XC/Jump saddles - a minefield. any info/experience appreciated.

kerilli

kerilli

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Right, saddler booked for Saturday, am provisionally looking at Barnsby, Ideal, Prestige, Bates, Excelle, maybe Antares and Southern Star if don't get sorted on Saturday.
any comments gratefully received, thankyou.
horse is t.b., i'm 5'10"...
oh, and as you can see, anything that might help my position would be great...
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Well i currently upgraded from a pessoa to an amerigo vega at christmas and i absolutely love it, not too pricey and really comfortable and seems to have helped my position
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Prestige saddles are great too, especially seem to be good for narrow horses. Ideal saddles are very comfortable!!
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dont think that really helps you but anyway!!
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I have a bates momentum, it was pretty expensive but soooo comfortable.
If you get one with a saddle with an easy change gullet system, the saddle width can be fixed easily, which has come in handy as horses shape can change.
 
i went from a pessoa,( didnt feel safe in it on the xc) (knee rolls) 2 an albion k2jump was gr8 for my position but think (like all saddles i spose) they need to be fitted very well, and right for the horse is also very important,
 
At work we have the Albions. I haven't yet sat in the brand new one, as horse has just come back into work but if it is anything like the others it will be fab.
My boss is about 5'10 too and the horses are TBs.
They also have a bates which is apparently very comfortable, I haven't sat on it, but the knee blocks take some getting used to.

I have the GP version of the Barnsby and love it, but that is on a cob.
 
well the only saddle i had last year was a dressage saddle i evented all last season in a dressage saddle (even xc
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) i have never had a jumping saddle before but we going novice almost straight away this season so thought a jumping saddle may be i vital inveatment. managed to get hold of a very nice prestige appolusa it was second hand but in very good consition and i think its great. im quite long in the leg but this saddle seems great!!
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ermmm

have had an ancient pessoa saddle which i adore, but cant stand the newer models!

excelle saddles are absolutely gorgeous but ive got a ridiculously long leg from knee to thigh so never really fitted them, but they are really really lovely saddles

currently riding in albion kontacts and omg they are the nicest saddle short of devoucoux that i have sat in
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good luck, its a total minefield but from past experience if you buy one you really like it will last you years, buy one you sort of like but its cheaper than the one you really like and you'll be outing it in a few years...
 
I use a butet x country saddle for my tb. It fits her really well, she is a bit asymetrical in front and I have had problems with saddles rubbing behind but have not had this problem with a butet. They have quite a few different shapes of tree which help.

I am not as tall as you but have a very similar style (from what I can see in your signature anyaway) and feel very secure, also I have a 3 flap as I am very long from hip to knee and get trapped behind blocks in quite a few saddles.

My friend who is your height has a prestige (not sure which one - it is double flap though) and it fits her very sharp withered tb very well. She loves it.
 
Defo recommend Prestige single flap. Really comfortable, great for position and really gives you a good feel. May make you feel like you'd fall off but it keeps my lower leg in such a great position!
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ermmm

have had an ancient pessoa saddle which i adore, but cant stand the newer models!

excelle saddles are absolutely gorgeous but ive got a ridiculously long leg from knee to thigh so never really fitted them, but they are really really lovely saddles

currently riding in albion kontacts and omg they are the nicest saddle short of devoucoux that i have sat in
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good luck, its a total minefield but from past experience if you buy one you really like it will last you years, buy one you sort of like but its cheaper than the one you really like and you'll be outing it in a few years...

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THis may seem like a weird question! But what length is your upper leg? As i have long legs and an exselle mono flap event saddle...........
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ermmm i dont know, but the mono flap excelle saddle that i was comfortable in was 18"... I used the excelle saddle on the ponies at 16.5" as they couldnt take anything any longer on theyre backs and it was the best that we tried (couldnt afford to have an albion saddle made for the sake of 2 years as they dont make the kontact that short)

Tried an excelle 17.5 and 18 when i got the horses and the 18 was fine, but really was too long for the horses, whereas the albion at 17.5 wasnt interfering with horses and i wasnt coming off the back of it at all, whereas even in the excelle i was drifting off the back a bit when my knee was in correct position using knee rolls properly... that was the only reason i couldnt really ride in the excelle as comfortably "measure for measure" so to speak... cost wise if i could have it at 18" or more i probably would as i loved it, its just we managed to find a kontact for the same price and is that smidgen more forward cut!
 
Am currently looking too as my Bates Momentum, although a lovely lovely saddle just doesnt fit me. Am currently in a Barnsby Pro Milton (borrowed!) and my horse is jumping well in it and I sit 100% better in it. Barnsby saddles are fantastic, but maybe a little limited in range, so great if they have what you want
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I have long legs (hip to knee) I have a bates caprilli close contact a bates event momentum and a monoflap vinici which im currently selling on ebay(again) and I love my mono flap the most its the comfy ist but it doesnt fit my horse anymore.

I had lots of probs with my leg length.Couldnt have a amerigo and didnt like pessoa. I had a K2 which was ok but not as nice as my bates.

I have 2 horses im not a saddle addict!
 
BB's - I tried an Xtreem a few weeks ago. I didn't feel that secure in it but it was just as well as when he told me the price there was no way I could have had it even if I had loved it
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Very nicely made saddle though....
 
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BB's - I tried an Xtreem a few weeks ago. I didn't feel that secure in it but it was just as well as when he told me the price there was no way I could have had it even if I had loved it
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Very nicely made saddle though....

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Giggles! yes i did a sharp gulp when they told me lol

I think its because its similar to my excelle which is why i felt fine. I rode in Mrs T's Devoucoux in December, OMG that saddle was LUSH
 
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I was just glad I didn't like it!! I did end up going for a different CC single flap saddle that seemed to put me in a better position. Fun sitting in different saddles isn't it?
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Ooo love it.
Love going to my saddlers place, I end up spending way too much tho lol
 
This is the exact problem I had couldnt get a saddler that stocked more then one single flap/event saddle so had to just bite the bullet go on comments from people and order the one I liked off the net and then got my saddler out to fit it/flock it etc
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