Which dressage saddle....

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ldlp111

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Hi I need some help from you very knowledgable HHOer's :)

I am looking to get a dressage saddle for my horse, I have visited the local tack shops but nothing to even try :(
She is 15.1-2hh cobx tb, has big shoulders but isn't actually that wide (I think she's in a m/w 17inch kent and masters cob) she also has quite a flat back.

just wondering if you know of any tack shops with ones to try or any ideas on ones which will likely fit :confused:

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Any help much appreciated :)
 
My spotty is quite a similar shape to yours and I ended up having to go with a made to measure harry dabbs using a native showing tree with saddle leather.
The thoroughgood T6 cob dressage saddle almost fit him but he moved so much through the back that it got shifted but may be worth a try with yours.
 
What sort of budget are you looking at? Equipes fit well on flat backed horses, I'm currently hankering after one, but they're not cheap!
 
hiya we have a mare with a shape like yours, we found the old style isabell werth fitted really well, but have now moved upto the ideal jessica, its a wide fit. What makes have you tried in the past
 
I have a Kent and Masters and I love it. I saw a GP for sale for £450 the other day which is really cheap.
I had a supplier in my area come fit mine and ride in one.
If you know what inch you want - the gullet is changeable. I went from a wide old pony to a narrow horse in the same saddle.
 
I think Ideal saddles are fantastic value and I love them. I have a Jessica, which is their most basic model, with quite a flat seat and smallish knee roll and a Roella, which has a deeper seat and more knee support.

The Roella was only £1200 new, so you'd easily get a good second hand one for £800.

Have you tried Pointings Saddlery, near Bath? Otherwise you could try online with www.saddlesdirect.co.uk
 
DosyMare said:
I have a Kent and Masters and I love it. I saw a GP for sale for £450 the other day which is really cheap.
I had a supplier in my area come fit mine and ride in one.
If you know what inch you want - the gullet is changeable. I went from a wide old pony to a narrow horse in the same saddle.
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I currently have a kent and masters but it's causing problems around wither, looking for a second opinion on fit I guess but also now decided to try two different saddles as she went so well in the dressage one :)
Budget of £800 is for 2 saddles :)
 
nokia said:
hiya we have a mare with a shape like yours, we found the old style isabell werth fitted really well, but have now moved upto the ideal jessica, its a wide fit. What makes have you tried in the past
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Haven't tried any makes yet other than instructors which was made to measure for her horse :o Hence the problem as no saddlers around me have any secondhand ones to try :rolleyes: Am thinking will try equicraft not sure if they are too far away though :confused:
 
boxcarhorse said:
I think Ideal saddles are fantastic value and I love them. I have a Jessica, which is their most basic model, with quite a flat seat and smallish knee roll and a Roella, which has a deeper seat and more knee support.

The Roella was only £1200 new, so you'd easily get a good second hand one for £800.

Have you tried Pointings Saddlery, near Bath? Otherwise you could try online with www.saddlesdirect.co.uk
Click to expand...

I had an Ideal once, about 5 years ago, it was great but then I upgraded to a Stubben Maestoso http://www.dogwoodlondon.co.uk/shop/fine-saddle-selection/dressage-saddles/maestoso-dressage-saddle.html

It's so comfortable, the seat is quite deep, not as deep as the Ideal that I had, I can't remember the model, it may have been the Roella (I think that's the deepest they do), We both enjoy using it and she just looks fantastic kitted out in it, I'll upload a few pics if I can :)
 
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Saddles direct is best place to start, if you arent at all sure what will fit as you can try a few. Not as cheap as Ebay, but less risk wont fit.

If flat backed go for Sue Carson, Albion Legend, Ideal, Prestige. All have wide flat panels.

I bought an Albion Legend on ebay for Blob for £170....took a risk though that it would fit. MH has a Sue Carson for Fitzenburger as he is a flat backed carthorse (but hers was £2.5K :o) There are some 2nd hand ones around.

Good luck :)
 
FinnMcCoul said:
Saddles direct is best place to start, if you arent at all sure what will fit as you can try a few. Not as cheap as Ebay, but less risk wont fit.

If flat backed go for Sue Carson, Albion Legend, Ideal, Prestige. All have wide flat panels.

I bought an Albion Legend on ebay for Blob for £170....took a risk though that it would fit. MH has a Sue Carson for Fitzenburger as he is a flat backed carthorse (but hers was £2.5K :o) There are some 2nd hand ones around.

Good luck :)
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£2.5k wow. I do like Ideal I must admit, never used a Prestige myself but a friend of mine swears by them.
 
Hey - I know of a 17.5 MW Ideal Roella for sale if interested... I think they want about £800 but would possibly take offers...
 
We sold all the Devoucoux saddles we had accumulated to fund it ;)

Prestige tend to be quite pricey as well :(

An Ideal is prob your best bet, there are loads of them around. I tried a MW on Blob and it was too narrow (he's not that wide) so you poss need a wide....
 
Thanks for all your suggestions :)
She had an ideal (event i think) gp saddle wide and it was too wide and causing her to shoot off when I got on hence change of saddle :)
have called another saddler to see what they have got/ can suggest :)
 
I have just bought a dressage saddle from Barnsby, the "Theodon" - I absolutely love it, although my body is taking a while to get used to sitting in the correct position! I know that The Saddle Company do dressage saddles which are very popular and do come in cheaper options (i.e. synthetic under flap) too. Contact Berkeley Vale Saddlery, who source tack for specific requests.
 
Barnsby get my vote - have 2 dressage (one Kanter for one horse and one of the more expensive ones for the other) and one GP really good leather, excellent position and fit both my horses, who are very different shapes. Barnsby also v helpful. Bought one of Saddles Direct and the other 2 privately.
 
Well saddle fitter has been, gullet in current saddle was changed to next size up (orange one) didn't have any secondhand dressage ones to try :( but have been advised a ideal jessica should fit well just looking for one now :)
 
There is an Albion legend on ebay atm (it's nothing to do with me, I just spotted it browsing saddles for my youngster!). It's listed as Albion legend 5000 dressage saddle and is a 17 1/2. It's brown and has a buy it now of £400 :0)
 
Well thought i'd update on saddle issues.....
She is alot happier with the gp now and doesn't chuck her head back at me when I get off :) she also started to go fairly nice at times in lesson yesterday :)
Had saddler out today to check fit of the ideal jessica I bought, it needed alot of changing, have got it to fit fairly nice now. I had a couple of rides in it but C didn't seem very happy in it but whether that's because she had lesson yesterday and is abit sore from that :( But gonna try it again and then go from there I guess.

:)
 
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