads floating around second hand. Can also be adjusted within reason (I think one width up/down).
 
Look at the Ideal Impala Pro, it is a really lovely saddle. I just got one second hand as that was the only jumping saddle that fits my Connemara. I had three saddle fitters out by that point.
 
Look at the Balance system - it is designed specifically to be fitted wide and then padded so the horse always has a deformable material next to the big working muscles. Lavinia Mitchell does the same thing (she trained with Balance). There are quite a few Balance saddles on eBay at the moment, so you could have a session with a Balance rep to find out which type of saddle your horse likes best and then look for a second hand one. I've used these saddles for the last 20 years or so.
 
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