What saddles do you all use and do you all love or hate them?!

I have 2 Kent and masters (a jump and a dressage) and a Ryder (jump) love my jump K&M find it super comfy and like the look of it which helps! HATE the dressage version, cuts my mares shoulder off and don’t find the seating position comfy at all! Then the Ryder is slightly too big for me and can sometimes dig into my thigh, but overall is comfortable and works well!

all for 1 horse 😂
 
BallyJ said:
I have 2 Kent and masters (a jump and a dressage) and a Ryder (jump) love my jump K&M find it super comfy and like the look of it which helps! HATE the dressage version, cuts my mares shoulder off and don’t find the seating position comfy at all! Then the Ryder is slightly too big for me and can sometimes dig into my thigh, but overall is comfortable and works well!

all for 1 horse 😂
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Which K&M models do you have?
 
I have a bates gp and an unknown branded dressage saddle, I'm guessing it was made by an independent saddler in the uk. its stamped with profi and united kingdom on the inside. I love both saddles
 
Stenners said:
I do quite like the look of the Bates all purpose - it looks comfy!
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its super comfy. everyone always comments on how nice it is when they ride my horse! i'd say the only problem is they don't actually fit that many horses! I got it for my horse when he was 4 and its never been the perfect for him, I have to use it with a prolite pad. i also had to have the cair removed as 2 of the 4 air bags burst and my saddle fitter said this is quite common, so its now flocked
 
I've had my Ideal Event over 20 years. It's been on all 3 of the horses I've had since I bought it for Archie when I first got him. I always say I buy horses to fit my saddle and I'm only half joking. I do have a type but I've been very lucky it's fitted them all as I love it. When Wig came back into work after a year off, it didn't fit him and I bought a second hand Wintec Wide to tide us over until he was back in shape and I HATED it with a passion. I've never been so motivated to get weight off a horse before!

Everybody who rides Wig (and rode the other two) always says how lovely my saddle is and I've never met anyone who doesn't like an Ideal.
 
Another Ideal lover here. I got my ideal VSD fitted for my first horse (Arab x). When I lost her I went to see a lovely Connie x who was over my budget and I said to the dealer - if my saddle fits her I'll have her. It actually fitted her better than it did my original horse! She was ridden in it for 20 years with no problems. She's now gone too and I won't be getting another horse now but I still have the saddle 'just in case'.
 
I have several equipe Olympia saddles which I really rate :.. I also have a PDS saddle which I bought as it’s very adjustable…. And it’s like sitting in an arm chair

I have an equipe jumping saddle for the rare occasions I leave the ground

An Albion k2 gp for jumping my big shouldered sports cob because I’ve never found a jump saddle that fits

An ancient slk which weighs a tonne fits nothing atm but is like putting on a pair of slippers is worth very little so I just keep it



I also own a fairfax jump saddle which is the worst saddle I’ve ever ridden in I should sell it but it’s adjustable and occasionally i will stick it on a breaker
 
I like my gfs transition dressage saddle. It’s not ‘very’ dressage in feel but fits us both well. Its shallow enough you don’t feel terrible hacking/small jumps!
 
Heather Moffett Flexee. Conventional saddles just did not work.
I don't jump, I hack & do low level dressage. It's very comfy for Dave & puts me in a great position.
 
I have a RD Trainers GP saddle. I think it leans more towards a VSD cut, has a semi deep seat and doesn't put you in a chair seat like many GP saddles. It's super comfy to ride in, I feel quite secure in it. Perfect for me as I mostly do flat work, hacking and occasional low level jumping.
It fits my 4yo gypsy cob and has also fitted my two previous horses (by a pro saddler of course). Got a lovely wide channel and wool flocked panels.
You'd have to pry this saddle from my cold dead hands 🤣
 

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I have Stride free jump saddles (despite never leaving the ground) but with dressage length stirrups. Super comfortable for my wonky hips and my horses like them. I hate the 'pinned in place' feeling of modern dressage saddles with deep seats and huge blocks.
 
cosmic389 said:
I have a RD Trainers GP saddle. I think it leans more towards a VSD cut, has a semi deep seat and doesn't put you in a chair seat like many GP saddles. It's super comfy to ride in, I feel quite secure in it. Perfect for me as I mostly do flat work, hacking and occasional low level jumping.
It fits my 4yo gypsy cob and has also fitted my two previous horses (by a pro saddler of course). Got a lovely wide channel and wool flocked panels.
You'd have to pry this saddle from my cold dead hands 🤣
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It looks super comfy!
 
I finally gave up and changed to a treeless/soft tree of a reputable design. The horse just gave a big sigh of relief first time I put it on him. The saddle is just gorgeous and looks like a regular dressage saddle which is rather important to me since I train dressage and hack out, no jumping.

Have had a complete saddle fitting nightmare last year because he has the closest resemblance to a sausage on four legs and everything was pinching him. He will continue to be in the treeless at least for the forseable future and until my personal economy has recovered from buying (and now trying to sell) saddles that didn't fit. Horses, eh? 😖😮‍💨
 
Only ride in Amerigo or Equipe. Depends on the horse to which they get but I am tall so has to be single flap so I can hook my stirrups up and I hate blocks. I have a wonderful fitter who I trust immensely and have worked with for over 10 years now and never had a sore horse.
I hated the Fairfax when I tried one. I thought I would get on with it but its wide twist meant I just couldn't get on with it at all and felt like I was fighting it. Won't have Devoucoux as riders saddles and not horse friendly. Same for the Voltaire and a few of the sjing French ones.
 
I do love my Black Country (and also loved the Ideal that I trialled, although it was too long for my bum). That said, I always end up going back to the Thorn Pad combined with a hip saver, as I enjoy the freedom of movement and close contact. I only bought the standard saddle when my dyspraxia was bad (turns out that getting worse was yet another perimenopause thing - yay).
 
Devoucoux! I have dr & jump versions for my ISH x WB & have just got a pony edition for my pony! I feel really secure in them and a good position is effortless. I do like my giant blocks for those giant spooks, but I know that not everyone likes to be locked into position.
 
kerrieberry2 said:
its super comfy. everyone always comments on how nice it is when they ride my horse! i'd say the only problem is they don't actually fit that many horses! I got it for my horse when he was 4 and its never been the perfect for him, I have to use it with a prolite pad. i also had to have the cair removed as 2 of the 4 air bags burst and my saddle fitter said this is quite common, so its now flocked
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Agree with this. I had a Bates dressage saddle and the air bags went very slowly down so was a while before you realised this. I put it on Ebay with strict instructions that it was not to be put on a horse until it had been completely reflocked or new air bags fitted by a qualified saddler. Someone in Italy bought it.
 
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