SpottedCat
Well-Known Member
Yes Kit, I would love a butet. But short of a lottery win that ain't gonna happen in this lifetime!
Things our horses teach us #1
- Thread starter SpottedCat
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TarrSteps
Well-Known Member
Okay, new one is better.
Same issue though, your knee sits where the thigh is supposed to sit. In an odd way the bigger flap in your new saddle helps because there's enough space for your knee to sit forward without being pushed back by the knee roll, as it was in your old one.
Sorry, I'm not being critical, just making an observation on the subject at hand. And trust me, I feel your pain! Very, very few saddles "off the rack" fit me and if I had one made exactly right it would look so odd I'd never be able to sell it.
More practically, it would likely even be odd enough to interfere with the horse's shoulder. Sometimes you just have to live with stuff.
Out of curiosity, what did you ride in in the US and did you find it easier to get your leg in a correct position in those saddles? The tradition there is for far less padded jumping saddles ("flat" saddles, what are more commonly called close contact here) and I always found them more forgiving, at least if the actual flap was large enough.
I actually had a discussion with a saddler the other day who said point blank I would be unlikely to find a saddle that fit me well that would also fit the horse under discussion, simply because our shape "freakyness" cancels out. Eh. Whatever. The only saddle I ever had made was a disaster, I suspect in part exactly because it was so far from "normal". So, as the original topic of this post, sometimes you just gotta go with what works.
Sorry, I'm not being critical, just making an observation on the subject at hand. And trust me, I feel your pain! Very, very few saddles "off the rack" fit me and if I had one made exactly right it would look so odd I'd never be able to sell it.
Out of curiosity, what did you ride in in the US and did you find it easier to get your leg in a correct position in those saddles? The tradition there is for far less padded jumping saddles ("flat" saddles, what are more commonly called close contact here) and I always found them more forgiving, at least if the actual flap was large enough.
I actually had a discussion with a saddler the other day who said point blank I would be unlikely to find a saddle that fit me well that would also fit the horse under discussion, simply because our shape "freakyness" cancels out. Eh. Whatever. The only saddle I ever had made was a disaster, I suspect in part exactly because it was so far from "normal". So, as the original topic of this post, sometimes you just gotta go with what works.
SpottedCat
Well-Known Member
Yes, I agree new is better, and on why - it's why I went for one with tiny blocks like that, though it took me a while to learn to ride in it. I cannot help my freakishly short legs from hip to knee - from floor to knee Lec and I have the same length of leg...but she is 5ft9 and I am 5ft! I just don't think there is a saddle out there which would fit me off the peg, and can you imagine how odd the flaps would look if the blocks sat where they 'should' on me?!
I actually don't know if the SJ pic is terribly representative of how I ride in that saddle now - I hadn't had it more than a matter of weeks in that pic and was still learning to ride in it - felt like someone had removed the seatbelt!
I rode in whatever people had on their horses in the US - nothing fancy and nothing I'd recognise as a brand - most were ancient, and I certainly wasn't at some fancy barn with no expense spared, just lucky to be somewhere with good training and some horses which had passed through Dorothy Crowell's hands so were v well schooled.
Here we go, here's a pic of the saddle - looks more GP than anything else to me!
I actually don't know if the SJ pic is terribly representative of how I ride in that saddle now - I hadn't had it more than a matter of weeks in that pic and was still learning to ride in it - felt like someone had removed the seatbelt!
I rode in whatever people had on their horses in the US - nothing fancy and nothing I'd recognise as a brand - most were ancient, and I certainly wasn't at some fancy barn with no expense spared, just lucky to be somewhere with good training and some horses which had passed through Dorothy Crowell's hands so were v well schooled.
Here we go, here's a pic of the saddle - looks more GP than anything else to me!
susannita
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Good thought Avenger - dunno, this is me and my saddle in days gone by:
I think they want my lower leg in this position on the approach to the fence too - and it just isn't, it's more on/just in front of the girth. So I guess it isn't the saddle?
[/ QUOTE ]
I would put money on the fact if you can get a saddle to fit you it will make the world of difference! That saddle in the first pic is huge for you - as tarrsteps said, your knees are in the thigh rolls and the blocks behind are merely decoration. The flaps are too long for you too! When you are going over the fence it doesn't look bad really. however, in both saddles the stirrup bars are too far forwardso your leg is pulled forward (ie doesn't balance nicely underneath you) The albion has to be very forward cut to fit you as the angles are much bigger than on someone long from hip to knee but they are built for someone who is long hence potioning of the stirrup bars. When you are galloping along out of the saddle my guess is you have to keep your leg on all the time and you have to consciously balance (rather than the devocoux womans analogy of being able to roll a ciggie whilst cantering about - shame it was all talk....!) I also find it really difficult to "use my leg" ie my lower leg is what keeps me on - so booting the horse means I lose my security.
