HM, Seat bone saver...

[HAYLEY GITTOES]

Well this afternoon, im going to order my HM seat bone saver, lods of our riders from our local bridleways group all have one, im the only one that dosnt!

I have only heard positive comments about them, are there any disadvantages you have heard about them?

Well carnt wait to get it, and go riding!!!!!

[Yann]

No real disadvantages to them at all. However I do know of two female riders who said they couldn't get on with them, so it's a preference thing (they both had ample bottoms FWIW;))

[horsefreak]

I've had no trouble at all with mine, except for it slips forward when I get on - but it soon re-arranges itself and goes into the 'normal' position.

But it is heaven to ride in!!!

Ax ~ Emx

[james]

Only disadvantage I can think of is that if you don't have your own horse, you have to remember to remove it each time. I have only forgotten once and someone at the stables recognised it (my name had rubbed off - another problem) and kept it aside for me.

[HAYLEY GITTOES]

Well ive had my new seat saver, at first i thought i wouldnt like it as i thought it would be a bit bulky, but got on and it 'moulded'!

It is comfy, but isnt very soft!!

Did any body else think it was a bit hard?

Hayley

[james]

I would say firm rather than hard. If it was too soft, it would squash. To feel the difference, use it for a few weeks and then try without. You will wonder how you ever managed to ride without one.

[HAYLEY GITTOES]

Yes I will defintly try that, one thing i have found with it, before i had it i always thought i was a bit 'lop sided' but now with this seat saver, i feel nice and straight!! If that makes sence!!

[katieB]

Just a thought - do you think you would a) be allowed to ride with one in a show b) would the judges notice you were using one? My friend uses one all the time but had to practise riding without it for a while before the show as we assumed you wouldnt be allowed to ride in one

[james]

I would be surprised if they did notice unless they came up close providing your's SBS was the same colour as the saddle.

You can whip them off pretty quickly though and throwing a rug over the top would help too.

Not sure what the rules would be if you strapped the SBS on to the rider rather than the saddle though. That might be permissible ;)

[Miriam]

Not sure about that either James as it would not be part of the dress code :eek:

[james]

Underneath your jods? Its amazing what you can accomplish with duct tape (to hold it to you).

[Maria]

You can't use a seatbone saver in affiliated dressage competitions. You'll need to check the rules for other shows/competitions.

[DITZ]

You cant use them any of the unaffiliated shows I've been to either.

[Lindi]

I refuse to ride without my sb saver its agony. I rode with it at an unaffiliated show and nobody noticed:D

[james]

Its only against the rules if you get caught.

[Hyper]

Sooooooooooooo, whenever you are able to (as I did) try the HM saddle...............it's built in so doesn't go against the rules!! Every now and then I ride a horse (not my own) at different riding schools. SO, I get to experience first hand the difference and this leads me on to ask (out of wonderment really) about the experiences of those who've said the SBS "feels" hard.

When I had one I would have agreed that sitting on the saddle plus seat saver felt very very different. It did feel more firm I suppose but at the time I put that down purely to the difference, i.e. saddle beforehand, then saddle plus some extra "bulk" for want of a better word. Then I gave it a bit of time (can't remember how much time - might only have been 5 mins, could have been several rides). I wasn't satisfied!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted a different saddle altogether - one that had it all "built in".

Someone said in a post above something about not feeling lopsided anymore (or something to that effect). My experience was the same, and then much more so when I could eventually afford the actual saddle - which of course is constructed by other means (in addition to the SBS material) to achieve this effect.

My experience (being the story of only one person) is anecdotal I know. BUT, I often have a bit of a laugh (and not from cynicism - it just makes me feel just a tad proud of myself - which is something I very rarely if ever do re my equine "prowess"). Because I KNOW that however loose the girth is I must be balanced (side to side) ..................... I also know (because of endless experiences to date) that if my instructor (I usually have the same one but sometimes do not) rides my horse during my lesson at my request) - he/she ALWAYS tightens the girth as soon as they get on. Their behaviour is automatic (as it should be btw). They are not tightening the girth because they think I should have done (they would have asked me to tighten it when I was riding). They are automatically checking the girth of the horse they are about to ride - and finding it slack!!

I've rambled on too much and probably confused everyone - so apologies. I'd never ever get an "A" for being articulate - but then I'm a Geordie by birth.

[White-Blazes]

There is a black one on ebay at the moment.

I've got one already and love it:)