Tell me about jumping saddles

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Micropony

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So in my lesson this weekend my trainer said he thinks it's time for me to start jumping my horse. I am very excited about this, as the horse is a super-talented jumper and I love jumping, but my dressage saddle isn't going to cut the mustard, so it's shopping time!

I haven't jumped regularly for over ten years - my last horse wasn't into it, so we concentrated on flatwork and just had the occasional pop over a small single fence for fun. This horse is 6, and I paid for him to be taught to jump when he was 4 by someone who knew what they were doing, but he hasn't jumped since. So my plan is to call in my trusted saddler, get him to bring a bunch of new and second hand saddles he thinks will suit (he knows both me and the horse well). My trainer has kindly said he'll ride for the saddle fitting to identify which saddles the horse likes best, and then assuming there's more than one, I will choose from those. Saddler is very good, so I trust him to suggest saddles that are going to be suitable for both me and the horse. But here's the thing. When it comes to choosing a dressage saddle I know what I want it to feel like, I know what the main variables are, and I'm a reasonably confident shopper. But it's so long since I've regularly ridden in anything other than a dressage saddle I know it's going to feel really weird, and choosing is going to be difficult.

I know pretty much nothing about jumping saddles at all. I know these things called "close contact" saddles are a thing, but I don't really understand the pros and cons, and I know you often see people using dead sheep and gel pads, sometimes with what look like close contact saddles. I am guessing that's about cushioning the forces when the rider lands after a jump? Are you still supposed to have an ear/shoulder/hip/heel line in a jumping saddle, with the stirrup leather hanging straight down? I don't even know whether they generally have long or short girths. In a dressage saddle I like something that feels supportive, I'm not bothered about being able to move around a lot in the saddle, so I like a deep seat and biggish knee rolls. I know jumping saddles need to have much flatter seats, but do they generally give a lot of support to your leg position, and is that a good thing or not? I can't imagine we're going to be jumping really huge tracks, if that makes any difference - the horse is certainly capable of it, but I suspect my riding will limit us somewhat...

So I thought it might be good to see what wisdom the HHO hive brain might be able to share with me - thanks in advance!
 
My recommendation would be to buy a decent secondhand saddle as a stopgap, obviously it needs to fit the horse but until you have started jumping regularly and have got a feel you will not know what will really suit you, give it 4-6 months and then look at upgrading when you can try them out properly after your position and style have developed, at this stage a saddle that doesn't suit you, that is possibly going to dictate a position may do more harm than good and you will not know whether it is the cause or not, a decent GP or fairly basic jump saddle will be fine to get you going.
 
Echo that. You need more experience with jumping to know what it is you want. The saddle has to fit you as well as the horse.

Clearly you need something - you will really struggle to jump in a dressage saddle. But it is going to take a few months at least for things to become established. Then you need to try a load of saddles to learn what it is you like and need. And even that may chnage over time as you become more experienced as a jumper. Dressage saddles are actually relatively simple in comparison.

It is good for your trainer to ride and establish what fits the horse. But the saddle has to fit you too. Jumping puts train on very different joints than dressage - yours not the horse's. It will take time to determine which type of saddle will keep you comfortable. Sadly this early stage is an expensive process. My advice - stick to second hand good quality named saddles just now. You need to experience several different types, probably over some months, to know what suits. Fitting the horse is actually easy - fitting you is going to be more complex!
 
Thanks both, appreciate you taking the time. Good secondhand it is then. Does sound quite different to buying a dressage saddle. So the saddle fitting me, what are the variables there then? Doesn't sound like it's just about how long my legs are (or to be more accurate in my case, aren't)?
 
Not so much the length of your leg overall but more the ratio of upper to lower leg which will affect where on the saddle you want the knee blocs to be. Where on the tree the stirrup bar sits can have an impact on the stability of your lower leg. Also the angle of the knee when stirrups are at jumping length will dictate both the bloc position and potentially the angle of the flap. The width of the horse and comfortable angle for your hips might dictate what type of head and whether close contact or monoflap is a preference. (although if you are used to a deep seat dressage saddle that might not be much of an issue) Then a range of personal preference things - how flat do you like the seat? One knee block or two? If not monoflap how much padding and exactly where? Foam or wool flocking?

The likelihood is you will be able to rule out some types of saddle quite quickly - as in when the fitter is actually there. But some issue can take days to show up in discomfort for you or in difficulty getting a stable position. Then as your body changes to accept the new position you might find that what worked for you a few months ago is no longer as suitable. Obviously if you only jump occasionally then you can put up with something that isn't 100% right for you. But if it starts to cause you strain or pain, or makes you less secure than you would otherwise be my advice would always be to change it. If you spend £200 - £400 on a decent quality second hand named saddle and then need to change you will pretty much get back what you paid.
 
Micropony said:
Thanks both, appreciate you taking the time. Good secondhand it is then. Does sound quite different to buying a dressage saddle. So the saddle fitting me, what are the variables there then? Doesn't sound like it's just about how long my legs are (or to be more accurate in my case, aren't)?
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I would say the main this is do you feel comfortable in it. Are you constantly fighting it because it's trying to put you in a bad position? Can you keep your balance easily in all gaits and transitions?
My new horse came with a jumping saddle and I hated it, it put me in a really bad chair seat and I was always behind the movement and losing my balance. I couldn't ride in it.
Speaking to the saddler I asked if all jumping saddles would have the same effect and she said no. They put you in a different (jumping) position but you should still feel in balance and under control.
So definatley test ride in the saddles, even if you don't jump in them at first.
 
Do you and your instructor have similar body types at all?

If not then having hin ride is a pointless exercise really. The horse will always go better when the rider is in balance so if your instructor is balanced in a particular saddle and the horse goes well then you ride in the saddle and are not balanced then the horse will not be balanced either.

My advice would be for you to ride on the flat with jumping length stirrups - is the seat a suitable size and shape? Are the flaps in the correct place? Knee rolls / thigh blocks / calf blocks 'there' but not interfering? Can you maintain 2 point (jumping position) in trot and canter without losing balance, without hanging on the reins or leaning on the neck? Can you go into and out of 2 point without losing balance? Does your leg stay well underneath in two point without shooting forward or back?

If you are feeling secure enough then have a pop over a small fence. Only when you are satisfied should your instructor get on and go over a few bigger fences if that is what you want. Or you could ask instructor to pop fences first once you are satisfied on the flat and you get back on to jump after that.

Of course being out of practise you may find the two point exercisrs difficult to maintain for a long time but the saddle should allow you and not fight against you doing those things.

You should feel comfortable and secure without being held in. It's the positioning of the flaps and blocks that should offer security.

Monoflap saddles have long straps and short girths and double flap saddles generally have short straps and long girths.
 
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