Total contact saddle.....opinions...........

[mayoguinness]

Hi, my friends recently got a total contact saddle which she really likes, been on holiday so not been to yard yet but hopefully tomorrow going to try it:) Just looked on the site and at first tbh I had to laugh......just looks like a pair of stirrups with a girth atatched:o What does everyone else think?? If I like it tomorrow, I'm going to possibly look into asking if they can make a synthetic one of them:rolleyes: Opinions very welcome.
MG.xx

[CurlyWurlyRach]

if it looks like you describe id be very worried about pressure distribution.

[mayoguinness]

oops forgot to post the link....yep that is a point, just a matter of trying and seeing I guess. http://www.total-contact.co.uk/ take a look;)

[coss]

this makes me dubious... http://www.total-contact.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=9 as i don't think it is a good position. nor does the dressage rider look in THE best of positions http://www.total-contact.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?album=2&pos=12 (not saying its bad but i'm very dubious about how it puts you in a good position and how the weight distribution is on the horse)

[mayoguinness]

why?

[ashlingm]

http://www.total-contact.co.uk/gallery/displayimage.php?album=4&pos=4 is that the picture your on about...bit different to the close contact saddles ice seen...

[CurlyWurlyRach]

the dressage riders lower leg is too far forward and i dont actually know what to say about the jumping position.

[mayoguinness]

:confused:

[mayoguinness]

cross posted

[coss]

the internation dressage rider has a chair seat with the total contact saddle - at her level i would have thought she wouldn't, the jumping man doesn't look secure to me - i am a very dubious person though.

the idea that it fits all horses is good though :)

[BeachRiding]

That's just weird...

[Shadowlark]

Hmm to be quite honest, there is no allowance for stirrup preassure.. nothing to dissipate the force pushing down on the spine.

It's a very common problem with treeless designs - and is not solved with this one I don't think. They even admit on the FAQ section that they have no testing and are just going with "other treeless saddles working"

SO I would suspect that a lot of people who have had success using this piece of equipment were coming off of poorly fitted saddles and trees, so yes they would notice a massive difference in the way the horse works.. but long term I would think many horses woudl develop sores spots and preassure points.

[Adk_Katie]

I actually wouldn't even call that a saddle.

[jowyles]

"Note how the lower leg stays in perfect position on the girth and how Mario uses his balance and 'looking' to effect a perfect jump."

Were they looking at the same picture i was looking at!!!! What a joke he looks likes hes going to fly off! Infact all the jumping ones are terrible and looking VERY insecure, ive seen people jumping barebakc who look better. Its just another gimmick.

[NicP]

Mmm - in the pics in the links posted by Coss, I wouldn't want a position like either of them...

[mayoguinness]

not good then........well I'll still have ago....you never know:o Try and get some pictures so you can see what you think:)

[ponies-R-gr8!!!]

That is really strange, i'm not sure if i would like a position like that either! good luck MG for going to try it:)

[sonnet]

Looks bloody awful!!All of the pics says, 'see how the rider has his/her leg on the girth' when it's about 6 miles behind the girth...:rolleyes: Also in the jumping pic that coss posted he is just standing straight up- hardly any bend at the knee and no jump position at all.....:eek:

[mayoguinness]

well I tried it today....just about to do a thread on it;)

[Rips]

"The ideal situation would be to genetically engineer a horse to have a ‘D’ – ring growing on his ribs which I could hang stirrups off. Stirrups are all a jumper really needs”

When that is the view of the guy who designed it - I would be staying well clear! :p What about what the horse needs!
None of the jumping pictures are inspiring either!

[keep the faith]

"Note how the lower leg stays in perfect position on the girth and how Mario uses his balance and 'looking' to effect a perfect jump."

Were they looking at the same picture i was looking at!!!! What a joke he looks likes hes going to fly off! Infact all the jumping ones are terrible and looking VERY insecure, ive seen people jumping barebakc who look better. Its just another gimmick.

He was jumping bareback. look closely you can see the leathers in a loop in front of him! Hes hanging on for grim life with his heels! that saddle is doing nothing to keep in in position.:eek:

[Legs]

Never done briddleless before, just looks a bit scary.:o Sorry if i sounded rude, just don't know much about it:rolleyes:

[mayoguinness]

I don't know what the isue is with no bridle?? I've done bridleless riding plenty of times!!!

[chev]

There's a photograph of Elwyn Hartley Edwards riding canter with no bridle in a book published 20+ years ago. Bridleless is nothing new!!

Have to admit I'd be reluctant to use this 'saddle' - it looks to me like the rider's weight is going to be concentrated over the spine because of the way the stirrups are fixed; there's no distribution of rider weight at all :eek:

[Joyscarer]

I'd be worried about the concentration of weight given my obvious riding problems.

I do think that for somebody that is used to riding bareback and just wanting 'a little bit more' every now and again for short sessions then it should be too much of a problem. With somebody like me that relies on their stirups too much and goes on mega hacks I would need that considerable weight to be evenly spread for the sake of the horse :o

[helenc]

If I wanted 'Total Contact' then I'd ride bareback ;)

This just seems like another gimmick to me - one that won't really do either rider or horse any favours, in fact it could end up causing them both pain - particularly the horse

[mayoguinness]

Thinking about using a Hether Mothet backsaver with it wich should help. I've found it much more comfortable then any other saddle I've ever ridden in, treed, treeless or otherwise!! Mayo's never moved so well in a saddle or so willingly and I've never been so balanced, rode out todays, walk trot and canter - it was brilliant!! I understand what your saying but so far for me its worked really well:)

[Keket]

Thinking about using a Hether Mothet backsaver with it wich should help. I've found it much more comfortable then any other saddle I've ever ridden in, treed, treeless or otherwise!! Mayo's never moved so well in a saddle or so willingly and I've never been so balanced, rode out todays, walk trot and canter - it was brilliant!! I understand what your saying but so far for me its worked really well:)

Nobody's saying that it didn't work well today. People are worried about your horse's well being down the road if you continue to ride in it. I do think you're better off just putting that money towards a proper treeless saddle. The pictures they show are appalling. All the riders are in an awful chair seat and all the jumpers are in positions that are down right dangerous. I urge you to reconsider.

[CurlyWurlyRach]

He was jumping bareback. look closely you can see the leathers in a loop in front of him! Hes hanging on for grim life with his heels! that saddle is doing nothing to keep in in position.:eek:

haha yes your right there keep the faith. IMHO that is not the kind of position i would want over a jump - he isnt hald going to crash back down on the other side *ouch*