Dressage saddles.. wots hot n wots not

[kt_luvs_smartie]

hey does anyone have a favourite make of dressage saddle or a make they find absolute rubbish? hope fully when i get my horse we can get one so please give me all the info u can:D

[horse__obsessed]

albion :wub:

[charlotte+jill!]

passier and butet ....def butet if i could afford it

tho my friends ideal jessica i really quite liked.... good value for money!

[ponylover88]

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[eml]

I like Albion, daughter likes Passier and on school horses we often use Thorowgoods. Hard to sit in now is ancient (60's) flat seated one which although it does position you really well has no depth or knee, thigh rolls so very demanding!

[IrisSilverMoon]

i have a county competitor, its one of the older ones, but still pretty nice. the new ones are an ABSOLUTE dream.

[kt_luvs_smartie]

thanks guys n ponylover il defo come and ride Gem cant wait for yaz to cme back!!!!

[Bay Mare]

I love my SBS and am hoping to get the Vogue when they come out (both treeless by Heather Moffett).

I love Lauriche treed saddles but they're not made any more :(

[Wally]

Some well known make mentioned (Hangs head in shame) I was employed to make and cannot endorse them or the attitude of the management!

But hey, what the eyes don't see the heart cannot grieve for!

The best dressage saddle I ever rode in was Heather Moffetts Barry Swaine saddle.

[ponylover88]

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[skips and soda]

I had an Ideal Jessica for a while, but it was quite old and the woman who sold it to us had a new horse that it fit so asked if she could buy it back. I did really, really lkike it, but my all-time favourite dressage saddles are the Collegiate ones cos they have the inter-changeable gullet so if your horse changes shape then you can alter the saddle, and they are about £625 (that's what mine cost) absolutely brand new. They ride exactly like the Ideal Jessicas and are nice an smart.
One brand I don't like are the Stubben dressage saddles as I persona;;y feel like I'm sitting on a board when I ride on one, we tried it and it was like sitting on a plank of wood. Not a massve fan of the Bates dressage either, but it is all down to personal preference and some people love some and others hate them! See whichnone you are most comfortable and secure in and which one your horse goes best in! :)

[RachelEvent]

The saddle that I rode in recently was really fantastic - a semi-flex saddle made by barry swaine - sat on a big moving dressage horse in it, and sitting the trot was no problem - had ridden said horse before in an albion and had found it very hard to absorb the movement.

I've also particularly enjoyed riding in some barnsby dressage saddles, and also a jaguar saddle. Some albions have felt nice, but I question their quality re. twisted trees and other such faults...

One saddle I can't get on with is the WoW - feels like there's too much saddle underneath me and found it hard to sit deep.

[StormyJ]

I'm riding in a Heritage at the moment and it's VERY nice! :D

[Lora]

I bought a well used Albion Comfort saddle. Boy.. it's well named too because it is WAY comfortable to sit on.

I used to have a gorgeous county competitor. I found that front to back it was longer than equivalent saddles, and there was a wider tree, though it was a medium like we normally use. It sat on his withers! :eek: It took 6 months to get over the saddle sore memory since I couldn't figure out what was wrong for ages! Saddle fitter said good fit too! (obviously I use a different fitter now..ehhehe)

Horse likes wintecs but I hate what they do to my leg position. *my* conformation flaws I'm sure.

My arab of dubious descent is proving to be a tough one to fit. I still wonder if this albion one is ok for him.

[Stella2]

Some well known make mentioned (Hangs head in shame) I was employed to make and cannot endorse them or the attitude of the management!

But hey, what the eyes don't see the heart cannot grieve for!

The best dressage saddle I ever rode in was Heather Moffetts Barry Swaine saddle.What do you think of WOW saddles Wally?

[Dooley]

All 3 physios I've used for my horses have really really H-A-T-E-D Albion. One very reputable saddlefitter I know wouldn't sell you an Albion even if you offered to pay her triple what it cost her to get you one.
The same people had similar views of the Balance brand of saddles by the way.
They did like the Ideal and - honestly - the Wintec isabel!

I really liked the comfort of some Albions but if both my physio and saddlefitter (who would make a lot of money out of selling me one) think it's bad for my horse then I don't want to use one, no matter how comfy it is for ME.

My old share horse had a Saddle Company saddle and he went very well in it.

[*OEH*]

I hate Albions- very comfy for us, horrible for the horses back, the bucks they produced on my horse here to bee seen to be believed.

Personally I love Black Country saddles, wouldn't have anything else. I've had my dressage one for about 12 years and it has luckly been able to be reflocked to fit all my horses, till this one, it's just too narrow. So I'm saving up for a new one. Mean while we'll have to make do with our GP.

[MelanieD]

I used to want an Albion until I saw a barely used one with a twisted tree, that saddler was trying to sell to me as totally fine :mad:

I quite like the Wintec Isabell Werth saddle, but didn't like the ProDressage much. They won't fit my coblet so I'm trying to persuade Mia that she wants to be a dressage horsie when she grows up so i have an excuse to get her one :)

SBS/Fhoenix are lovely as well but pretty different to ride in from treed dressage saddles.

[Jamey]

Mines a barnsby and I love it. The physio hasn't find any problems with Coss' back since I changed it either so I'm happy (and Coss seems to be too).

[eventerbabe]

i have a cheap and cheerful thorowgood cob dressage for my naglet and i ADORE that saddle. Cost me only £120 in robinsons sale and is a cracking fit. It's also incredibly easy to look after and i don't mind it getting wet in the rain ;)

[JamesJackson]

I would love a Devoucoux Milday, but not sure if the seat would be too deep for me (I hate being put into position by a saddle). Would have to get them out an have a try, but not havin £2000 to spare at the moment (or a developed horse to fit one to), it would be a bit of a waste of time!

[coss]

i have a fusion saddle and find it really comfy, i have a kieffer, comfy on my mare but not on mr RI's warmblood - pinged you out the saddle. the bates dressage saddles are very comfy. I've ridden in a KN which was ok but i wasn't keen on the knee roll and later found out that the make was known for giving pressure points :( Also like frank baines :)

[CMR]

I love my Heather Moffett Fhoenix :D

[kt_luvs_smartie]

wow thanks for all the info guys!! the barnsby ones ideals and others seem to stand out a mile for me though its going to be a long time til i get one haha:D

[Lgd]

I love my WOWs - all my three rides have them and Belle (the baby) will get one when she goes under saddle in a couple of years time.

Did like the BArnsby's I've had but after Peri bust out of her third custom made saddle, the WOW was a far better option. It made a huge difference to Tavai's way of going.

Albions absolutely kill my back so have to be my least favourite, apart from what I know about their innards!

[ponylover88]

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[raingodz]

I love my Heather Moffett Fhoenix :D
Have you tried the HM vogue yet? :D

[kt_luvs_smartie]

Have you tried the HM vogue yet? :D

what are they like?

[ponylover88]

what are they like?

expensive! i think theyre just a glorified newer vers of the fhoenix though. :)

[raingodz]

Yes, they are not the chapest! But when I tried it it was very nice, was narrower than the Fhonix. I kind of forgot about it really when I was riding! very unabtrusive.

[DressageD]

I use a Bates Innova dressage saddle with the extended knee blocks, it is fabulous but was quite expensive. worth every penny tho and the cair system rally suits my horse. i had an excelle chaval dressage saddle previously which was nice but no where near as nice as the bates.

[CMR]

Have you tried the HM vogue yet? :D

I haven't, but will possibly be getting a GP one, depending on how they are for jumping. :D