Tell me I don't need a dressage saddle...

[adsthelad]

I was talking to my instructor a couple of lessons ago and she mentioned that a dressage saddle could help us, we're currently doing Prelim with the aim to move up to Novice in summer (and hopefully eventually be working at home at Elementary). I currently have a Prestige Paris jumping saddle which my horse likes but my knees go over the flap and the blocks are tiny which doesn't give much support. However, I will probably be going off to uni in September/October and from then on will only really be riding during holidays so I'm just trying to convince myself that I don't need a new saddle!! Please tell me that it's unnecessary

 

[alainax]

Nope sorry, you need a dressage saddle

 

[doodle]

I love my dressage saddle! Definitely makes a difference.

 

[oldie48]

Well it's nice to have a dressage saddle but not essential, however, if your knees are out the front of your jumping saddle it sounds as if it's too small for you, what happens if you drop your stirrups? Also, not all dressage saddles have big blocks, they are not essential either.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I much prefer dressage saddles over any other I will never buy a gp again I hack in mine and I do ridden showing in mine as they have short girth straps and are brown, I have removable knee block and prefer the smaller ones to the big proper dressage ones, maybe get a saddler that will allow you to try one you might really prefer it and find it helps you.

You don't necessarily have to spend a fortune plenty of decent second hand ones out there.

 

[Shay]

You are only at prelim - you should be able to do that in most saddles. Having looked at your make of saddle on line it really isn't that forward cut. If the saddle size suits you and your horse I can't see why you should get a new (or new second hand) saddle at this point. The only thing that worries me is where you say your knees are over the flap. That sounds like the saddle doesn't fit you at all - not just for dressage. But that might be just the description. I would say not to bother - wait until you settle at Uni and know what you want to do with horses longer term.

And before I get screamed at... yes Dd does have separate dressage and jump saddles and yes there is a significant difference. And no we would nener get a GP again. But she competes at a higher level.

 

[horselady]

I ride all the time in a dressage (don't compete apart from dressage) me and my horse both prefer it.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Well if your instructor thinks it will help you why wouldn't you? otherwise what are you paying the instructor for.

It's not going to not improve your riding just because you are at uni (after a whole summer of riding?) and if you buy something second hand you should be able to sell on if necessary.

 

[ycbm]

The point about a dressage saddle is that the stirrup bars are set further back from the front, so it is much easier to sit in shoulder hip heel alignment.

You might not need a dressage saddle but you'll almost certainly want one once you've tried one!

 

[DabDab]

Nope, I'm the wrong person to ask I back, hack and school in a dressage saddle. I detest riding in anything else and resentfully pull out an 'event' style saddle when I am jumping.

 

[Auslander]

I only ride in a dressage saddle, and find it far more comfortable than a GP/jump saddle fro anything, except jumping. As YBM said, the stirrup bar is set further back, so it's easier to maintain a correct position - and the longer, straighter flaps also help.

You can pick up a decent synthetic dressage saddle for not a lot of money - I've got a Wintec Isabell, which cost £250 second hand, and it's as nice as a lot of the big name brand leather dressage saddles that I've ridden in. My horse competed up to Inter1 in an older style one - many jokes about the carthorse in plastic tack!

 

[LeannePip]

You most definitely need one!

 

[PorkChop]

You don't "need" one, but they definitely make a difference to the way you sit, so you would benefit

 

[Hoof_Prints]

I wish you hadn't started this thread, I had just talked myself out of buying one now I'm looking again... I don't do much dressage, but I school a lot on the flat and don't like schooling in my GP or jump.

 

[adsthelad]

I don't think I would find a better fitting jump saddle without going custom again, I had it made specially and it's an 18" with +4 flaps (I'm very tall, super long legs) - although it was disappointing at first that it wasn't perfect, I'm used to it now. I think it looks worse to me from above and looking in the arena mirrors than it does in photos taken from the ground.
Hope these photos show up:

However, I wonder if a properly fitting dressage saddle would help as my legs could be more contained, and would also help my horse to open up his shoulder because the saddle is quite forward Although we are only competing prelim now, it's mostly because I've done very little (one!) dressage before; I had a lesson today and she told me we're almost at novice now. I certainly plan to get out and do many more prelims first though.

