What saddle do you use??

TheEquineOak

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I want to buy my TB a new high spec saddle but there are soooooooo many makes. I was thinking Stubben or Black Country.

What do you use and why?????

Are the expensive ones really the best...?
 
Instead of thinking which brand is best, I would suggest looking for a saddle which is designed to fit your horses shape.
I use a Barnsby saddle on my TB. It suits his high withers and the shape suits his shape. Very comfy and supportive too.
 
No matter how much a saddle costs, it is no good if it doesn't fit your horse.

One of my boys has an Albion GP, the other has a Falcon Adler ASD GP. They have been fitted by a saddle fitter and I chose them because they fit the shape of my horse.

Thoroughgood saddles are usually good for Thoroughbreds. Best thing to do would be to get a saddle fitter out and see what sort best suits your horse.
 
I have an Albion GP, which is a nice saddle, before that I had a very nice Jeffries Falcon GP saddle. My dressage saddle is a KN, (Karl Neidersuisse) is was very good value for money. My previous dressage saddle was a Stubben, which I really liked, they are not very trendy in the UK, so you can often get one for a good price second hand.
 
On my young TB i use a Bates GP leather and a Wintec Pro 2000 dressage saddle.

On my WelshxArab I use a wintec something.....I like my leather saddles but Prince is getting on so he just has a wintec.

Wintec's are the best for beach riding, doesn't matter if they get wet, just need to take it in the shower with you when you get back to wash out the salt.
 
I have two. Kent and Masters gp and dressage - Very comfortable saddles for the horse imo, as they have nice big panels, horse seems very happy. Very affordable for and very nice to ride in, wouldn't swap them as am so happy.

x
 
I'm just gathering opinions :D

He's in a Jeffries Falcon and wintec at the moment. He changes shape all the bloody time so I want a saddle that can be stuffed and restuffed....and then stuffed some more. Stupidly high withers too :rolleyes:
 
I have a GFS Pro VSD....its is beautiful and sooo comfy. Unfortunately its not a 100% fit on my new horse as its a MW and he's an arab so I have the saddle fitter coming out in 2w to either see if she can adjust it or possibly trade it in.

I fancy a leather adjustable one if poss- as he's only young and will only get broader.
 
I backed my youngster in a Wintec :eek: and kept hold of it to use on some of my riding school neds, but now they are sold the wintec will be going on ebay, just dont like riding in it. Youngster now has a shiny new Kieffer Wein DL which is so comfy and allows great movement and is slightly adjustable for when he fills out a bit
 
i have two saddles - both Andrew Sankey - jumping and dressage saddle
HRH needs a curved tree - she hs high withers and is croup high - i felt the best route to go down was made to measure to ensure that they tree would fit her as most of the off the peg trees were too straight and tipped forward onto her shoulders
 
I have a Jefferies Falcon event for my full TB, the high wither version, as it fits hims and me. Lovely saddle and about the only thing that gives enough clearance over withers.
 
Just to shake things up a bit, I have a Solution Treeless saddle. My horse is a very broad cob with large shoulders and I struggled to get a conventional saddle that I was happy with. I absolutely love my saddle, it wasn't cheap but I will have it for life as it fits most horses with just a small adjustment to the padding underneath.

Its a jumping saddle and I did a morning cubbing in it last week and was so comfortable, have also done XC, SJ and dressage so its pretty versatile.

I don't know how good Soloution saddles are for high withered horses, but it may be worth considering as your boy changes shape so often.
 
i have a number of The Saddle Company saddles, as they're fully adjustable and lightweight. And are the only saddles i can get 1) to fit Raff, and 2) that completely cured his cold-backed-ness.

In fact, i liked them so much i trained as a fitter and now fit them! and am giving up the day job to do it fulltime! :D

xxx
 
Patriot close contact for me all the way!

Patriot.jpg
 
I had a Keiffer GP and no name dressage saddle which were stolen and replaced them quickly with a wintec. Last year bought a PD dressage saddle and couldnt believe the difference from the wintec. Saddle fitter brought out loads that I had either ridden in or liked and none fitted as well as this saddle and the barnsby. Would like a barnsby GP now :)
 
Instead of thinking which brand is best, I would suggest looking for a saddle which is designed to fit your horses shape.

this is essential... some saddles fit certain shapes of horses... for example, Wintec/Bates have a very banana shaped tree which don't fit anything with a straight back... etc.

OP - get a local fitter out, and tell them your budget/type of horse/what you want to do... and ask them to bring a broad selection out with them. x
 
I have an Albion K2 jump which fitted my last TB and the current one very nicely and my dressage saddle is a Collegiate Nobility. I love them both especially the Albion.

Had an Isabelle Werth synthetic dressage saddle with CAIR for the old TB but found myself tipping forward on my current boy (probably because he has a rather mahoosive botty). :D

Formerly, had a Welshie for which I had a Barnsby GP.

All of the above fitted by a master saddler.

Sorry to gatecrash your post but thought I ought to introduce myself too although I have posted handful of times already. Hello all!
 
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I use the Frank Baines Enigma Mono Flap. So comfortable and secure. I used an Albion XC before and it is nothing compared to my Frank Baines.

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Also use the Frank Baines Reflex Dressage and Reflex Dressage Deluxe. All fab :D
 
I had an Albion K2 for a while but my horse became quite sore when she was wearing it, I had a good look at it & it looked slightly asymmetric along the gullet so I stopped using it :( I've now got GP and close contact Saddle Co saddles, they are great, I really rate them - the tree can be adjusted, the flock can be tweaked and they have serge panels which are very forgiving. I've got a Humphries and Swain dressage saddle which is another serge job & can also can be adjusted as my horse changes shape. I have a Fitform treeless saddle for emergencies in the unlikely eventuality that the none of the other saddles I have fit my horse. And I also have a Heather Moffett Thorowgood that I have been making very lazy attempts to sell because I don't use it but it's actually a really nice saddle so I'm not that bothered. So that's 5 saddles and one horse :o
 
I have a Fairfax Dressage bought for the new boy, Kieffer Dressage which I adore but sadly will have to be sold as it won't fit the new lad and a Pessoa XP3 jumping saddle also bought for the new boy :)

I must make a new sig when I have more pics of him and I :D
 
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