Hey guys! I am about ready to buy my first saddle. I ride hunter/jumper. I am in search for a close-contact all purpose saddle - leather. I ride a horse at my barn but she will be moving back to her home state in the summer for camp so I will be changing horses this summer, but in the fall she will be back at my barn. So I'll be with her during the year. With that in mind, how am I suppose to find a saddle that can work for her and my summer horse? I see a lot of posts about people saying what fits YOU and YOUR horse. Also, we have 2 stores where we can "try out" the saddle. But what exactly am I looking for? And should I go ahead and buy my stirrups and leathers so I can have a perfect trial?
I am well aware that a used saddle can cost anywhere from $200-$1000 maybe more. My goal is $500-$800 because I do want one that is appeasing to the eye as well as being able to last for years. At the barn, I have used my trainer's Stubben and a teammate's Collegiate, and I think one that starts with an L.... I usually feel more stable in the Stubben. Is that what I want? A secure feeling? I think I feel more secure though because the stirrups (unlike the others) are my height. Any thoughts? Or advice? Everything is helpful!
I read a few red flags in your post....
First off your stirrups should always be adjusted to your leg length so you have a secure leg and base of support for your riding and safety!
Your trainer should be offering guidance in what style of close contact saddle to search for...certain brands are notorious for certain seat positions attained.
Now me...if I was looking for a saddle that could fit a variety of very similar built horses I would want a spring tree of "normal/wide" width.
Stubbens were known to have deeper seats, spring trees that last and last with good care.
A "secure" feeling when you sat in it.
Your own stirrup leathers and stirrups will at least afford you of a even set of leathers not stretched out and sitting you with lop-sided pressure from one leg longer than the other....that can make a huge difference in "feel" of the saddle.
I find there is a lot more "forgiveness" in the fit of a English saddle over a western saddle but saddle fit is first and foremost for the horse and only once it fits the horse correctly should the rider fit & comfort be addressed...
A improper fitting English saddle can ruin a horse and can ruin a riders form...
A improper fitting saddle, English or western can ruin a horse and can ruin a riders form...fixed that omission.
Again, my opinion but "your trainer" should be assisting and offering advice in what to look for and why, let alone going with you to help you achieve that perfect support all riders need to complement each of us as individuals.
Going it alone from "advice" of strangers who know not you, your riding strength and weaknesses is truly just not smart....
Your trainer is your first line of help you should seek out.... jmo...
:runninghorse2:...
Wow. Did not have to be rude about it. I was simply asking advice on what to look for in a used saddle. I wasn't asking how my equitation looks or if I need to heighten my jumps. Simply asking for saddle advice which might I add has nothing really to do with the skills of my riding (except hunter/jumper or western tack). Simply just asking what to look for. Thanks.
It will be hard to find a saddle that will fit both horses - usually finding one to fit a single horse and yourself is a challenge! If the horses are built similarly then fitting might be a little easier and you could possibly help fit by using a pad with shims, assuming you fit to the wider horse. Fit to the narrower horse and you won't be able to fit it to the wider. But that said, in my experience Stubbens do tend to fit a variety of horses (for example, I used a Stubben Siegfried on both a tb mare (with riser pad) and a wider draft cross) and they are usually pretty good quality and last.
Personally I am a big fan of older Stubbens (you could probably tell...) but go to the tack shop and sit in a ton of different saddles. You'll get a feel of what feels good or not, but also take your trainer or someone with experience along so they can give input. Good luck!
I've only ridden in a couple stubbens but I didn't like them...
My first saddle was a an all-purpose, it was a cheap argentine leather and I think it came as a package (saddle/girth/stirrups and leathers) for $125. Believe it or not, that thing fit all sorts of horses with no issues and lasted a good fifteen years.
My next saddle was an HDR with a full QH bar. My QH outgrew it when he turned three so I bought an m. Toulouse. By far my FAVORITE saddle but... My QH outgrew it in a year. The Toulouse makes a saddle, I think it's the genesis with an adjustable tree. You just screw it and it go's wider or narrower as needed. I wanted that saddle SO bad because I LOVED the one I had, I think it was the Annice. BUT... My QH was too wide for it, even at it's widest. He is Impressive bred and even though he is HYPP/NN, he still has the halter horse build in the shoulders so he's really broad there. I ended up getting the Bates. New it was a little over $2K so I'm guessing that you could get an older used version for $1000 or even less. The Bates has a gullet system so you can change it out to fit the horse. Now, it's not the easiest thing to do. I struggled when I changed it out to put the extra wide gullet on it, but my husband switched it really quick.