I went to badminto this year with the aim of finding a new saddle to fit me. I actually thought i wanted a devocoux. However, wandered into the john whitaker stand and said I was looking for a new jumping saddle. He sat me on the one on the saddle horse which I was literally saying eerr would you not be needing a rather larger one?! So after he insited i sat in it - unbelievable, thingh rolls for my thighs knee rolls for my knees! this was actually a 16" Junior pro, apparently designed for overgrown teenagers riding 14.2s (sound familiar -well apart from the 14.2 bit!!)
For "normal" people this may not sound anything remarkable but bearing in mind this all came to a head in a lesson with a very well respected event trainer rider who actually took my stirrups away as he said I HAD to drop my knee - without stirrups i could do it no bother, with my kee was heading toward 90 rather than 45 degrees from my hips - this was in a 17 inch old amerigo, swapped the following day to my old pessoa - same issue!
I thought the whitaker one was a fluke and went round EVERY saddle stand at badminton. When the devocoux guy tried to put me in a 17.5 inch saddle because "everyone is fine in that size" at that point i decided there was no way i was going to buy one! Tina Sederholm at Butet took her time to understand what the issue was but once she got it I reckon we would be able to get something to fit (and to be honest i am so fed up i will buy one if necessary)
So came home dithered for a few months and then got a saddle from whitakers directly as no local fitter. They have been really good, first saddle was too narrow for the horse (my fault as took template too far back) but they couldn't have been more helpful. At less than half the price of a butet i will give it a couple of more tries to get one to fit (they could not have been more helpful, have haggled on price and I really want to get a saddle to fit as their customer service has been exceptional) I sat in it a couple of times and actually did a dressage test in it where i could actually get my leg in a realatively good position.
Sorry that got a bit long but as a stumpy legged creature I feel your pain!!!
Good thought Avenger - dunno, this is me and my saddle in days gone by:
I think they want my lower leg in this position on the approach to the fence too - and it just isn't, it's more on/just in front of the girth. So I guess it isn't the saddle?
[/ QUOTE ]
I would put money on the fact if you can get a saddle to fit you it will make the world of difference! That saddle in the first pic is huge for you - as tarrsteps said, your knees are in the thigh rolls and the blocks behind are merely decoration. The flaps are too long for you too! When you are going over the fence it doesn't look bad really. however, in both saddles the stirrup bars are too far forwardso your leg is pulled forward (ie doesn't balance nicely underneath you) The albion has to be very forward cut to fit you as the angles are much bigger than on someone long from hip to knee but they are built for someone who is long hence potioning of the stirrup bars. When you are galloping along out of the saddle my guess is you have to keep your leg on all the time and you have to consciously balance (rather than the devocoux womans analogy of being able to roll a ciggie whilst cantering about - shame it was all talk....!) I also find it really difficult to "use my leg" ie my lower leg is what keeps me on - so booting the horse means I lose my security.
I went to badminto this year with the aim of finding a new saddle to fit me. I actually thought i wanted a devocoux. However, wandered into the john whitaker stand and said I was looking for a new jumping saddle. He sat me on the one on the saddle horse which I was literally saying eerr would you not be needing a rather larger one?! So after he insited i sat in it - unbelievable, thingh rolls for my thighs knee rolls for my knees! this was actually a 16" Junior pro, apparently designed for overgrown teenagers riding 14.2s (sound familiar -well apart from the 14.2 bit!!)
For "normal" people this may not sound anything remarkable but bearing in mind this all came to a head in a lesson with a very well respected event trainer rider who actually took my stirrups away as he said I HAD to drop my knee - without stirrups i could do it no bother, with my kee was heading toward 90 rather than 45 degrees from my hips - this was in a 17 inch old amerigo, swapped the following day to my old pessoa - same issue!
I thought the whitaker one was a fluke and went round EVERY saddle stand at badminton. When the devocoux guy tried to put me in a 17.5 inch saddle because "everyone is fine in that size" at that point i decided there was no way i was going to buy one! Tina Sederholm at Butet took her time to understand what the issue was but once she got it I reckon we would be able to get something to fit (and to be honest i am so fed up i will buy one if necessary)
So came home dithered for a few months and then got a saddle from whitakers directly as no local fitter. They have been really good, first saddle was too narrow for the horse (my fault as took template too far back) but they couldn't have been more helpful. At less than half the price of a butet i will give it a couple of more tries to get one to fit (they could not have been more helpful, have haggled on price and I really want to get a saddle to fit as their customer service has been exceptional) I sat in it a couple of times and actually did a dressage test in it where i could actually get my leg in a realatively good position.
Sorry that got a bit long but as a stumpy legged creature I feel your pain!!!
SpottedCat
Well-Known Member
TBH, I'm not in the market for a new saddle. I don't think it will make enough difference, and that one is only 18 months old. It's only a 17 inch too, so it isn't huge by any means. I must have sat in 10 or more saddles before I decided, there is no way I can afford a butet, and lets face it, we seem fine if I don't dick about with my position!