I think I partly started this thread as I was very bad and did some looking online and saw a lovely looking one with XL flaps that would in theory be the right width for my boy - although I would of course have a saddle fitter fit one, this was merely window shopping. But it did make me start wanting one!!

 

[splashgirl45]

dont know if others can see pics but i cant

 

[Equi]

I've never ridden a dressage test in my life but I still have one lol

 

[Dynamo]

Going against the flow here... You don't need, need one. You should be able to do prelim and novice in any saddle, especially if you're not a dressage purist. My very good trainer told me not to buy a dressage saddle until I had done enough training and competing to be sure that I wanted to make the investment in a really good dressage saddle. We're now competing at Elementary and I've still not made that investment and I feel my seat is secure, my body is in correct alignment and my communication with the horse is how I want it to be.

Your horse is lovely and has a massive shoulder, so I wouldn't worry about how things look; the jumping saddle looks as though it gives you a really close contact. University is expensive. I think personally I would wait a while and hold back on the expenditure. But perhaps in the meantime I would try riding with slightly longer stirrups on the jumping saddle.

 

[Dynamo]

dont know if others can see pics but i cant

Right click on the image icon and open in new tab.

 

[DabDab]

It would help with your long legs issue (sorry, I know this still isn't very disuasive). This is my problem, and the reason I don't like riding baby horses in anything else....

 

[splashgirl45]

thankyou dynamo, i am not very good with tech things.......saddle doesnt look like it fits you very well IMO, i would think a dressage saddle would suit your long legs a bit better than the gp.....you should be able to get a good secondhand one for a reasonable price. you dont necessarily NEED one but it usually helps with flat work if you do have a dressage saddle...maybe wait until you are doing a bit more dressage before spending any money

 

[adsthelad]

I'll give it a go with longer stirrups, although I worry that that may make me more unstable because I'll have no block and little knee roll. Certainly we can get by with the jumping saddle as he's very comfortable in it, I think I just started to think 'oh maybe we could do with a dressage saddle' when my instructor mentioned it. In order to give myself more room I went for a bigger seat size than I really need, in a way that does help me balance and sit straighter as there's no support. The saddle is very nice and close contact which I love, definitely much better than his gp.

I think the best part about a dressage saddle is that it would help me wrap my gangly legs around him, almost seems a shame to fold them up into my jumping saddle! Perhaps it would be a good idea not to try any dressage saddles as then I may want one even more..if I don't try one then I can't know how much it may help

 

[adsthelad]

The saddle isn't great but it's better than his old saddle as I do have more room, and now I'm used to it I'm more comfortable because I'm not cramped like I was in the gp.

I school much more often than I jump, so it would get plenty of use but at the same time it keeps going back to the fact that we are alright with the jump saddle. I think it's just a case of liking new (or second-hand but new for me) things

 

[rachk89]

No you don't need one. Pointless spending of money when you are going to uni. Spend the money on something else then after uni you can think about it again. Right now all it will do is gather dust. That's just a worthless use of £500+. You have coped so far, a few more months won't hurt. Have fun at uni.

 

[rara007]

You don't need one (I compete at ele without one on three of mine, one since retired another sold!). But if you want one (and it will ultimately help!) why not

 

[Micropony]

Of course you need one! And a £250 girth and lots of new saddlecloths to go with it!

 

[9tails]

My dressage saddle has transformed my riding. It's deep, I sit straight in it, I look more elegant and it's REALLY hard to fall off. Sorry.

 

[oldie48]

Of course you need one! And a £250 girth and lots of new saddlecloths to go with it!

You have forgotten the matching bandages and sparkly brow band!

 

[Greylegs]

Tell you that you don't need a dressage saddle ?!?! ..... can't do that I'm afraid because you definitely do need one. I have one and a GP for my lad and rarely us the GP as the dressage one is so much more secure, easier to ride in and I just prefer it. As someone's already said, look for a second hand Wintec Isobell. I had one for my old horse and really loved it.

 

[Micropony]

You have forgotten the matching bandages and sparkly brow band!

My bad! I also forgot the dead sheep. As you can tell, I am not a very convincing dressage diva!