Just looking for some general knowledge when it comes to the CWD flap lengths.
How tall should one be for a 3L flap? Anybody who has a CWD with a 3L flap, how tall are you?
I am 5’5 but am VERY long from my hip to my knee. I rode in the 2L and it just looked tiny. There isn’t a HUGE difference (maybe an inch) between the 2L and the 3L but it is just enough that it made it look perfect. I don’t ride with my knee forward so I didn’t go the C flap route- just the longer length! Hope that helps! DM me if you have any more questions. I LOVE my CWD and couldn’t be happier with it. The difference it made on my horse is awesome. You can really feel my horse move through his shoulders as well as another big shouldered horse I ride.
I just had a fitting about a week ago and I can tell you that height is not the only factor in the CWD flaps. Your overall conformation is going to make a big difference in what flap works best for you.
I am just under 5’5 but all of my height is in my femur. The saddle that I ended up ordering is a 17" 3C so that is the more round/ forward flap. Part of it is also going to be determined by what seat size you need. If I went up a seat size I would probably be able to get away with a 2C but the 17.5 was just too big and I honestly probably would have still wanted a 3C.
The L flaps (regardless of length) just didn’t work for me. Technically my rep said that a lot of reps would want me in a 17.5 3L due to my build but I just didn’t like the feel of it and it left me with too much seat and no flap in the places I wanted it.
With the C flap styles I didn’t notice the increased flap “length” number (for example 2C to 3C) make a huge difference in the actual length of the flap. I didn’t actually get to ride in a 17" 3C because it is apparently a less common size combo but from what my rep said a 3C would just add more flap in front of my leg as opposed to making it much longer.
With the L flap style the number made a large difference and the appearance of a 2L to a 4L was huge. I posted some pictures of the different flaps and saddles on my blog if you are at all interested. CWD post
I would recommend having a rep out. I am pretty sure it is free? And they would probably be able to help you hunt down a used saddle if you decided to go that route.
[QUOTE=hequestrian;7527584]
I just had a fitting about a week ago and I can tell you that height is not the only factor in the CWD flaps. Your overall conformation is going to make a big difference in what flap works best for you.
I am just under 5’5 but all of my height is in my femur. The saddle that I ended up ordering is a 17" 4C so that is the more round/ forward flap. Part of it is also going to be determined by what seat size you need. If I went up a seat size I would probably be able to get away with a 3C but the 17.5 was just too big and I honestly probably would have still wanted a 4C.
The L flaps (regardless of length) just didn’t work for me. Technically my rep said that a lot of reps would want me in a 17.5 3L due to my build but I just didn’t like the feel of it and it left me with too much seat and no flap in the places I wanted it.
With the C flap styles I didn’t notice the increased flap “length” number (for example 2C to 3C) make a huge difference in the actual length of the flap. I didn’t actually get to ride in a 17" 4C because it is apparently a less common size combo but from what my rep said a 4C would just add more flap in front of my leg as opposed to making it much longer.
With the L flap style the number made a large difference and the appearance of a 2L to a 4L was huge. I posted some pictures of the different flaps and saddles on my blog if you are at all interested. CWD post
I would recommend having a rep out. I am pretty sure it is free? And they would probably be able to help you hunt down a used saddle if you decided to go that route.[/QUOTE]
I had a fitting with a rep and my custom saddle is done, I was just having second thoughts since I rode in a clients saddle which was a 2L so I was just wondering what the difference was since I’m 5’5 and a quarter. I am longer hip to knee and the 3C I tried was too much saddle in front of my knee.
Thanks for the info though! I will look at the link you posted on your blog.
[QUOTE=amnich123;7527591]
I had a fitting with a rep and my custom saddle is done, I was just having second thoughts since I rode in a clients saddle which was a 2L so I was just wondering what the difference was since I’m 5’5 and a quarter. I am longer hip to knee and the 3C I tried was too much saddle in front of my knee.
Thanks for the info though! I will look at the link you posted on your blog.[/QUOTE]
Gotcha. Is it possible for you to contact your rep and see if they can change the flap on your saddle? I didn’t get to ride in a saddle with the exact specs that I ordered and I was given the impression that if I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the saddle in the first year that they would do whatever it took to make it right even if that meant changing my flap, etc. Hope your saddle arrives quickly! 
Im 5’5, I had the first rep sit me in a 3C. I ended up NOT going with a CWD because I didn’t like the flaps. He insistd it was the right flap confirgurement for me.
Now, fast forward, I tried a CWD again with a new rep. He had me in a 3L flap and I very much liked it. It still felt a tiny bit long, so I bumped it up to a 2L flap. He said it may look a little short for me, but that’s the feeling I like…where more of my leg is on the horse, not the flap.
