Low cantles

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May 7, 2002
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I need some help! I have very painful hips. When I get on it's off a mounting block so I'm relatively hîgh compared to the cantle and I can manage that. It's getting off that's the problem. I can't swing my leg over the back of the saddle. The mare I ride at the school has a fairly flat cantle and I can just about get off her.

OK so Dolly needs a new saddle. She has a wide flat back. I have the hip problems. I need a saddle with a flatter cantle. Ideally I'd be wanting a dressage saddle but the cantle on a dressage model is just too hgh.

So if it was you what sort of saddle would you be looking at? Is there a particular style that might fit us better than another?
 
I don't like deep seats either so I was recently considering a show saddle for every day use for rolly-polly Albi. But then, by chance, I found a Native Pony WH saddle which fits us both really well as it has quite a flat and wide tree.
 
I don't like high cantles, The Thorowgood cob and endurance style are nice and flat
 
Not saddle specific, but some great advice was given on this forum regarding dismounting with sticky hips which has really helped me on the occasion I've stiffened up which is to stand up and sit down in the stirrups a couple of times before dismounting just to loosen up a bit. Maybe you already have your own technique, but thought I'd pass it on in case it helps!
 
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I had the saddle company Verona dressage saddle with the square cantle, that wasn't too high. I also have a thorowgood endurance which isn't too high.
The yard I used to be at had a platform at stirrup height with 3 steps up to it, it was great for getting off onto when my hips and knees were bad, I'm just waiting for my brother to come visit to build me one at current yard :D
 
I do have a dismounting problem, though it is partly solved by me and OH too dismounting cavalry style with our left foot in the stirrup. This has often been discussed on NR as a solution for riders who are stiffer or older. See also the note posted above.
But a high cantle has other problems for me - At the time I was going to buy Maisie, I panicked as I knew nothing about saddles. I looked as the RS saddles in which I was comfortable, and Wally and eml pointed me to old style GP saddles. I pasted that advice into Evernote. And the brands I was riding in did indeed turn out to be by the makers they listed!
I didnt take this further as I intended to order a saddle for her to replicate the training saddle worn by lesson horses at our RIs yard. I have a large bottom and it gives me freedom of movement.
But the fact is that I ride regularly on various RS horses both at home and visiting to hack out - and only once on one RS horse have I ever had an uncomfortable saddle with a cantle that pushed me forward. There are lots of oldish saddles in which I am happy, some of them a bit worse for wear in the sense of stitching and patching, but many turn out to be of the brands mentioned in that old thread! The important thing to remember is that a maker may have changed the design over the years even tho the name remains the same.
I believe you can buy such saddles new, or get one made, probably at a price,since the replica I was going to order would have cost a fortune. But there must be lots of second hand, traditional saddles around and if you have a saddler you trust, he or she may find one for you. People who own horses seem to have much more specific saddles these days and even several saddles, to give them the edge when competing.

However, about Dolly and her wide flat back - I cannot ride such horses and you wouldnt be the first person to discover that you need to change the horse rather than the saddle to solve your problem. I hope not, but I know there are horses at both our local schools that I simply cant ride and one of them used to be a favourite ride of mine 10 years ago.
 
domane said:
I don't like deep seats either so I was recently considering a show saddle for every day use for rolly-polly Albi. But then, by chance, I found a Native Pony WH saddle which fits us both really well as it has quite a flat and wide tree.
Click to expand...

I did look at couple of show saddles but they looked a bit narrow to me?

Wally said:
I don't like high cantles, The Thorowgood cob and endurance style are nice and flat
Click to expand...

How wide are the Thorowgoods? She is a very wide little coblet!

Calluna said:
Not saddle specific, but some great advice was given on this forum regarding dismounting with sticky hips which has really helped me on the occasion I've stiffened up which is to stand up and sit down in the stirrups a couple of times before dismounting just to loosen up a bit. Maybe you already have your own technique, but thought I'd pass it on in case it helps!
Click to expand...

I'll try that. A couple of minutes before the lesson ends I take my feet off the stirrups and let my legs down and swing them and that helps a bit. I can't get off onto the block after having a couple of accidents doing that.

Jessey said:
I had the saddle company Verona dressage saddle with the square cantle, that wasn't too high. I also have a thorowgood endurance which isn't too high.
The yard I used to be at had a platform at stirrup height with 3 steps up to it, it was great for getting off onto when my hips and knees were bad, I'm just waiting for my brother to come visit to build me one at current yard :D
Click to expand...

