I have to get a dressage saddle, like now, but I can’t spend too much on it. I’m only gonna be doing low schooling, if at all, but I’ll be able to get a nicer saddle in the summer, but for now I need something to ride in.
What do you guys think of these two? I need either a 16 or 16’5 seat, and a medium tree.
chances are this saddle is an indian made. You have no clue what quality or safety the tree and stirrup bars are.
I’d suggest instead looking at the HDR synthetic dressage saddle- it’s nice- deeper seat, narrower twist- available in regular or wide tree- and is flocked (synthetic flocking).
Thorowgood also makes some nice synthetic dressage saddles
K
How about this one? Respected brand (= decent quality tree) and good price
If it were just your hiney to consiider I would say go for it, its only a few months of pain, but the fact is that the trees on those cheap saddles can be so wonky that they could end up costing you more $$$ in the end, and causing your horse to be very uncomfortable. Just my 0.02$
WINTEC
Wintec make a nice $499 ish price range saddle with an adjustable tree. I love my saddle and when I went to college as an Equine Major…guess what they use for the horses with back problems? Wintec Dressage Saddles. They are nice enough to show in too, especally at the lower levels. No judge will mark you down because they won’t be able to tell!
Also show pre just requires a hose! LOL just rise and dry and your all ready!
thanks everyone, but i really cant spend much more than $150-200
Rock,
At that price range your probably best not to buy one and just keep saving. Like others have said it may end up costing you more $$$$ with lameness issues and behavior problems under saddle.
OMG, that Passier is a STEAL. You cannot get the PTs anymore, and they are some of the best. It’s in GREAT shape. Work some extra shifts. Wait tables, clean stalls, whatever it takes to make $200 more and get it! It can be adjusted to fit any horse for the lifetime of the saddle… (and yet, mysteriously, many of these Ancient Passiers fit 90% of horses with nothing more than the right pad. )
Second the HDR Synthetic. Or a used Wintec. Or even a used AP of good brand/quality.
The cheap dressage saddles will only make you fight for your position… they will NOT help it! And as mentioned, could well hurt the horse’s back.
I showed in a Wintec AP… the lowest level, entry version Wintec. And we won our TL classes just fine. $250 I think still, if you look hard.
I don’t think anyone’s going to give you the answer you want reference the two you posted. :no:
Beg,borrow or steal(not really) a good used saddle until you can add your money to a nice dressage saddle you want.
Tammy Fox is soooo right.:yes:
Agree with all the wisdom shared. For now ride bareback. Ill fitting saddles can do tremendous damage to both the horse and rider. And when you do buy, don’t buy foam. Stick with wool flocking so the saddle can be individually adjusted to your horse.
I’ve always felt that cheap tack is exactly that!! CHEEP-CHEEP!!! As in sounds of distress. Check out used!!! :yes:
Dressage saddles also measure and fit differently from hunt saddles ( if that is what you are using) 16 to 16.5 is quite a small saddle. The difference between the two sizes can be quite a bit even within the same model
I agree with everyone else
do not rush to buy a cheap saddle. Personally I would NEVER try to buy a saddle I had not first put on my horse and sat in myself.
saddle adjustments ( reflocking and fit adjustment) costs me 175$. It is a worthy investment and only you might have to face if a cheap internet saddle does not really fit your horse.
If a dressage saddle does not fit the rider they also suffer. You will be placed out of balance and may find yourself falling behind the motion.
a bad saddle can disable your horse and slow or reverse your progression.
Save your money, try many different saddles from others so you find the right combo for your horse and yourself. This is an important investment and key to being able to sit in your horse and communicate properly
Ask around and get some help from dressage instructors and riders. Saddle fit for dressage saddles is more than just about two fingers under the pommel. I have learned so much on my journey with my current little horse. My saddle fitter has taught me a lot about placement fitting the shoulder and girth areas and bridging and cantle placement.
look on equine.com or tacktrader.com you can often find old courbettes, old crosby or passiers decently cheap. my first dressage saddle i paid 200 for it, it was an old courbette charles de gnuffy (Sp?) it was older but in great condition and i got everything with it. and i had it for years and eventually i got it reflocked and was a great saddle i would consider going that route instead of buying new. i had a friend that had bought a cheap saddle on ebay and the chiro said it was pinching him somewhere causing him to move funny in the front and he almost bowed a tendon because he was moving so wierd in the front due to a cheap saddle
I have ridden in that model Passier, and if i ever find one in my size i am going to snatch it up! If you bought this saddle OP, you wouldnt need a new saddle come summer…
The two you posted to choose from <ahem> I would find it by far safer and more comfortable to ride dressage bareback in the interem.