The “L” flap is forward enough, its not like dressage style! 
[QUOTE=SquishTheBunny;7527819]
Im 5’5, I had the first rep sit me in a 3C. I ended up NOT going with a CWD because I didn’t like the flaps. He insistd it was the right flap confirgurement for me.
Now, fast forward, I tried a CWD again with a new rep. He had me in a 3L flap and I very much liked it. It still felt a tiny bit long, so I bumped it up to a 2L flap. He said it may look a little short for me, but that’s the feeling I like…where more of my leg is on the horse, not the flap.
The “L” flap is forward enough, its not like dressage style! :D[/QUOTE]
Hah! See that’s what I’m thinking with the L flap. What I’ve found between the 3L and the 3C is that theres a HUGE difference between the forwardness, where as they don’t have that in-between flap.
I’m sure the 3L will be fine!
[QUOTE=hequestrian;7527632]
Gotcha. Is it possible for you to contact your rep and see if they can change the flap on your saddle? I didn’t get to ride in a saddle with the exact specs that I ordered and I was given the impression that if I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the saddle in the first year that they would do whatever it took to make it right even if that meant changing my flap, etc. Hope your saddle arrives quickly! :)[/QUOTE]
Well what I’m thinking is when I get the saddle (It’s ready ship end of next week, but my mom won’t finish payments until the end of the month), I’ll have the rep who fitted me come out to make sure that the saddle fits the horse Im leasing (it has a pro-panel so I can only hope it does) and that it fits me.
But more importantly what I’m concerned with is that the horse I’m leasing has a sensitive back, and gets sore pretty easily- so I’m questioning whether or not I’ll be able to break in the saddle on him. 
And the saddle only took 6 weeks which is fabulous! But I won’t get it for another 2 or 3 weeks because of shipping and payments.
I’m 5’3" and got an amazing deal on a 3L. It’s slightly too long but not terribly so. Probably if I were going to go custom, I’d get a 2C.
I am 5’3’’ and got a 17’’ SE02 2L.
Every part of my body is short so the rep suggested me at first a 17.5’’ 2C but the flap was way too forward for me. Then he suggested a 17’’ because he felt I had too much room behind. The flap was still too forward.
Then he suggested a 17’’ with a 2L flap which was just perfect.
He was really patient and helpful throughout the fitting.
I received the saddle 3 weeks ago and I can’t say it is not broken. I really felt like home the first ride I sat in it.
The rep was so supportive during the weeks I had to wait for the shipment and he also came by the barn this week end to make sure the fit was perfect and to help me condition the saddle properly.
Really a super positive experience.
This is an interesting post. I am only 5’3" as are a few of my barn mates. We all ride in the 3L flap. We all tried shorter or more forward flaps but ended up chosing this one (all tried and tested several years appart without realizing each other’s flap size/style).
Also just wanted to point out that if you think a 3L is too long remember that a 3C will be shorter.
[QUOTE=Scratch N Dent;7529192]
Also just wanted to point out that if you think a 3L is too long remember that a 3C will be shorter.[/QUOTE]
Just realized my original response had the wrong flap numbers. Whoops.
But as you said the 3L is definitely longer than the 3C would be according to my rep. With the 2 flaps I didn’t notice a massive length difference but the shape is totally different. Cwd should have some kind of table showing the seat flap combos
I purchased a used CWD SE02 2L, I’m just under 5’4, shorts legs and any length my leg does have is from my hip to my knee- after 2-3 months I started to get awful lower back pain - I’m now starting to think maybe I just went with the wrong configuration? Fits my horse great so I’m tempted to try CWD again but worried I’ll run into the same thing!
This is an interesting discussion since I had the same experience. I had an L flap for years and it never felt quite right. When I ordered it I insisted that I didn’t need the forward flap since I do a lot of flat work, prefer more of an equitation seat with my leg underneath me and I don’t jump very big.
I am barely 5’3" with proportionate legs. When I needed to order a new saddle since the saddle wasn’t fitting my new horse that well, the rep insisted that with my conformation I needed to try the more forward flap. Lo and behold, it felt so much better than my old saddle, I couldn’t believe it. So, the moral is, try everything and be prepared to be surprised that what you think you want may actually not be what fits best. Ignore the ‘label’ of forward/not forward and go by feel.
I’m 5’7" with a looooong hip-knee length and I have a 17.5 SeO2 with a 3C flap. I love it. It depends on the balance of the seat you want too, and where the stirrup bar hits.
I’m 5’6 almost 5’7, but all my length is in my calves. I have rather short thighs. The 3L on a 17.5" fits me like a glove, the C flap is WAY too forward for me.
I’m 5"10, 36" inseam in pants and ride in an 18" 4C flap. It’s the best I can do without going custom.
