crotch punisher saddles

[Plan_B_is_Grenades]

I am a lurker and never post but this subject is near and dear to my…heart. I am riding in a Keiffer now (not my saddle, not my horse) that literally takes a layer of skin off my, ah erm, lady bits, every time I have a lesson. I have ridden in dozens of saddles and never had a problem so this was all shockingly new to me. At first I thought it was a weird symptom of getting older, like my knees mysteriously aching after my boots have been zipped up too long. It took a while to identify the problem. The saddle doesn’t have a nice place to sit, it pretty much goes from cantle to the rise to the pommel, with no flat spot at the bottom. That rise is what’s killing me. I have found that wearing underwear without a seam in the crotch (found them at road runner sports) helps. I looked into padded underwear but they kind of creep me out.

One benefit of this experience is that I can identify what doesn’t fit me about certain saddles so I won’t have to repeat this experience.

[Bogey2]

I had a client with a Keiffer years ago…I think it was a Keiffer Lusitano? I kept asking her why she wasn’t sitting up. Then I rode in the saddle :eek: She didn’t know any better so I swapped saddles and she was happy to no longer suffer. LOL

[Willy_Von_Whompers]

Stubben Parzival. If you ever want to enjoy your sex life again…never ever consider one. Ever.

Heck if you even want to enjoy a hot bath again, don’t sit on one. You slide slowly down into the enticing hot bubbles of your scented bath, and then…EEEEK like one of those cartoon cats that screech upwards to the ceiling. A G O N Y.

[Raincityrider]

It really does depend on your anatomy. I have an old Stubben Romanus of the rock hard seat era that is by far the most comfortable in my line up. I love that saddle. It has held up remarkably well considering I’ve had it longer than my drivers license. I have had newer Stubbens with deeper and softer seats but that old one feels like a well broken in sweatshirt from college.

I think it was a Kieffer that threatened to split me like a cantaloupe…

[Myout]

Great thread! I worked at the tack shop in Calabasas, had Jochen Schleese to the barn regularly for a few years, rode in everything as a student and later trainer. It wasn’t until a met a used Dresch that I found true love…forgot it was there and that had never happened in over 30 years! Albions are okay, with the best one being the HR which you can’t hardly find. Stubbens are okay but the older ones for sure require strong posture muscles and preferably some butt padding of which I naturally have none, call me stilleto seatbones… Schleese, well I never did meet one I liked much, including the Elite, the HK, the Mivera, the Link, and the Wave. The quality was amazing but my Crotch never agreed. Custom Saddlery…rode in Coda, Coronado, Icon Flight, Victory, and Star…not comfortable to the point of blood and aching knees. Moffett’s Vogue and Easisit are comfortable if you want treeless/partial. Ansur was awful. Wintec…really old monoflap is not bad…everything else is awful. Kieffers uncomfortable in general although the Rhein is doable. Haven’t found a Trilogy I could manage to sit in either. I just tried that finger/chair measuring mentioned above and I can barely fit a finger so that explains a lot. Does that measuring work for men as well? Just curious…

[BatCoach]

for me my least favorite brands for fit were : Albion, Schleese and not a huge fan of County either.

Custom, N2 and Dresch and Lemke and SOME JRDs are all brands that pass the crotch test lol

[NO-CTRL]

Had a KN (Karl Neidersuss) which was the pony version of the the Rhapsodie. So painful!! Without being too graphic it was hell.

Current saddle is a Hennig Sofa and omg it is heaven despite being half an inch bigger than I usually ride in .

[AnotherRound]

@thatsnotme

I don’t find any Keifers comfy in the seat. I also don’t care for the older Schleeses, both are like sitting on a 2x4 to me. The newer Schleeses (Infinity and HK) are quite comfy. I know you didn’t ask, but I really like most Niedersuss’ in the seat. I think the Lemke’s are the most comfortable saddles around, if you can get one.

I find Keifers the only comfortable seat, in general. I need a narrow twist, and the schleeses are usually wide, and oh, the pain! Just my take.

[good_booie]

I am the odd ball here. I LOVE my Keifer Lech DL (not the profit). Love the thigh block and the narrow twist. Came out of a Stubben Scandica which was fine but love the Lech wayyyy more. My horse also moves much better in it.

[Christa_P]

@Willy Von Whompers

Stubben Parzival. If you ever want to enjoy your sex life again…never ever consider one. Ever.

Heck if you even want to enjoy a hot bath again, don’t sit on one. You slide slowly down into the enticing hot bubbles of your scented bath, and then…EEEEK like one of those cartoon cats that screech upwards to the ceiling. A G O N Y.

I LOVE my old Parcival, all purpose/dressage tendency model. I find it very comfortable and it puts me in a good position. I have trail ridden in it for hours without a problem.

Now those deep seat, huge knee roll saddles are awful.

[Foxtrot_s]

I’ll join … Stubens kill me. I cannot do the riding trot without getting banged in the crotch on the ‘up’ stage.

I actually ride in a Bates Caprilli - have done for years - jump in it, trail ride, hunt, good leg for flatwork. It is very easy on my horsse’s back even after five hours in steep terraine (the Western horses flinched when a finger tested their backs.).

It is also a relatively inexpensive saddle.

[longlanefarm]

I’m so glad to see it’s not just me! My trainer’s saddle is a total crotch punisher. I felt like it was something I was doing very wrong but realize I’ve never had that issue with other saddles. Ouch! :eek: Now I’m scared to go saddle shopping as I need to sell my Stubben for a new horse it does not fit and there aren’t many quality used saddle places locally. :no:

@Spyder thanks for your helpful info. How do you tell if a saddle is a wide or narrow twist? Is it marked as such?