Bella
Olympic Poster
Posts: 506
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Post by Bella on Nov 23, 2011 20:04:53 GMT 1
Well I have my favourite saddle, my hubby bought it as a suprise shortly after the saddler had been. It's the Albion Ultima Royale.
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Post by june on Nov 24, 2011 0:10:15 GMT 1
The Albion Selectas fit most of the polo ponies really well. The backwards sloping points mean they don't impede the shoulder and the shape of the tree seems to work well for many of ours.
Schleese saddles are what I'm looking at at the moment for one horse that I can't get anything to fit properly. They are adjustable and the points of the tree can be opened on one side to accommodate the horse's larger shoulder. The female seat is also an attractive feature. It gives support under the tail bone - men have a longer tail bone so don't need that support - and allows you to sit in alignment without any effort.
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Derek Clark
Grand Prix Poster
Olympic Poster
Posts: 1,369
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Post by Derek Clark on Nov 24, 2011 21:03:12 GMT 1
We use a variety of semi-flex saddles made by either Nick Dolman or Barry Swain. we have them all fitted by Kay Humphries, though. The main reason is because all our horses love them, but one does have to learn to balance well as they are designed for the horse first rather than to hold the rider in any specific position. The semi-flex has a tree to spread the rider's weight but has flexible points. It can be adjusted to fit more or less any horse and once adjusted will accommodate a range of horses slightly wider or narrower than it's set to. As a riding school with several horses, it's great to know that we can use a high quality saddle on each horse without having to splash out a fortune buying a separate one for each individual. We also like the fact that Kay insists they are all built on a relatively flat tree (ie the same shape as the part of the horse's back that bears the weight) rather than the banana trees that are often used to create the 'deep seat' but which cause localised pressure points. A key reason why we always use Kay is because she checks that the saddles have been produced correctly (ie symmetrically). It's scarily surprising how often that isn't the case in the saddles our clients often arrive with (on their 'problem' horses... )
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Post by sara on Nov 24, 2011 21:18:30 GMT 1
I absolutely adore my WOW saddle. Wouldnt get anything else now
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susan in greece
Olympic Poster
"you can't stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf" Joseph Goldstein
Posts: 556
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Post by susan in greece on Nov 25, 2011 6:19:47 GMT 1
barefoot treeless.
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Post by rosemaryhannah on Nov 25, 2011 11:31:03 GMT 1
I have a Dag, no longer made,which is my favourite, but after that, a Barefoot. The Dag is broad and soft and has a Western-style front panel which saved many a fall with Jacob was younger and more erratic. It is a broad soft saddle with much padding and a non-slip suede seat. I can sit in a good position pretty easily, but I have more-than-usually flexible hips which helps. It is a simple matter to set the stirrups back on it as it has three positions for them. I have a Freeform too, but I find it hard to get the stirrups far enough back without the buckle hitting into my thigh. The Barefoot needs more in the way of saddle pads, but again lets me sit in a good position as a rider.
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Post by june on Nov 25, 2011 14:12:06 GMT 1
We use a variety of semi-flex saddles made by either Nick Dolman or Barry Swain. we have them all fitted by Kay Humphries, though. The main reason is because all our horses love them, but one does have to learn to balance well as they are designed for the horse first rather than to hold the rider in any specific position. The one I have on the horse I'm now looking at the Schleese saddle for is a Barry Swain and was made to measure for her. I'm with you on the learning to balance in them as they simply don't hold you in position! My issue with the saddle is I just can't find any way to stop it shifting, especially in canter. I've got away with it for quite a long time as the serge panels and the short points angled backwards are quite forgiving, but now I appear to have found a solution sadly for the bank balance I can't ignore it any longer. Sometimes I wish I could "unknow" stuff!
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Derek Clark
Grand Prix Poster
Olympic Poster
Posts: 1,369
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Post by Derek Clark on Nov 27, 2011 16:23:33 GMT 1
Hi June,
I've been following your 'adventures with Schleese' with interest ;D I would have loved to come to the lecture but it was just before YHL and we were going bonkers to get ready in time. I'm keen to hear you you get on long term if you get one...
Derek
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Post by dalesfan on Nov 27, 2011 17:28:42 GMT 1
I use Barefoot saddles for mine and get on with them really well....suit both my cobby girl and my high withered TB, can really feel the movement and they seem to spread the pressure evenly as long as the correct pad is used.
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Azrael
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 2,733
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Post by Azrael on Nov 27, 2011 21:48:08 GMT 1
Farrington VSD saddles. Unfortunately Roxy is currently fat and hers is too narrow so making do with a Wintec Wide at the moment which is never going to be voted my favourite saddle!
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Post by nich on Nov 28, 2011 10:38:58 GMT 1
thanks for explaining it better than i could Derek!!
I have 2 of the semi flexes, and having had nothing but Kay's saddles for 10 years I hope her flat seats have improved mine! I am constantly amazed by how unquestioningly riders gravitate towards 'deep seats' to hold them in position, without thinking about the impact on the horse.
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big e
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 2,055
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Post by big e on Nov 28, 2011 21:02:40 GMT 1
All mine have Wintec's, adjustable, easy to clean etc and i have to say comfortable. Plus affordable.
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Post by june on Nov 29, 2011 0:09:32 GMT 1
Hi June, I've been following your 'adventures with Schleese' with interest ;D I would have loved to come to the lecture but it was just before YHL and we were going bonkers to get ready in time. I'm keen to hear you you get on long term if you get one... Derek I have one on order so I'll keep you posted. The change in attitude and paces from the horse when I tried the saddle yesterday and again today was such that I could no longer ignore it. I agree in general about deeper seats that simply lock you into position, but while this saddle does have a deeper seat than I'm used to, the angle at which the pelvis sits allows me to synchronise my movements with the horse much more easily than I can in the flatter seat saddle she has currently. It allows me to absorb the movement in sitting trot much more easily because the curve remains in my spine which can then flex appropriately. As someone put it today, technology has moved massively in pretty much every other sporting equipment you can think of other than saddles, which have been virtually unchanged for several hundred years. When you see a male pelvis and a female pelvis sat on a saddle it really brings it home how different they are and how the balance point of each is different and therefore the saddle set up needs to be different.
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daisysp8
Grand Prix Poster
People only see what they are prepared to see
Posts: 2,120
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Post by daisysp8 on Nov 29, 2011 19:25:20 GMT 1
Another Vote for the Freeform, the most comfortable saddle i have ever ridden in, and a happy, forward going pony
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Post by papershoes on Nov 30, 2011 23:44:38 GMT 1
I tried 2 Heather Moffett saddles - a Vogue GPT and a Fhoenix. So comfy and such a great concept for the horse, unfortunately my boy is such an odd shape I was unable to get them to fit correctly. Now I use a Jeffries Event High Wither Saddle and it is the ONLY saddle I can get to fit him in a way I'm happy with Lovely big knee rolls for me too. Used with a Heather Moffett seat saver it is lovely!
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