Total Contact saddles

[MummyEms]

After loving my christ lamfelle bareback pad so much i am looking into buying a total contact saddle.
Would love to hear any experiences whatsoever of them!?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

There are some old threads about them if you search.

A couple to get you started.
https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/total-contact-saddles-anyone-got-tried-one.684239/
https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/total-contact-saddle.700336/

 

[TPO]

My friend has one for her exmoor and last I heard she really likes it. I'll message her if you've got any specific questions if that would help?

 

[MummyEms]

Thank you so much both of you.
Could you ask if she's ever found any sore areas on her horses since using it ?

 

[sbloom]

You'll find lots of people do love them but an equine bodyworker I work alongside a lot, and who has one yard where loads of people uses them, says she loathes them with a passion and finds lots of problems from them.

 

[Taliesan]

I have a TCS and use it all the time. I've done jumping, dressage fun rides and long hacks in it. I've found that my horse is far more comfortable in his movement and seems much happier in it than he ever was in his old Balance saddle. I did a 4 hour hack, with lots of varied gaits across mixed terrain and my horse wasn't sore at all afterwards.

I practice Equine Touch on my own horse so check his body for muscle tightness regularly and I have found far less problems now with the TCS then I did when he was in his previous Balance saddle. I swear by it and wouldn't want to ride in anything else now as I love the close contact / bareback with more stickability feel that it provides.

Underneath mine I do have a sheepskin rug folded in half and then glued together and that is on top of a thick-ish saddle pad (usually the Eskadron big square ones). So there is a nice amount of padding between his back, the saddle and my backside. I don't think I'd want to ride in it without a comfortable amount of padding underneath.

The saddle may not suit all horses or riders but it works fantastically well for me and Jack.

 

[TPO]

Thank you so much both of you.
Could you ask if she's ever found any sore areas on her horses since using it ?

Shes just replied that there have been no sore or pressure points since using TCS.

She really likes it.

It's used on an exmoor who's in light work hacking

 

[MummyEms]

I sent the solutions smart saddle back and going to get the tcs. Literally so many amazing rave reviews on them!

 

[MummyEms]

There are loads of professionals using it and horses improving with the tcs. Especially for jumping.

 

[foxy1]

My friend had one to try and both her and her trainer rode in it. Main issue she had is that you sit so far behind the stirrup bar, it puts you in a 'chair seat' position and so it's more difficult in rising trot particularly to hold yourself when sitting. Horse is sensitive admittedly but visibly dipped her back away from the rider when in the sit phase of rising trot. This happened both when owner and trainer rode the horse. The saddle was returned.

 

[MummyEms]

Oh, thank-you. My horse is happy for me to rise trot in my bareback pad and with the le mieux sheepskin half pad and saddle pad i expect it'll feel much the same to him. ?

 

[MummyEms]

I have a TCS and use it all the time. I've done jumping, dressage fun rides and long hacks in it. I've found that my horse is far more comfortable in his movement and seems much happier in it than he ever was in his old Balance saddle. I did a 4 hour hack, with lots of varied gaits across mixed terrain and my horse wasn't sore at all afterwards.

Wow how

I practice Equine Touch on my own horse so check his body for muscle tightness regularly and I have found far less problems now with the TCS then I did when he was in his previous Balance saddle. I swear by it and wouldn't want to ride in anything else now as I love the close contact / bareback with more stickability feel that it provides.

Underneath mine I do have a sheepskin rug folded in half and then glued together and that is on top of a thick-ish saddle pad (usually the Eskadron big square ones). So there is a nice amount of padding between his back, the saddle and my backside. I don't think I'd want to ride in it without a comfortable amount of padding underneath.

The saddle may not suit all horses or riders but it works fantastically well for me and Jack.

Wow how lovely. Would love to see any pics xx

 

[MummyEms]

This pad set up is what I'll use... will feel a lot like my christ pad i use and he goes beautifully in it.

 

[Taliesan]

My friend had one to try and both her and her trainer rode in it. Main issue she had is that you sit so far behind the stirrup bar, it puts you in a 'chair seat' position and so it's more difficult in rising trot particularly to hold yourself when sitting. Horse is sensitive admittedly but visibly dipped her back away from the rider when in the sit phase of rising trot. This happened both when owner and trainer rode the horse. The saddle was returned.

I think this is easy to do if the saddle is put too far forwards on the horse. I have mine so that the stirrup bars are beneath my thighs and, when I am sat on Jack, I can't really see the saddle at all underneath me.