The toulouse is definitely easier to adjust with the screw method.
But that's my suggestion - look for brands with adjustable gullets. I would also suggest a close contact over the all purpose. I think the close contact is more versatile.
PS - I agree with horselovinguy in that you should be adjusting the stirrups for you. Sometimes you have to adjust them on your personal saddle depending on the horse you ride. For instance, I have to raise the holes when I switch from my 16.2 guy to my 14.2 guy...
Please don't take offense, OP. I do not think horselovingguy was being rude , at all. direct, yes, rude? no.
the long and the short of it is, get a few suggestions from your trainer, because he/she knows how you ride, who you ride and that will help pin things down a lot.
I don't know much about Stubben close contacts, but some of the older ones I've seen have a very narrow channel. maybe not as comfy for horse as more modern designs.
can you go sit in the seat of some, at that store, on a stand? that's what I used to do, when I had a yen to buy a new saddle.
My intention was not to be "rude".... :icon_frown: I was not picking on your riding style... Apologies if you think it was meant that way.
Thank-you to those who recognized my writing style was not intended rudeness. How I wish voice inflection and tone could be conveyed in written text..
:runninghorse2:....
Here are some random thoughts on cc saddles:
twist width -- It can vary. Some cc saddles are so narrow that they are uncomfortable to sit down in and must have been made more for 2-point. Some like the Duetts that are made for wide horses have a wide twist. The HDR Advantage and Pro CC have a wide twist. Twist width is a thing that has to work with the rider's conformation.
Seat depth: I think a moderate depth is good. I don't jump, but too flat of a seat like the HDR Pro CC seems to lack a sweet spot and give little support for the rider. And too deep can be hard to get up out of for jumps. Most of the French saddles seem to have a good bit of dish / depth, as do Stubben Edleweiss and Artus and some others.
Position of stirrup hanger / bar relative the the dip or sweet spot of the seat: This is what gives people problems with the legs especially for jumping, if the distance between stirrup leather and dip is not right. If it's too long, it makes the leg slide back and rider is constantly crawling up to try to get over the stirrup bars again. Too short, and you'll find the stirrup leather buckle is under your thigh. And too short can rock you forward on your pelvis. Those are just my opinions, as is once you figure out what your optimal distance is from stirrup leather to dip of the seat, it won't change much regardless of whether you are riding a close contact, dressage, AP, or a saddleseat cutback. When the stirrup leather is hung in the right place for you, it feels natural. When it's not, you fight the saddle.
Seat & flap: The "hand width behind your butt" rule is nonsense for a cc seat length. It's an ancient rule for dressage and AP saddles that have real deep seats that suck up the sitting room. A flatter seat does not have to be that big! Thigh length determines forwardness of flap. Booty size determines how long the actual seat has to be. Slender rider with small booty and long thigh needs a *forward flap* not a longer seat. Long seats mess up that leather-to-dip distance and cause chair seat. If you have a short lower leg below the knee and a long thigh, you might need forward flap but short flap. If you are long legged, maybe a long forward flap. This is why the expensive French saddles come in so many options.
Layered "sticky" leather is what's hot. But it's less durable than single thickness leather. People choose sticky leather for its grip. But over time it can delaminate and bubble, it can stretch, it can get holds in it in wear areas like where boots rub and stirrup leathers rub. Toulouse saddles in layered leather are well-known for being some of the least durable but budget friendly layered leather saddles.
Tree fit: What you pick depends on the breeds you ride. If you ride warmbloods, you need wider and flatter tree that for most TBs. It's been said that a 90 degree gullet angle fits "the most" horses. 86 degree is narrow. Amount of curve or rocker needed varies. Stubben is a curvy tree that works for TB. Collegiate Convertible / Bates / Wintec cc trees are all the same tree. If one of those brands fits or doesn't, those others will fit / not fit the same because they are the same tree.
I agree with chatting with your trainer about it.
If you're looking to purchase something new, they can point you in the direction of brands that are suited to your needs (needs that we can't know from just a paragraph on HF ). If you're looking for something used, they may even have something you can purchase, or know someone who's looking to sell.
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
The Horse Forum
3.4M posts
92.6K members
Since 2006
A forum community dedicated to horse owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeding, grooming, reviews, health, behavior, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more!