I’m shopping for a new used saddle to fit my very long legs. I tried a deep seat Albion Kontrol jumping saddle and really, really liked how it held my leg. I’ve been searching for a M 18" Kontrol in brown but not having much luck. Has anyone ridden in the Kontrol and the K2? Are they similar? Different? Help please!
I have the Albion Kontrol and I also tried the K2 - they are very different. The K2 is much more of a GP saddle and I really disliked it - but having said that I know a few people that really love their K2. And I don’t love the Kontrol - but it’s fits my horse well and we are jumping bigger fences perfectly fine it in.
Would you consider shipping one from the UK? They are very popular over there so you might find what you want more easily.
I have an old k2 that is my go to for all the young horses. It is crazy comfortable and has an easy to find sweet spot. I’m nearly 5’9" but all my height is in my femur. Wider shoulders than hips (so tipping forward is always a problem).
Havent ridden in the Kontrol, so can’t comment on that
Check with Hastilow USA, I got my Kontrol from Annette
If you’re looking used, for sure look in the UK as the poster above said. Much more common there so more to choose from and better prices. I purchased a (rather ancient but perfect) Albion Legend with a forward flap for $500-$600 (can’t remember exactly how much, but not much!) through Ebay. And that’s in Canadian dollars. It’s been super. I also have a longer femur proportionally by the way. Good luck in your search, can’t speak to the differences between these saddles but looking forward to finding out.
My Old K2 jumper fit my leg perfectly and I am very long hip to knee. Downside was it was not good for flatwork. The OLD Albion XC is good for long legs and flat work and over fences. Hard to find though. The kontrol would not fit my unless I got a forward flap and I tought it too restrictive for me. YMMV
There just happens to be one on UK EBay, just got notification this morning. It’s a newer version of what I have, and as you say it works for both flat and over fences despite the forward flap.
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I just went through this-- in my opinion they are fairly similar in how they fit the rider (and horse for that matter). I tend to prefer a very forward balance point (think french style saddles- my custom that is perfect for me is a BC Solare, for reference). I used a Kontrol previously- the balance point was too far back for me (5’4" with a slightly long femur) and I felt like I was always slightly behind the motion. I use a K2 on my young horse now (having used a Kontrol on him for a couple weeks)- to me they ride very similarly, though the K2 seems to have a slightly more forward balance point (meaning I still don’t love it for me- but it is better than the Kontrol).
All that to say- having ridden in both, I find them very similar and think you should try a K2 if you find one.
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I also found the K2 and Kontrol fairly similar (though I know the Kontrol comes in various seat depths and flaps which probably matters).
I’m tall/long legged and I have the Kontact Lite for jumping, which I love. It is flatter/more forward than the Kontrol. The padding over the stirrup bars takes some getting used to. Also, in spite of the name, it is not particularly light–for a “monoflap” it is very substantial.
Actually, the trees are NOT similar, so keep that in mind.
The K2 tree runs wide. My super wide horse, who takes an EW in the SLK Albion tree, only needs a MW in the K2 tree. If I remember correctly (my trainer was an Albion rep and I’ve helped with LOTS of fittings of these saddles) the Kontrol is built on the SLK tree, so it runs a little narrower than usual.
So, my horse is a pretty standard wide. In Albion saddles, in the SLK tree he needed an EW. In the K2 tree a MW. And they were pretty much the exact same fit.
They can be similar saddles, if you are comparing the Kontrol and the K2 Jumper, which is different than the one often called just a K2 jump saddle.
Confused much?! :lol: The K2 Jumper had a much more forward flap. I’ve owned two of them and loved them.
I have not ridden in the Kontrol, but knew people that had them. If you liked the deep seat Kontrol and have a very long leg, you will probably like the K2 Jumper. My guess is that you will not like the GP model of the K2, so buyer beware if you are trying older ones, anyway.
Mellsmom and I have very different likes in saddles. I like a super narrow twist saddle, and the K2 Jumper was perfect for me. I also have a really long femur, especially for a not terribly tall fat girl, so that flap was far enough forward for me and I loved it.
If I could find a K2 Jumper that fit my current mare, that’s what I would have. Alas, the design of the tree plus flaps pisses her off as it impinges her shoulder, so it is a no go.
Saddle shopping is one of those things that sounds like it will be fun, but is really one of the circles of hell.
I wish you really good luck with it!
Bensmom- I have no idea how the newer adjustables ride though…they actaully have a newer saddle that is supposed to work on the shorter backed wide with upswept panel needing horse. If we had a decent rep out here I would try one!
Didn’t mean to hijack the thread but you seem to have quite a bit of experience with Albions.
So I have a horse riding in Albion SLK Ultima dressage saddle. Does the K2 jump tree fit similar to that? The SLK dressage tree fits him like a glove-wide and round guy. Big shoulders.
I don’t know specifically about the SLK Ultima, but in general, the SLK tree is two sizes narrower than a K2 – at least the older ones are.
For instance, my retired horse went in a K2 Jumper in a MW, and needed an SLK in an EW.
Hope that helps!
Sorry but I have Albion questions for the gurus here and am hijacking. 
My horse was fitted for the Legend K2 jump as a MW. I cannot afford a new one and cannot find a used one (2014 or newer). I am reading great things about the Kontrol and Kontact and am finding used ones within my budget. Do the tree widths run the same? Or should I be looking for a different tree width?
I can’t tell you about the newer models but certainly the older K2 jump saddles (of which the legend would be one) could be made on 2 different trees. One more for TBs and one for broader WBs. They feel similar for the rider but obviously treed for different back profiles.
From my experience the K2 jump and Kontrol are sufficiently different that you will prefer one over the other.
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