Saddles

[yogibear]

What is best saddle for dressage for a rider with the horrid chair seat and backward leg. Hors has slight sway back also.

Where would I get a Heather Moffett saddle and at what price?

[Vicky]

I just got my Heather Moffett saddle today, although it makes no reference to Heather. It's made by Thorowgood and any reputable saddler should be able to get hold of one for you. I noticed an immediate difference in the way I ride - my leg was in the correct position and Ted was 100% more responsive. I paid £300 for the saddle, which is pricey for a synthetic, but definitely helps your position.

Vicky :cool:

[Heather]

HI Yogi,

My GP Thorowgood model is now available - thanks Vicki for the endorsement!- the dressage model will be out in a couple of months. Both are availle from all TG stockists.

My leather version is made to measure by the best saddler in Walsall, Barry Swain. naturally, it is much more expensive, but is still less than many German off the peg models. It is £1200-1300 depending on the tree, and is only abvailable through me.

Heather

[alexa]

I have been enquiring about the Heather/Thorowgood saddle and am told that they are making it only in wide and medium versions. My horse has very high narrow withers so now I am in a quandry and would need to try before buying. It is not yet available here in France. Any advice on this ???

regards
Alexa

[Vicky]

Alexa

My horse also has very high narrow withers. His Heather Moffett GP saddle is a medium fit and although it has started to compress and drop onto his withers, my saddler said that this would happen and that I should ride with the saddle for a couple of weeks (ensuring that I have a thick numnah so that Ted is comfortable) and then he will reflock the saddle. This will then get round the problem of Ted's really high narrow withers and the saddle should match reasonably well to the template the saddler took.

This was my first concern when I started riding with the saddle, but since my saddler has reassured me that he can reflock (not using the modern way with flocking irons, but the traditional way of taking the saddle apart and restitching), I am quite satisfied that the saddle will end up a good fit. My saddler is charging £35 to reflock and did say that ALL saddles need reflocking soon after their first use.

I hope this helps and doesn't put you off, because it's a great saddle and much cheaper than the leather version.

Vicky :cool:

[Heather]

HI Alexa,

Vicki is right- I too was surprised how narrow the medium tree is. I am sure that it would fit your horse. Can you take a template of his withers- you need something called a Flexicurve, which is a piece of lead encased in plastic, which in England can be bought at any W.H.Smith branch.

You then need to place the Flexicurve over his withers, exactly where the front of the saddle would fit, and mould it over the withers. Place on a piece of paper, and draw round. then post it to me, so that I can check it against the medium tree and give you a good idea of whether it would fit.

Hope this might help-


Heather

[alexa]

I will see if such a thing as a flexicurve is available here otherwise I will just use some thin wire (type from dry cleaners coat hangers) and get the best fit I can and then put this onto paper. Do you have a FAX I can send it to by any chance ?

I would still need to find a saddler here in France (in my area) that would re-flock correctly if/when necessary) I am working on this now as Thorowgood faxed me the names of their retailers over here and there is ONE in the Paris area - they do not yet have the saddle but hope to by end of month but cannot afford to buy a pig in a poke so I must get a promise from this saddler that they can/will do the necessary, even someone to come out to my stables and test on the horse.

Bye and thanks for all help.
regards
A.