Dressage saddle for the wider types!

[Miss MoneyPenny]

On my search for a dressage saddle for chubby, noticed that thorowgood have now brought out a cob dressage saddle, this may be just what I need for my career in dressage and showing!

Quick question...could I use a dressage saddle to do general showing instead of a working hunter saddle?

http://www.thorowgood.com/english/cobtype/cobdres.htm

[Torie]

I don't have much experience with showing so I may well be wrong! But I think a dressage saddle isn't that ideal for showing as it's too straight cut and doesn't show the shoulders? I may well be wrong though!

Torie xx

[Luv 2 Trot]

On the show circuit im on, there is someone who shows in a dressage saddle in the pleasure classes, but she doesnt jump in it. We dont hav hunter under saddle classes on the circuit, but the English Pleasure classes are very similar. I hav seen some hunter under saddle classes and i think that a regular all purpose or jumping saddle would look better. But looks arent everything. I think it would be fine, they dont really judge the saddle you use do they? I show in western pleasure classes in a roping saddle that isnt fancy and everyone else uses fancy pleasure saddles. So I say go for it!! I dont think it would hurt to at least try, my instructor always says to try. So TRY!!

[Miss MoneyPenny]

I doubt that we'll be doing any jumping classes, I was thinking more along the lines of coloured horse ridden classes etc, so as to show her shoulder off more!

[MelanieD]

It's not ideal for showing, and if there were two equal horses one in a synthetic dressage and one in a posh leather WH saddle then I guess the posh saddle would help. But, if your just doing local shows you could get away with it, not like you'll get thrown out of the ring for incorrect turnout or anything. A friend of mine has shown in a Wintec dressage and never had any comments but it isn't quite as obviously synthetic as the thorowgood saddles.

[No_Angel]

If you are only doing local shows then a dressage saddle will be fine, i have seen lots of people use dressage saddles to show in, even in working hunter classes.

[Brychen]

a dressage saddle will be fine at local level shows and straight cut will show off the shoulder. However for bigger shows you will need a leather saddle and it should be brown.

I did dressage and showing in my leather WH saddle.