Ive started my dressage journey and it’s just too difficult in my jump saddle. Looking for advice on what would work best or where to start for my boy? I like Stubben ( which is my current saddle) but the rep won’t be available for a while. My budget isn’t the largest unfortunately but I’m hoping there are some good options for under 2k ( used of course) .
Do you have a local saddle fitter who can help you find and fit a saddle for your horse? A saddle fitter who is independent should know a lot about different brands and assess what might fit your horse so that you don’t waste $3k on shipping saddles/saddle trials like I did…
I am a huge fan of Fairfax and Kent & Masters—they have saddles in all ranges that are adjustable.
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Echoing having an independent fitter come look at your horse and take measurements. Mine has been invaluable - now I know I have a flat backed, A frame horse, a slightly curvy, hoop-ish horse, etc etc. I also have tracings over time (young horse popped an inch of wither in 3 months! 
) to track changes.
Even if the fitter won’t recommend exact saddles to look for, knowing the general shape of the tree (not just the “gullet”, but the rails and overall curve), length of weight bearing surface, etc can help guide you.
$2k is going to be tough, though. Spend the $200 on a tracing/fitting, and use that as a starting point. You’ll spend far more shipping random saddles back and forth without the starting point.
ETA: some online fitters have good track records of remote fittings. That could be an option, but $2k is going to be tough for the ones I’ve used. Can you maybe ride in the jump saddle, get a fitting done, and save up another $1k? $3000-$3500 opens up a world of possibilities as well as some breathing room for shipping.
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Too bad I don’t have my Custom advantage monoflap I had for my thoroughbred, as he was extremely similarly shaped except for being more uphill, and the saddle can be adjusted to work for that.
Knowing what you need in a saddle matters, too. I need a very narrow twist, blocks which are short and out of the way because my femurs are short enough my knees can lock into the blocks otherwise, and it has to have a flat spot in the seat because my pelvis shape gets forced onto my crotch if the seat is curved all the way. Wider in the seat is also preferred, but not as critical.
Echoing this. I also found I’m much more particular about fit in my dressage saddle than in my jump saddle. I can ride in a less than ideal jump saddle and make it work but can’t do the same in dressage. At minimum try to figure out what kind of twist you like and if you need anything particular for blocks/flaps to help narrow your search.
Fineline Tack has a lot of saddles in your budget, including several Stubbens, and they do virtual fittings. I would reach out to them with details on what you’re looking for and what you’re riding in now and see what they recommend. I didn’t do a virtual fitting with them but found them really helpful with the saddles I tried.
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It depends on the horse and rider but my saddle fitter sold me my Kent and Master’s saddle for less than $1500. My horse was young at the time and I don’t want to spend a ton of money on something that he might grow out of. But so far the Kent and Master’s still fits him 2 years later. I also know someone who got their bronze in a Thorogood ($950 saddle)
And years ago I know someone that got their Bronze medal in a wintec saddle (now she’s a gold medalist and a very successful trainer.)
You can definitely do it cheaper but I do agree that the more budget the better. But I would say having a good fitter is the most important aspect of it all. 
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Oh absolutely! I’ll say that having ridden in “nice” jump saddles, trying to ride in K&M, Thorowgood and Wintec was a… transition. I struggle with dressage saddles though, I’m much pickier about them vs being able to ride in most jump saddles.
It’s the same for jump saddles though - $1500 can get you something workable for the horse that hopefully is comfortable for the rider, but $3k makes things WAY easier!
The fitter really can make or break the experience though!
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I totally get it! I just don’t want to discourage the op if her budget truly is 2K and she’s just starting out in dressage.
I feel like my position is better jump saddles, so I get what you are saying! I definitely think finding my ideal dressage saddle is a lot harder than jump saddle.
But I’ve been happy with my Kent and Master’s. It’s comfortable although it’s not my perfect saddle and it’s not what I want to own in the long term. But it’s working for now and the adjustability has been helpful.
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Saddles that my horses with high/long withers and curved backs have worked well in:
Trilogy Verago
Albion SLK HH (high head)
County Connection
Custom Everest
All (except maybe the last) would have some in budget used.
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I currently ride in a Kent and Masters dressage saddle on my TB with very stereotypical TB withers and it suits him fine. Shockingly it also suits me fairly well even though I have a stupidly long femur and struggle with thigh blocks a lot. It cost me $1200 used and I have no complaints about it for what it is/the price I paid (and it’s definitely nicer than the Collegiate I had initially). I will second the recommendation to work with an independent fitter though. Ours carries a few brands but she’ll fit whatever we put in front of her if it’s possible. One day I want to get a custom Erreplus to match my jump saddle but am nowhere near justifying that $8k price tag right now
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Thanks for the advice everyone! I’ve made an appointment with a fitter and hopefully can find something that works… I’m excited!
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Good luck!!
So, what you need does come into play. I found the K&M dressage saddle to be rather long, and I think the tree would be too straight for your guy. The one I had was an 18" though, so it might be OK if you ride in a 17". Stubben might work. I was also going to mention Albion. They make a TB tree, and you can often find nice used ones inexpensively.
Black Country also makes great dressage saddles, many of which have wither gussets, which might work well for your horse’s shape. You could find a used Eden or Eloquence well within your budget.
Saddle fitter and maybe you can buy used.
I’m in the market myself but my combination of codes in the right size seat with the appropriate channel is proving to be elusive.
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Don’t most Stubbens come in a dressage version of the jump saddle? Could you not find a used dressage version of your jumping saddle? With the caveat you may need to buy a 1/2 to 1” larger seat size, depending on how deep the seat is.
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Your horse has a dip behind the withers and is short backed. Be sure you don’t get a saddle that is long and straight. Can you get your horse to lifts his back? Do that and take a picture to see how much it changes. That is important to know.
I could suggest that a Veritas Libero might be an option if you could find a used one as they are made for very short backs. I would also avoid squared off panels or ones that stick out behind the saddle a ways as they will put more pressure behind his last rib.
Sorry, can’t be much help. Good luck! Been where you are. Not easy but getting a good saddle will make your journey much better. It is worth the effort.
Not necessarily if you do your homework in advance.
Earlier this year I bought a used Albion SLK, had a master fitter out to fit it, replaced the billets… and still only spent a little over $1000 on the whole endeavor.
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It depends on your goals and aspirstions. If you have high level aspirations find a good fitter. Not the lower end fitters, and ask for a payment plan or put it on a credit card. It’s seriously worth it. There’s a huge difference in quality. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned in life I wish I could do over - just pay for the high quality saddle. Your horse will say thank you.
