What do you think is the safest saddle?

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gailt

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I know im a bit ahead of myself, being as my lad is only 18mths old..but i keep looking at saddles
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..I have a bad back so when it comes to starting to ride him i need a saddle i feel secure and safe in..my last one was a falcon event...i loved it but was never that secure if you know what i mean...a friend said she likes the gfs and felt really secure on a bolting horse...what do you think and why?
 
Comes down to budget, you need something that fits the horse well, but will also support your bad back so something with CAIR or FLAIR would be good for your back. Security might be in a deeper seat, or more knee rolls, depending on the build of the horse. Since you have a youngster you might consider the Wintec/Bates option so you can change the fit of the saddle as your horse muscles up..or if money is no object WOW saddles are lush and really fit well
 
I'd get something with a geed seat and big knee and thigh rolls if I was you. Alternatively the synthetic are easy to stick to, my mare had wintec dressage pro and throws some huge bucks and still seat there
 
Probably not a close contact as you are unlikely to feel secure in them.

Hate (my opinion only) knee rolls behind the leg as think they hold you on too long in a rotational fall. But you may find this makes you feel more secure.

Sit on as many saddles as you can.
 
We have just bought two new saddles for our girls, they are a mix of serge panels on the horse, synhetic in the middle and a leather seat and outer pannels, the tree can be changed by a technician if the horse changes shape and they help you to sit very deeply. They are made to measure for the horse by the technician comming out and templating and photographing the horse. They are between £500 and £600 made by master saddlers of Walsall. These feel very safe and have extra knee rolls for jumping, which might be good on a youngster.
 
I would say a dressage seat (deep seat) but something you could get your knees up in too.

My old saddle was a cliff barnsby VSD and it was brill had a deep seat and had gp flaps would have suited you i think

Ideally you want a saddle from new that you can request different parts to like a deep seat and so its fitted to you and the horse.
 
hi guys, thanks for the replies...My competeing days are over now thanks to my back,,,,but i will do a bit of most things with him, hacking mostly. But i often used to do cross country or go to local shows jumping, one day events etc but i think i'll have to let someone else jump him now...i just want to have fun...so i need something that will do all diciplines but that is secure...
 
I can really recommend a western saddle - wonderfully comfortable and on the rare occasion Mr C puts a buck in, I don't move at all and just laugh and say buck away you bucking bas*ard! I can hack for hours in it in a very relaxed way of riding.

You don't have to have a western trained horse to use one. My friend often borrows it for his cob, and uses and english bridle and english aids.

I have a cheap GP saddle for the rare occasion we do jumping or schooling. I can do basic schooling in the western and jump up to 2' in it, after that the saddle horn does get a little in the way.

I put any novices on Cairo in the western saddle first - they love it as they feel as if they cannot fall off and can grab the saddle horn if worried.
 
Can you get Aussie stock saddles over here? I think I may have mentioned them before, but they are a bit more English looking, but still unfalloffable!
I find synthetics very insecure, but am probably in a minority of one, trouble is you could be buying a new one every six months if you go for leather...
 
Yes aussie stock saddles are very available and cheap from eBay

I have my Bates Aussie Stock saddle with changeable gullets which is fab for youngsters or keeping my parents in place.

You can fall out of a stock saddle, but only if the horse rears up and you go out backwards!
 
my bates gp saddle has a good deep seat and its really comfy that also has the cair system aroun 700 new but theres usually some on ebay and as your horse matures you can change the size of the gullet
 
I also have a GFS which I feel very secure in, suede seats also tend to make you feel more secure you just seem to stick better to suede!
 
My daugther has a Fieldhouse event saddle and everybody who has ridden in it thinks it is very comfy. She also has a meather moffat seatbone saver on it as she spends many hours int he saddle and does a lot of jumping and loads of hacking over rough ground and hunting too. I would definetly recommend the combination of the two, it gives brilliant stickability. I always ride with my seatsaver on any horse as i feel it gives me a definite advangage especially if i am riding horses i am not uses to o rones that can be spooky as it really does stick you to the seat.
Other option would definetly be a stock saddle, I'd love to get one for my hubby to ride our big boy in as it looks really cool and would give him a bit more of a chance of staying on.
 
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