I slipped off a couple of times getting ôff onto the block sô I'm a bit wary off doing that again. I can't get on without it thoough
 
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Skib said:
I do have a dismounting problem, though it is partly solved by me and OH too dismounting cavalry style with our left foot in the stirrup. This has often been discussed on NR as a solution for riders who are stiffer or older. See also the note posted above.
But a high cantle has other problems for me - At the time I was going to buy Maisie, I panicked as I knew nothing about saddles. I looked as the RS saddles in which I was comfortable, and Wally and eml pointed me to old style GP saddles. I pasted that advice into Evernote. And the brands I was riding in did indeed turn out to be by the makers they listed!
I didnt take this further as I intended to order a saddle for her to replicate the training saddle worn by lesson horses at our RIs yard. I have a large bottom and it gives me freedom of movement.
But the fact is that I ride regularly on various RS horses both at home and visiting to hack out - and only once on one RS horse have I ever had an uncomfortable saddle with a cantle that pushed me forward. There are lots of oldish saddles in which I am happy, some of them a bit worse for wear in the sense of stitching and patching, but many turn out to be of the brands mentioned in that old thread! The important thing to remember is that a maker may have changed the design over the years even tho the name remains the same.
I believe you can buy such saddles new, or get one made, probably at a price,since the replica I was going to order would have cost a fortune. But there must be lots of second hand, traditional saddles around and if you have a saddler you trust, he or she may find one for you. People who own horses seem to have much more specific saddles these days and even several saddles, to give them the edge when competing.

However, about Dolly and her wide flat back - I cannot ride such horses and you wouldnt be the first person to discover that you need to change the horse rather than the saddle to solve your problem. I hope not, but I know there are horses at both our local schools that I simply cant ride and one of them used to be a favourite ride of mine 10 years ago.
Click to expand...

I do keep my left foot in the stirrup and stand on that so my right leg doesn't have to come too high but it's still hard - I end up scra0ing my leg and foot over her bum. It's good thyhat she is a saint.

I have been told I need something narrower and taller but I think their little thin legs would buckle under me, and the last thing I want is to be unable to ride her. :(
 
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My thorowgood is an adjustable gullet, I have the wide to x wide gullet in atm but also have an XW I got as was cheap second hand and I thought she might go up another and an xxw that came with it.
Have you considered treeless, my DT has very low cantle
 
chev said:
I do keep my left foot in the stirrup and stand on that so my right leg doesn't have to come too high but it's still hard - I end up scraping my leg and foot over her bum. It's good that she is a saint.
:(
Click to expand...
You can take the stirrup up a hole perhaps just to dismount? That was one of the troubles for me of riding Western with long leathers that couldnt be taken up.
 
RI reckons one of the flatter WH saddles might be the way to go. We spent some time today working on getting off and shortening my left stirrup first did help - I didn't get my right leg caught as I often do. The other option she thought of was one of the newer dressage saddles - she said don't rule newer ones out as they often have a lower cantle and pommel than the older models. Which is great but I have limited funds! She advised me not to go for a showing saddle if I ever want to jump as they tend to be cut to show the horse off rather than general riding.

Lots to think about ..... I need to make a template made of her back, will probably end up getting a fitter out and I need to start saving!

One more question - would you buy a saddle made from non English leather? And if not, why? I had that drummed into me for years and never thought to question it. If the tree was made in this country? (not a Gallop saddle where the tree can stretch).
 
What about a WH saddle? They're designed to jump in but still showy so might have a lower cantle. I'm not sure any specific type will have what you're after, but you might find a certain model which does in varying makes.

As for foreign saddles - I think foreign leather doesn't tend to be as good as English leather, from the bridles I've seen, it snaps and breaks easier. I think the stitching also tends to be poorer quality.
 
I also don't like the deep seated dressage saddles as I have problems with my back and they make it hurt alot. I recently brought a Kentaur dressage saddle and it's lovely. It's not got a high back at all but does have big thigh blocks but I find them a big bonus as they seem to hold me in the saddle well even during the biggest of spooks lol.
 
I have bought foreign leather, but knowing the risk of it breaking easier etc, I brought a show saddle with the full intent it would only be used half a dozen times a year but wouldnt for everyday use.
 
The thorowgood cob saddles have changeable gullets and if the same as the PC ones (which are made on the cob tree) have a nice low cantle. I have a Andrea hicks saddle and it has a low cantle (expensive saddles tho, but they are designed for natives and cobs)
 
I'm a fitter for AH (Native Pony) Saddles. We make a variety of shapes of saddlem, using various trees, most of which are on the flat side, some are very flat. We can custom make any of our models with a sqare cantle, as can most bench made companies, which would help. I would recommend trying a standard WH saddle (though not many companies keep them in stock for you to try) and see how you get on with it, I have several customers who do dressage in theirs. If it's not quite right in terms of stirrup bar and flap you can mix and match, with a flat WH tree with set back bars and/or a dressgae flap.

A dressage saddle will be much harder to jump in than a showing saddle, though I'd definitely advise WH rather than showing. And no to foreign leather :)
 
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