Are there any specific saddle brands or styles that would help a hunter rider and her horse during their beginning foray into dressage? I horse seems to object to the 20lb buckets and I can’t seem to ride in any of them without getting a blasting headache. I’ve heard that Stubben Genesis Specials are good, any opinions? Our jumping saddle is a Tad Coffin. We both love it but time and price are deterrents to going this route for our “trial run” on the Darkside. Many thanks !
What saddles have you tried?
See if there is a saddle that you can borrow, or a nice used Passier, Kieffer, County (older Connection, Competitor), Stubben (Genesis Special or Tristan) that you can buy inexpensively first. Dressage saddles are very personal, and the more you learn, the more you will know what you like, need and want in a dressage saddle. Saddles are designed to help your position and increase the effectiveness of your seat and leg aids. But everyone’s “conformation” is a little different, so people are going to get different experiences out of riding in the same saddle. And the more saddles you ride in the more you will learn about what is best for you.
Your first saddle with probably not be the saddle that works best for you. For example, I have EXTREMELY long femurs, so my knees tend to hit saddles with big, straight blocks the wrong way. I need a forward flap, or no blocks, so I got a Stubben Tristan which is about as much of a “not saddle” as you will ever see. I like it, but years later, I do wish the seat was bit deeper.
Try treeless?
I love the Tristan Specials that I have. I’d be happy in a Tad Coffin dressage saddle, I think. I found the Tristan Genesis Special’s seat to be very different than the Tristan Special, despite what Catherine Haddad has to say in her promotional videos. More specifically, the Genesis seat feels a lot deeper and it’s balance point is further back.
Another vote for the Tristan Special. Love mine too. No surprise as I grew up riding in a Stubben Siegfried when I was in H/J land many years ago. AFAIK, they are/were built on the same tree. I feel very close to my horse when riding in the Tristan.
I agree with treeless but make sure the stirrup bars are placed in the correct spot. This can be a problem with the less expensive brands.
Yes, look for an older, used Stubben, Passier, or Kieffer. First, they are much easier on the budget, sellable if you decide you want something different and they tend to fit a variety of horses easily.
My older County Competitor is about as bare bones as you can get in a dressage saddle.
Butet. 
Seriously love it. I was surprised that I didn’t like the TCs I tried (one old and might have been too small; one new smartride that definitely wasn’t too small).
[QUOTE=dia916;8624771]
Are there any specific saddle brands or styles that would help a hunter rider and her horse during their beginning foray into dressage? I horse seems to object to the 20lb buckets and I can’t seem to ride in any of them without getting a blasting headache. I’ve heard that Stubben Genesis Specials are good, any opinions? Our jumping saddle is a Tad Coffin. We both love it but time and price are deterrents to going this route for our “trial run” on the Darkside. Many thanks ![/QUOTE]
I love Tad Coffin saddles! Knowing that you really like that sort of positioning, I’d suggested a used Passier PS Baum. They have awesome balance, a slightly more forward knee (to give those with long femurs plenty of room–as well as those converting from jumping) and it’s going to be cheap for your first saddle.
I will teach you to be in the middle of the horse without locking you in. I also love the old Stubben Tristan dressage saddles. Both brands will help you transition without feeling locked in and will also be a good starting point. Later you will probably want a newer saddle and maybe have different options, but these will make the transition easier for you!
FWIW, I rode for a while in an Ansur Classic and it’s definitely worth the cost if going treeless is a good option for you. It’s comfortable and doesn’t wedge you into a position, but it does feel a little different compared to a treed saddle.
Close contact can mean so many things - from flatter seat, so less thigh block, to less padding in the seat, to mono-flap, and so-on.
Your horse is probably not objecting to the 20 pounds (after all, riders weigh more then that), he is probably objecting to the fit of the saddle. Jumper saddles are made to keep the rider “off” the back of the horse, so fit is not quite so important. Dressage saddles are meant to put the rider ON the horse’s back, so fit becames WAY more important. Because they put the rider on the horse, weight distribution is increased, so panels are longer and cover more of the back - and as a result, they darn well better fit right! And that is probably what is going on w/ your horse. That is why you see so many more custom saddles in dressage then in jumping - fit is a bigger issue.
Treeless works for some horses, not for all. So, again, if you can try one, do it, but don’t expect it to work for every horse. I had an Ansur years ago - worked great for the first horse I had, but the 2nd horse HATED it - bucked, balked, wouldn’t move in it - went to an old Neidersuiss and he was a doll. Port Impression pad showed the stirrup bars put a lot of pressure on one spot on his back - even without a rider?
Older saddles often have narrow channels between the panels, so look at that carefully when looking at the older Keiffers, Passiers, etc. Also realize the panels need to be soft, not packed hard, so you may end up with a major reflocking bill with an older saddle. And some of the older saddles used foam - which eventually turns to cement.
As a new-to-dressage rider, I’d recommend trying as many saddles as you can. Odds are, you will buy and sell a few as your riding progresses.
