Total contact saddle

[Pippity]

Pippity what do you dislike about it, or is it the concern about it's use that you mind?

The main reason is that my horse doesn't love it. She's far happier in the bareback pad than the TCS. (Conventional treed saddle sits somewhere between the two.) Possibly I just haven't found the right padding combination to make it more comfortable for her.

 

[sbloom]

The basic figures are that trotting doubles peak pressure and canter trebles it, equally walk can lead to grinding seatbones and no moment of relief as no suspension.

There are some interesting barevack pads out there, have been looking at them more recently, this is one (Dressage 1 model) that a customer has been using while waiting for a saddle and I can see how it could work well https://www.kapsonequestrian.com/en/bareback-pad.html

 

[Malicob23]

Sbloom, if I put you on the spot and asked what you think about bareback pads, would you recommend the barefoot physio? My friend has an older one which is so light and her horse goes beautifully in it. That said, she's a young woman and I'm not! My cob and I hack about the hills and I'm a stiff old bird. I don't do much fast work but there again it's remote and nobody to scrape me off the preselis

 

[Malicob23]

I veered that way because the gorgeous sheepskin pads seem to slip on my little tank, at least whilst she's fat. There's also the issue of having to use a higher mounting block as currently I can step into a stirrup, not that I completely weight bear in it

 

[sbloom]

Sbloom, if I put you on the spot and asked what you think about bareback pads, would you recommend the barefoot physio? My friend has an older one which is so light and her horse goes beautifully in it. That said, she's a young woman and I'm not! My cob and I hack about the hills and I'm a stiff old bird. I don't do much fast work but there again it's remote and nobody to scrape me off the preselis

I don't know the pad at all, I have no direct experience with any of them, just thought that last one looks interesting. I'm much more of a fan of a decent treed saddle that supports the riders pelvis etc, stability is everything (or nearly everything!).

 

[motherof2beasts!]

I dithered for months and months about whether to try and now I’m a definite fan, that’s not to say it’s for everyone.

My cob is 13 but very bum high and short backed , I had a treed saddle made to measure that started causing soreness, I was having the physio every 4 weeks and it just got worse to the point I wasn’t riding , saddler was saying it fitted but he was not happy. Had tried every cob saddle going to no avail.

I didn’t tell the physio but I switched to TCS with an equitex pad and sheepskin seat saver (I cut the elastic out!). I am also hyper mobile and my hips are often dislocated . Most comfortable both of us have been since I got him. Physio came out and said he was miraculously not sore anymore. It’s still early days for us but he is much happier in it , and weirdly I am much more comfortable but do find trotting a bit odd. My boy has been much less reactive and sharp and his spooks are much easier to sit.

 

[Malicob23]

That sounds really good for you and it seems the proof is in how your horse goes and how you feel with your riding. I hope you both go on well with it. I'm dithering with a few options but keep coming back to look at the tcs

 

[planete]

That sounds really good for you and it seems the proof is in how your horse goes and how you feel with your riding. I hope you both go on well with it. I'm dithering with a few options but keep coming back to look at the tcs

You can buy one second hand and resell it for the same price if it does not work out. Any sheepskin numnah and Prolite type pad that you already own will do for a trial. I found a bit more padding to raise the back of the seating area helped me not sit in a chair seat but it probably depends on the conformation and schooling of your horse. It was ok for us but I prefer the Torsion I have now and so does the pony.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

Yes I dithered for ages, I did really want a smart native saddle but my bank balance said no. I picked up my TCS brand new but unused for £100 including pad.

 

[Malicob23]

That

Yes I dithered for ages, I did really want a smart native saddle but my bank balance said no. I picked up my TCS brand new but unused for £100 including pad.

That was an incredible deal!