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Post by sheepdip on Feb 8, 2012 22:59:14 GMT
Hi, I'm looking at buying a dressage saddle this year for my young warmblood. Will probably have to opt for 2nd hand as I would like to consider the top end of the market and know that some of the new prices may be out of my budget. I have a Falcon dressage saddle that I bought 20yrs ago and its still like new (seeing as my horse got run over the year after) but it would be too small to even think about trying on my warmblood. I've never sat in a saddle with the big knee rolls and blocks. Are they easier to ride in than the dressage saddles that don't have them and what makes and models seem to be popular at the moment? Thanks
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Post by sageandonion on Feb 9, 2012 9:17:14 GMT
If your horse is very young, then I would opt for one of the changeable gullet dressage saddles as he will change shape. Thereafter, these are very easy to sell on if the back no longer fits.
With regard to thigh rolls, you need to sit in the saddle to decide. The very large extended type rolls are great for those at higher levels who sit to to trot, but are often restrictive if you wish to rise. Your shape and build makes a huge difference again with some saddles better for long skinnies and others suitable to dumpties.
Everyone has their favourite saddles. If you have an everyday budget, then a good starting point would be a Bates Caprilli and you can move on to the more substantial block and price wise once you have a feel of riding in that one.
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Post by sbloom on Feb 9, 2012 10:34:30 GMT
Changeable gullet saddles are not the answer for every horse: saddlefitter.blogspot.com/2009/11/from-tree-up-sub-topic-adjustable-trees.html#moreAs a fitter I'd never recommend looking to what is popular as a guide to what to buy. Yes many saddles over the last 20 years have got honking great knee blocks and deep seats but they don't suit me, that's for sure! I have a dressage ReactorPanel (in brown!) with a GP tree/seat and a small block that I place high up so it supports my leg but is above my knee, giving me more room. The best thing you can do is work with a fitter who can understand what will work for you and your horse, anything that someone else recommends works for them and their horse and it is 99% certain that the two of you are different! |
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Post by sheepdip on Feb 9, 2012 12:30:15 GMT
Thanks for both your replies. You've put forward some very interesting thoughts and suggestions giving me alot of food for thought.
It would be lovely to find a place that had several dressage saddles for me to try all in one session I suppose. That way I'd get an idea of what I would need to be looking for in order to accomodate my shape and riding preferences. Then I'd just need to narrow that "style" of dressage saddle" down until I found one that fit my horse nicely.
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Post by sageandonion on Feb 9, 2012 13:04:01 GMT
The reason I suggested the changeable (and absolutely of course it must fit) and specifically the Caprilli is it will give you a feel for the modern day dressage saddle. Thereafter they are so very easy to sell should you want to move to something different and they are more readily available to buy secondhand.
Once you get out to competitions, you will see other saddles and be able to form a comparison. You will then have a better idea about what you like and what you don't.
A really nice dressage saddle will cost your up to £3K. You may be perfectly happy with it for a few months and it may fit you and your horse well, suddenly it fits no more and you are left with the selling dilemma. You end up losing maybe £2K of that money if you can sell at all.
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Post by country girl on Feb 11, 2012 22:43:01 GMT
have you concidered a soft tree saddle designed by heather moffett they will fit ant shape horse and will adapt to change of shape as they have no fixed tree they also come with moveable knee rolls check out enlightend equetrain or google heather moffett if your intreasted i have a vogue one for sale
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Post by sbloom on Feb 12, 2012 9:55:08 GMT
Thanks for both your replies. You've put forward some very interesting thoughts and suggestions giving me alot of food for thought. It would be lovely to find a place that had several dressage saddles for me to try all in one session I suppose. That way I'd get an idea of what I would need to be looking for in order to accomodate my shape and riding preferences. Then I'd just need to narrow that "style" of dressage saddle" down until I found one that fit my horse nicely. I will say that you generally need to get it the other way around - find a selection (sometimes quite small!) that will fit your horse and then decide which one suits YOU best. Riders can adapt to a certain extent, though you definitely need a saddle that is basically right for you, but horses HAVE to have a saddle that fits. The dressage models I sell are less than £1500, there are plenty of choices out there and if you buy second hand you will often as not get your money back anyway. If you buy a new traditional saddle on a beech laminate tree then many fitters will adjust that tree a handful of times, if the horse changes shape. I would seek a recommendation for a good local saddle fitter who carries plenty of used stock, if that suits your budget, and go from there. Don't have fixed ideas about wanting a "top end" saddle - and I do have to ask, by too small do you mean that your saddles is too narrow for your current horse? If the seat length suits you, then there is no reason not to at least try it on your horse even if it looks a little dinkym, if that is what you meant by too smal  |
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Post by nightwish on Feb 13, 2012 21:58:05 GMT
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Post by sheepdip on Feb 23, 2012 22:07:58 GMT
Thanks guys for the suggestions.
Had never even thought of treeless dressage saddles. Have ridden in my friends GP treeless and it was like an armchair so its something I wouldn't dismiss.
My Falcon saddle is immaculate but very old style, in that it has very little in the way of knee rolls. It looks brand new but I bought it when I was in my 20's and I had alot smaller bum then! Lol! (Have wondered about trying it on her though - and also wondered if a saddler could fit blocks or large knee rolls to an existing dressage saddle that didn't have them?)
Think I'm going to just have to get out there and start trying some out.
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Post by B_31 on Feb 23, 2012 22:33:27 GMT
I have a 5 year old warmblood x who has a barnsby dressage - love it - ded comfy however its very "plain" so my next one im after is the ideal jessica! mine was £700 2nd hand |
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Post by horseyll81 on Feb 24, 2012 8:10:59 GMT
I LOOOOOOVVVVEEEE my Ideal Jessica!!
its one of those saddles that seems to fit almost anything it sits on and just needs a little tweaking from a saddler if any at all. I have used mine on a range of horses and I keep looking at all these posher dressage saddles like Albions but would rather I was comfortable and balanced in the saddle in order for the horse to be more comfortable too :-)
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Post by waspblue on Mar 3, 2012 23:51:39 GMT
Have had both Albion and Barnsby dressage saddles in the past and loved them but one of my very favourite ever dressage saddles was one by DEVER, it was so comfortable and secure to ride in and had the most wonderful soft seat made of a kind of 'tacky' leather to stick me to the saddle seat - and oh boy, did it work well!
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Post by sheepdip on Mar 9, 2012 21:53:08 GMT
Firstly, thanks for all your thoughts.
Have already looked at the Ideal Jessicas on ebay 2nd hand and thought that I could maybe try buying one that was the correct width for my youngster then get a saddler to check if it needed reflocking or altering to suit. Am thinking that I would probably still have change out of £600 and if I ever wanted to replace it, they seem to be a very popular saddle and so I should still be able to get back a big chunk of my original outlay back relatively easily.
Do you reckon that its worth "biting the bullet" and going for a 2nd hand Jessica?
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Post by sageandonion on Mar 10, 2012 10:55:23 GMT
The Ideal Susanna is gorgeous and really in demand secondhand.
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Post by GinaGeo on Mar 10, 2012 14:29:45 GMT
You've just got to remember that there's more to a saddle fitting correctly than the width. The actual tree has to be the right shape etc. Do you have a saddle fitter that sells second hand saddles?
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