There are ‘cheap’ saddles (ie badly made) and cheap saddles (ie used) and as others have said a ‘cheap’ saddle will not save you money in the short or long term.
There are however cheap used saddles that will get you by quite happily, Wintecs can normally be found used (try ebay and craigs list) and are great saddles for the price.
Keep looking, you’ll find a name brand saddle at a price you can afford :yes:
http://cgi.ebay.com/WINTEC-DRESSAGE-SADDLE-W-CAIR-17-SYNTHETIC_W0QQitemZ260205330559QQihZ016QQcategoryZ47282QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Wintec-All-Purpose_W0QQitemZ190193285810QQihZ009QQcategoryZ111280QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
And thats without looking hard.
That is well put JSM shoddy worksmanship and poor balance or finish is not worth the price.
We are blessed here with a tack store that has an extensive collection of used quality name brand saddles. You can find good leather used for around 400 and every once in a while a wintec will show up in the 200 300 range.
watch the ebay saddles that arent name brand… i bought one and it turned out to be an all pourpose w/ xx- long flaps so their info isnt that acurate
Also, think about resale value…
If you buy one of those cheap Indian made saddles, chances are you’ll have it much longer than you planned… because no one else will want it. AND if you do sell it, resale value will be practically nothing.
I have found it is best to look for a name brand used saddle, that gets good reviews, and most any serious rider is familiar with.
Collegiate, the old ones esp., are great for resale, and are actually overall better quality compared to the new ones. And of course Courbette, Passier, Stubben, Crosby, and more, older, quality used saddles can be found for under $500.
It has been my experience so far, that if I buy used wisely, I have always been able to break even or even MAKE money on resale. E-bay is great for this.
But everyone is right, you’ll need a little more than what you can spend right now,
And you know that you certainly DON’T need a dressage saddle to “do” dressage, certainly not at into/ training level.
Maybe better to keep saving your money, but use this time to educate yourself on what you DO want. Learn how to do a wither tracing. Learn about what to look for in saddle fit for you and your horse.
Visit a tack shop and sit in as many different brands/ models, new and used, that they have till you find something that you love.
Some will let you take them home to try on your horse and ride in for a trial period. Also, used saddles are a LOT less stressful to try out, you can actually ride in them without worrying about scuffing a pristine new saddle.
There are a lot of good used saddles to be found on-line. Many, on line tack shops for the cost of shipping, will let you try the saddle for a week. Take your time, and find something that you love and that properly fits your horse.
Good luck and best wishes from Kansas.
Again, the answer is a good used saddle. Frankly, you do get what you pay for in tack. I am not trying to toot my own horn, honestly, I get nothing but a listing fee for selling used dressage saddles on my site. I am not trying to sell you one, but take my advice, buy a great used saddle. A good name, a good reputation, great leather, super alignment, and a tree that will last a lifetime. This way you will be assured of quality and some real advantages to your riding endeavors. A bad cheap saddle with ruin a seat learning how to ride; a good rider can usually overcome a poor seat on a saddle but anyone who is not Herr Kottas will be hard pressed to over come a tilted seat, a hard pinched seat, or poor knee and thigh rolls. It just makes life harder! 
Try to sit in as many as you can to understand your own body, and then wait for your saddle to come to you. 
It’ll happen!
Forget cheap new saddles, look for older good quality used saddles.
it may be hard to find such a small seat and at that price. have you looked at this?
http://www.justequus.com/Overview-5-Baretek.html
it doesn’t have stirrups but looks wonderfully comfy and I bet you could ride with no stirrups. Would do wonders for your position.
I agree with everyone else, DON’T buy a cheap saddle. They do more damage than good and you’ll never be able to resell it. I’ll keep my eyes open. Could you possibly use a 17"? more likely to find that size I think.
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