I also find that the saddle shows up your weaknesses in riding. This is because there is nothing there to hold you or help you out - you have to use your own muscle strength to ensure that you remain in the correct riding position. I had an issue where I would end up in an almost chair seat and my legs would come too far forwards when trotting and cantering. However, once pointed out to me I really focused on using my core and the muscles in my legs to keep my thighs back and stop them from coming forwards. In a normal saddle with knee blocks this probably wouldn't have been spotted because the knee blocks would've stopped my thighs from moving in the first place.

Wow how lovely. Would love to see any pics xx

Sure! I am always happy to share photos.

This one is me and Jack jumping at home. The jump was about 90-95cm high and he cleared it by a long way! Jumping in the TCS is an odd feeling to start with as I realised that I relied on the knee blocks to keep me in place. However, since practicing more I am using my core and legs more appropriately to ensure that I always try to stay with his movement, go with him over the jump and not flop about / rely on the saddle to save me when we land. Since jumping in the TCS I have actually got way more confident as my body now goes where it needs to rather than fighting against where the saddle thinks it should go.




This photo was taken after that 4 hour hack I mentioned above. Jack was pretty tired by the end but really happy - both of us had an awesome time. I love cantering and galloping in the TCS as I feel like I am glued to his back.




This photo shows what my setup looks like. I find that the Eskadron big square pad, the doubled up sheepskin (it is an IKEA rug that I've cut to size and dyed black) and then the saddle on top is very comfy and works well. I would also recommend getting t-bar leathers as the buckle on normal leathers can feel a bit bulky under your leg.

 

[MummyEms]

Oh they're lovely!! Thank you .

This is us. I backed him last year and he's never had a rigid saddle only ever a christ lamfelle bareback pad and a zoe snape pad, plus bareback ? he's 5 now.

 

[Artax]

My friend had one to try and both her and her trainer rode in it. Main issue she had is that you sit so far behind the stirrup bar, it puts you in a 'chair seat' position and so it's more difficult in rising trot particularly to hold yourself when sitting. Horse is sensitive admittedly but visibly dipped her back away from the rider when in the sit phase of rising trot. This happened both when owner and trainer rode the horse. The saddle was returned.

Weird... you posted the exact same thing a few years ago on the same thread quoted above... literally the exact same post... hmmmmmmm.

 

[milliepops]

it seems to be a fair point though, even the photos they are advertising the saddle with show riders in a chair seat.

 

[planete]

I have been looking at treeless saddles and became interested in a Total Contact saddle for my dragged out of retirement horse (it is a great deal cheaper than a used Ansur!). I was also a bit shocked by the chair seat of the riders on the website so went looking for more photos on the web. The photos on this page: https://www.happyhorsehappyhuman.com/force-free-training/ show what a competent rider can look like on one and gave me some hope it could work for me, providing I can achieve a decent position now I am also old and rusty.

 

[MummyEms]

What a lovely website that looks! Shall enjoy looking at that later when the children are in bed!!

 

[Artax]

it seems to be a fair point though, even the photos they are advertising the saddle with show riders in a chair seat.

It piqued my interest given it was 4 yers ago by the same poster. I'd never paste my old posts.... would you?

Most riders ride in a chair seat. That's kind of what british riding is. The fact that people notice it in a TCS is 1: you haven't read the instructions and 2: you ride in a chair seat. If your seat bones dig in a horses back they will notice. The very fact treed/padded saddles exist is to correct rider fault/increase horse comfort. You only have to see international saddle history just to verify that.

Anyway, it doesn't matter. If you choose one, you'll know and like anything if it suits you, you'll love it. If not, don't worry about. Thank goodness we live in a free and diverse place.

 

[milliepops]

I don't really know why you've taken that so personally ??‍ I was expecting them to have lots of pictures of riders with good positions promoting their kit, that's all. As you rightly say if you ride in a chair seat the horse will eventually start to object so it seemed odd to see quite a few on the website.
Makes no odds to me, I have to abide by BD rules so wouldn't be looking at getting one anyway.

 

[foxy1]

Weird... you posted the exact same thing a few years ago on the same thread quoted above... literally the exact same post... hmmmmmmm.

Lol I couldn't be bothered to type it out again, but this was my experience to share with the OP who asked for experiences. Actually someone else at my current yard rides in one very much in a chair seat but not like this in her dressage saddle.
It does seem TCS have a strong social media presence.... Hmmm

 

[MummyEms]

Has anyone heard of the Italian saddler who also makes them. I'll link his website...

 

[MummyEms]

http://www.totalcontact.eu/en/saddle.php