Stubben jump saddle, opinions please?

Pidge

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Ok so have tried a few on Pidge this morning and have got a Stubben one on trial for a few days what are people's opinions of these?
Did try the Amerigo one which was very nice indeed
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but I have to admit to feeling way more secure in the Stubben one.
 
I love my Stubben. I'm on my second as he grew out of the first. Have had 2 different models and felt very secure in both....
 
In my opinion the Stubben CS is the best jumping saddle for security. But I do know some people feel too "locked" into position in Stubbens. I guess you need to try a few different makes & styles to see what suits you and your horse best.
 
excellent
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thanks for that. Did try several out but after the problems I've had with current saddle my first priority was that it fits Pidge - that narrowed it down to the Amerigo and Stubben. Rode in both and popped a couple of fences too.
Ooh I really can't wait to get back out jumping again, it's been so long now since I've jumped properly, well barring the odd session jumping in my dressage saddle
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Just check the panels are okay, stubbens are renowned for having rolling pin type panels, which are seriously bad for a horses back, i much prefer the modern flat panels for a greater weight distribution.
 
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I love Stubbens!
I've just bought a brand new Presteige and it isn't a patch on my Stubben! (which doesn't fit Olympic anymore
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Oh i love my prestige its the best saddle i have ever owned - ive got 2 pessoa and a stubben and the prestige wins everytime xx
 
already have done as remembered a thread on here about their panels being like rolling pins and these ones are fine. Friend who was with me this morning said it looks like a Stubben but not like they used to be and far more comfortable than she remembers
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Dont like them. The fit isnt great for horses backs, and they are hard. they are notorious for having long tree points which means they can restrict shoulder movement if not 100% perfect on the horse and fit very few of the "modern" types with big shoulders (quoted from my saddler!). Also very small weight bearing area. Sorry!
 
can't possibly be harder than my current jump saddle!
have a few days to play with it so will have a good look at it. Pidge does have big shoulders though
 
would be very low down my list of saddles i'd put on my horses' backs, tbh.
designed for rider's bums not horses' backs, stubbens. or at least the old ones were, maybe the new ones are better.
is this in exchange for the one that bounced off his back?
 
What about the Amerigo then Kerilli?
No this is a totally different saddler who understands a tad more about saddle fitting than the last one!
Going to pursue the other ill fitting one seperatley, just kind of got fed up of not being able to jump
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and this has been going on for nearlly 4 months now
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I agree - I used to have a Stubben Seigfried and it was one of the most comfy saddles to ride in and very secure to jump in but not very comfortable for horses' backs. They tend to have very narrow gullets, round and hard banana shaped panels.
 
Amerigo's are nicer. They have larger panels a more flexible tree and are designed for more "modern" horse shape. They also have a wider gullet for the horses spinal column, and sit with more area on the horses backs. The "budget" version is the Equipe which is also a lovely saddle.
 
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they are notorious for having long tree points which means they can restrict shoulder movement if not 100% perfect on the horse and fit very few of the "modern" types with big shoulders

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This was my problem with Olympic.
 
Pidge, pls pm me which saddler you are using now, would be really useful to know!
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I schooled a friends horse in a stubben and tbh I wasn't that mad on it, it was quite hard and slipped a bit, she loved it though but hadn't ridden in anything else...
 
I have a stubben Seigfried and its the best saddle I have ever ridden if, makes you feel really secure and my horses both jump fab in them!!!!!

Obviously get it fitted correctly by a master saddler .. they can pump it up or make it more narrow what ever is required!!
 
i don't know anything about the Amerigos, sorry Pidge.
as a general rule, flip the saddle upside down and have a look at the panels, see if they're narrow and hard, as opposed to wide, flat, and soft-ish if you poke them (bearing in mind that the rider's weight will squash them down and harden them a bit anyway). fwiw, my saddler likes flattish trees, the same shape as the horse's back, not banana-shaped trees, which many saddles are built around, and which concentrate the rider's weight on a smaller area.
best of luck, hope you find a really nice one.
 
