What saddles does everyone have?

Merlywerly said:
Beg to pardon on this.... it's been about 2 weeks since a VERY experienced rider, and master saddler came out to check my saddle and watched my ride in it, told me to take off the sheepskin as that was doing nothing, and that my saddle fitted him very well and it does, it sits level on his back,nicely over his withers with no pinching and perfect for his shoulders.
My horse too has had in the last 3 mths that I have had him EVERYTHING checked by professionals.
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you showed pictures with the sheepskin, it would change the fit of the saddle, it is padding, it is not possible for it to not effect it.

ive met many master saddlers, and a few pratts in between .. you or i could go and do a short course and whack the letters under our names. its not a hard thing to do.

any saddle that is higher at the front than the back is a bad fit.
 
Iv got a custom made saddle co event for my tb and love it! Great all rounder, plus had a gel seat put in so extra comfy! Looking at getting a sc saddle for my id also for next spring!
 
I have/ have had the following saddles:

Thorowgood GP
Wintec 'close contact jumping'
Jeffries falcon hawk event
Albion K2 jump
Prestige (not overly sure what model of Prestige saddle it is though :o )
Farrington burford event

My favourites by far are the Jeffries and the Farrington. Both were very comfy and horses seem to like them!
 
Had a jefferies gp - it was lovely, sadly became too narrow... then had a wintec wide that also became too narrow...

Now have an extra wide generic leather show saddle which fits well so I don't care about make, however,I do have a made to measure LM Saddle which I just love and is soooo comfy with a gel seat for my little botty :D
 
I have a Kent and Masters high wither GP saddle which I love for jumping, so comfortable!

The rest of the time I use my isabell werth dressage saddle which is like an armchair, I just adore it.
 
jhoward said:
you showed pictures with the sheepskin, it would change the fit of the saddle, it is padding, it is not possible for it to not effect it.

ive met many master saddlers, and a few pratts in between .. you or i could go and do a short course and whack the letters under our names. its not a hard thing to do.

any saddle that is higher at the front than the back is a bad fit.
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JH I agree with much of what you have written....BUT....saddle balance cannot be assessed from one photo with no rider. Balance is a dynamic thing - most saddles sit differently in each pace, usually highest at the back in trot, lower in canter and walk, and lowest at halt. Also, with a healthy back a saddle will sink slightly more at the front than the back when a rider gets on board - an unhealthy back or a too tall or heavy rider will make the back sink moe than the front. I agree the VSD is low behind, the angle of the panel looks odd across the back of the saddle, but I would need to see it ridden in to be sure. It is REALLY important that the weight of the rider is spread equally from front to back but it can take some time for the side effects of this balance being wrong to show. Something to reassess regularly.
 
I have a lovely Native Pony Company show saddle that fits perfectly and is very comfy and stunning.

On the other hand my GP saddle is on eBay at the moment! I've decided to go back to Wintec for every day use. Current GP saddle is rolling in canter. It seems anything with knee rolls moves.
 
I thought the middle of the saddle, ie seat was the important part to be level visually?

May be wrong so don't hate me! I have an ancient Lovatt and Riketts Event GP and compete up to pre novice in it. That saddle has saved me many a time! I have a Albion k2 dressage saddle hardly used from my old horse and its sitting gathering dust now. May need a tree change for the new one....
 
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Coop said:
I thought the middle of the saddle, ie seat was the important part to be level visually?
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You are right - trouble is as I said, balance changes with a rider in the plate, and then you can't see the seat :). You CAN look at how the panel looks, but otherwise if your eye is good you can tell from what type of saddle and tree it is as to how the pommel and cantle should look in relation to each other. Obviously a dressage saddle will have a much higher cantle than than would a jumping or showing saddle, relative to the pommel.
 
sbloom said:
ReactorPanel Lacrosse dressage saddle. Brown :D cos I'm perverse.
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No,you are not perverse. These saddles encourage the horse to round and relax the back. They do not cause pressure points and can be adjusted as the horse develops. They are also VERY comfortable for the rider.
As an added bonus,the UK branch is based in DEVON.
Worth every penny.

http://www.reactorpanelsaddles.com/
 
I love my Falcon Adler VSD GP saddle. It's very comfortable and looks smart too. :) My other boy has an Albion K2 GP which is also very comfortable and I especially like the fact that it has big knee rolls which I always like my saddles to have. :)
 
abitodd said:
No,you are not perverse. These saddles encourage the horse to round and relax the back. They do not cause pressure points and can be adjusted as the horse develops. They are also VERY comfortable for the rider.
As an added bonus,the UK branch is based in DEVON.
Worth every penny.