Something worth remembering is that horses, like people are VERY individually shaped, and what is a good saddle might not be the right style for your horses physique. For example my big Irish mare has a very old Falcon Osprey (jumping saddle), this saddle is wide fitting, with plenty of freedom for her huge shoulder, I have tried various dressage saddles on her but nothing was remotely close to the fit of the Osprey, I have done dressage to Elementary in the Osprey. Sovereign has a Prestige, which again fits him very well, but took a lot of getting used to on my part, now I love it. I ride Em in a Stubben, it is a very comfy saddle but I agree with he others about the hard panels.
 
I really dislike them and certainly my last chiro and osteo in the uk used to curse them for the damage they caused to horses backs.

As kerelli and katb said... they have long points which can cause horrendous problems down the shoulder and cause shuffly gaits because the horses feel restricted. Even when the fits are initially perfect, the fluctuations in muscle build can usually cause problems here. The panels tend to be hard, and curved as they follow the tree. That certainly makes for a seat that feels secure but not a tree or panel system that is healthy for the back as it concentrates all the rider weight to a very small area resulting in nasty pressure points.

Theyre also a small nightmare for the riders position, particularly if you want to ride on the flat in it too. The stirrup bars are very very far forwards (possibly why they were always popular with the hunting peeps), but it knocks the alignement of riders leg completly out and encourages a poor position.

Amerigos... I rode in one when i first got jack and generally liked it. However, for some bizarre reason (and i still dont know why), it rubbed the top of my thighs. Id not had a break from riding or anything like that so its not that i was suddenly unused to being in the saddle. The only thing i could think of was that my old horse had a wow (which i couldnt use on jack due to the length) and that the difference in shape on the seat and where the seat joins the flaps is quite a lot.

Aside from that, i think the amerigos have a much nicer design - much more modern imo and horse friendly. Stubbens are very traditional and dont generally seem to have ignored advancements in saddle making that everyone else has followed :P
 
I always used to have Stubbens, partly because "in the old days" when you had to carry 11st 11lbs they were damn heavy so I wouldn't have to carry much lead.

The last Stubben I had was a Stubben Edelweiss which was much lighter, with a half deep seat. I really liked that until I tried a Butet, in a very similar style, and I was smitten!
 
lots to think on so thanks ever so much everyone
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going to see if I can borrow the Amerigo as well to have a play with and then decide
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Handy that my back lady is coming out on Monday so she can have a look too
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The newer Stubbens are very different to look at and sit in from the older models but it would be interesting to know if they've changed their trees, not just the outward appearance.

Amerigos are VERY popular in North America. Many people love them and they seem quality saddles. I like them fine but I think they are very expensive, relatively speaking, although maybe that's not the case so much here if they're not as fashionable. They do seem to offer a large number of options, though, which is good. Devonceaux and Childric are other, similar French options. I personally love Passiers but again, very dear! I quite like the Bates, not so much for the tree business, but just because they suit me. How about Albions?

But that's the trick - saddles suit individuals so someone else's experience can't really inform your own. I've sat in expensive/well loved saddles which made me want to get off the horse immediately (Keiffers all KILL me) and quite crappy ones that seemed to suit me and the horse just fine. That's what makes it all such a fiddle!

I also found as I improved in my riding I got A LOT pickier. Even a little "wrong" is a problem now, although I might not even have noticed ten years ago. I think a lot of people get into trouble with their initial jumping training by having saddles that get in their way - it makes such a difference when you find the right one!
 
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Theyre also a small nightmare for the riders position, particularly if you want to ride on the flat in it too. The stirrup bars are very very far forwards (possibly why they were always popular with the hunting peeps), but it knocks the alignement of riders leg completly out and encourages a poor position.



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Couldnt agree more with this, they are fine for jumping in, but terrible to school in.

I have just bought the jeffries elite close contact, its very soft and comfortable for horse and rider, and doesnt squash you up like the albion k2 type. would highly recommend.
 
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