http://www.reactorpanelsaddles.com/
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It's brown because I'm perverse, not a ReactorPanel because I'm perverse :D. I am an independent fitter of RPs, and of Native Pony saddles. I used to work for the people now in Devon. I'd refer anyone to the owner of RP in the US before they deal with anyone in the UK.
 
sbloom said:
JH I agree with much of what you have written....BUT....saddle balance cannot be assessed from one photo with no rider. Balance is a dynamic thing - most saddles sit differently in each pace, usually highest at the back in trot, lower in canter and walk, and lowest at halt. Also, with a healthy back a saddle will sink slightly more at the front than the back when a rider gets on board - an unhealthy back or a too tall or heavy rider will make the back sink moe than the front. I agree the VSD is low behind, the angle of the panel looks odd across the back of the saddle, but I would need to see it ridden in to be sure. It is REALLY important that the weight of the rider is spread equally from front to back but it can take some time for the side effects of this balance being wrong to show. Something to reassess regularly.
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i agree with what you say, and also about the paces, ime saddles as such as shown will lift in trot, or be easy to move when stood .. ie with little pressue you are able to lift the back up. ( like most wintecs on most horses;))

the riders weight again yes plays a huge part, im a heavier rider and when on board one of the first things i check is wither to saddle width, then the tightness around the shoulders. even on horses that are not mine i do this.

what i really hate to see is muscle damage that is clearly caused by a saddle, its like wearing a bra..

oh and dont even get me started on changable gullets lol!
 
Here goes:-
Stubben Columbo MF Specials x 2
Stubben Daland MF Special
Stubben Edelweiss NT de luxe
Stubben Scandica CS
Stubben Genesis CS
Stubben Scandica Nova MF Special
Stubben Columbo Dressage saddle
And finally other half has
Stubben siegfried GP

Hmm bit of a trend going on here, methinks!! I do find them extremely comfortable. My favourite is probably the Edelweiss - built on a very different tree and a fraction of the weight of the others!
 
zt.. this one.. Stubben Scandica Nova MF Special

stubbens these days dont seem to be so popular, shame as well made saddles that last forever!

the horse the op originally asked about, the stubbens wont suit him, think HUGE shoulders, big barrel, wide in general, with a flat spine but he does have withers. he needs something crossed between a stubben and a cob type saddle (not wintecs, thorowogood the rear pannels wont sit on him.,)
 
jhoward said:
zt.. this one.. Stubben Scandica Nova MF Special

stubbens these days dont seem to be so popular, shame as well made saddles that last forever!

the horse the op originally asked about, the stubbens wont suit him, think HUGE shoulders, big barrel, wide in general, with a flat spine but he does have withers. he needs something crossed between a stubben and a cob type saddle (not wintecs, thorowogood the rear pannels wont sit on him.,)
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See, old Stubbens fit Reg well on the whole. However, the newer ones are very banana-shaped, and Reg isn't a banana, he's a horse with a pretty level back! There was a good 2/3 inches of air between his back and the back of the saddle, and increasing the length meant the back was pushing on his loins.
 
I have an Ideal Impala Pro Monoflap

It's the best saddle I have ever used for jumping and the flat!
It looks lovely and my leg position is much much better in it than anything else

My horse has improved so much since getting it

Had a Jeffries falcon hawk event but felt so far away from the horse and had a Pessoa legacy xch but my legs didn't fit on it so changed!
 
i ride in a strada multi and a wow currently, my other horses are in jeffries, ideals or albions. i live in devon and wouldnt touch nutwell or leonard coombe fitters with a barge pole - have personally seen their cockups on my own horses and friends
 
jhoward said:
zt.. this one.. Stubben Scandica Nova MF Special

stubbens these days dont seem to be so popular, shame as well made saddles that last forever!

the horse the op originally asked about, the stubbens wont suit him, think HUGE shoulders, big barrel, wide in general, with a flat spine but he does have withers. he needs something crossed between a stubben and a cob type saddle (not wintecs, thorowogood the rear pannels wont sit on him.,)
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I agree with you there thats the main problem with donna's saddle on him the whole thing jut doesnt sit in him very well.
 
sbloom said:
Colt saddles are few and far between but are made by a workshop I know well in Walsall and their quality is lovely :)
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really, i have asked everywhere no one has heard of them...
DSC00488.jpg
 
I have an Amerigo Alto dressage saddle and an Amerigo Vega GP saddle.
Admittedly cost a bomb but was toatlly worth it. My boy goes amazingly in both and they are the most comfortable saddles I have ever sat in.
Also if he changes shape at any time, I can send them off and they can be adjusted up or down as needed so in the long run proably cheaper.
 
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