Dream Saddle search , No saddle for me :(

[walkers]

I took Cothers advice and ordered a Stuebben Scout. The stuebben fitter came out with it yesterday and my horse loved it. He was moving like a dream, floating and quick BUT to big for me. Now why don’t they make this saddle in more than 2 sizes? 18 and 19 is all they have .I’m 5’5,130pds and the 18 inch seat put me in the wrong spot , anywaythe sadle fitter saw it didn’t fit me .
This saddle was heaven to sit on. Those of you who said the Stubben aren’t hard anymore are so right.Sadly there is No way to make it fit me. .

Another saddle arrived today that I ordered from a major English saddle company, they have a new trail saddle ,a western rise but english seat. I couldn’t believe how poorly made it is, the leather,the construction, the felt serge instead of leather panels, I guess its a mono flap which is new to me but everything about this saddle said $800 not $2800. What a disappointment.

So I’m back to zero and after riding in that Scout its very clear that my current steele Plantation saddle is hurting him.It bridges on him.

Just a reminder to all of you who had so many helpful suggestions. I have weak legs so a standard AP is not going to work for me. I need a deep seat, narrow twist, endurance style saddle with english leathers for my hips and knees.
Ideas
Anyone

[Thoroughbred_in_Colo]

If the Scout fits your horse, and it is comfortable (other than the obvious size issue), why not try something like the Siegfried? A friend has one for her Morgan and it is great. He is of the minimal wither, short/wide back variety; usually hard to find a saddle that fits, but the Siegfried fits him fabulously. It comes in a much bigger range of seat sizes and you can get it with the cushy Biomex seat. If d-rings are an issue, a good saddler can add some for you.

[Guilherme]

The Scout was designed for the Police and Army in Belgium in 1948 by Stubben Switzerland (Stubben Germany was not real popular at that time in Belgium). In those days there were no women in operational or line police or military units so it was made in “man sizes” only.

My wife rides a Siegfied VSD-DL and finds it very comfortable and it fits her horses quite well. We had Stubben add D-rings that matched the Scout’s pattern for the trail. I’ve ridden in it a couple of times; it’s a bit small for me but for short periods it’s doable.

Best of luck in getting a good fit for you and your horse.

G.

[no.stirrups]

Just an FYI, serge is NOT inferior to leather for panels! It’s breathable, non-slip (so negates the need for fancy non-slip pads), and incredibly durable. Historically, it was the preferred material. We just aren’t used to it because leather became the fad. Like so many fads, it wasn’t an improvement.

[Bombproof]

Have you tried an Australian saddle? I really like mine. Also, you might consider a McClellan. Although the seat in a McClellan isn’t soft, It puts most riders in a very comfortable position and it has lots of attachment points for your stuff. Doug Kidd at Border States Leather Works makes new McClellans on a wider tree in case your horse is bigger or wider than the old-time cavalry horses.
http://borderstatesleatherworks.com/mcclellan-civil-war-saddles.php

Doug can make the McClellan in a variety of combinations according to your needs, including a padded seat as was used in the senior officers’ saddles. It sounds like some modification of the M1928 would suit your purpose.

[Thoroughbred_in_Colo]

The second saddle you’re referring to isn’t a Lovatt and Ricketts, is it? I know they use serge panels, but they are usually well made.

What about a Duett? I have no personal experience with their trail saddles, but their dressage saddles are well made and reasonably priced.

Somewhat up the price scale, Smith Worthington has a few models of trail saddle, and if they don’t have something that fits as a stock model they can do a semi-custom for a bit over stock price.

If you are looking for something a bit more budget friendly that fits the deep seat/narrow twist requirement, you might want to look at straight dressage saddles. You will have a much bigger pool to choose from, and you can often score a used high-end saddle for a great price.

I mostly ride dressage, but we incorporate trail riding into our training for fun and variety. I always trail ride in my dressage saddle because it is the most comfortable over any terrain and I can still walk after a 6 hour ride in it, unlike my jumping saddle and western saddle. The only thing I would change is adding d-rings.

[walkers]

Thanks again for all the suggestions . I liked the Scout for the deep seat which made me feel more secure as I have weak legs. I looked at Smith worthingtons but no one around me has them in stock. From this forum I’ve learned the Duett are for wide horses, my horse is round but not wide. He’s a little guy witht this very short back. The Scout was really a tiny bit long on him

I do have a very old Aussie (25yrs.) that has the wool serge panels which are still fine so yes I know serge can last but this English saddles serge was more like a thick felt plus it has foam panels instead of the wool they have in every other saddle they make, the construction of the saddle was incredibly poor.

I really thought I could find a endurance style saddle with english leathers other than Tucker but i can’t find one. Used to be Orthoflex was good but I’ve heard since it was sold that the new saddles are nothing like the orginal orthoflex.
I wish my seat was good enough to feel safe in a AP but after a bad fall two yrs. ago I need to be careful.
When I lived out west they had good saddle makers that would make whatever you wanted but maybe those artisans are all gone now?

[SharonA]

If you liked the Stuebben, maybe try one of the Stuebben dressage-oriented saddles, as they have a deeper seat, and thigh blocks if you want them. They can put extra D-rings on the saddle to attach stuff to make it more endurance-y.

It doesn’t matter if a saddle is called “an endurance model” by its manufacturer or if it is called something else. If any given saddle is comfortable for you and the horse to do endurance rides in, that makes it an endurance saddle!

[Guilherme]

[QUOTE=Bombproof;8066067]
Have you tried an Australian saddle? I really like mine. Also, you might consider a McClellan. Although the seat in a McClellan isn’t soft, It puts most riders in a very comfortable position and it has lots of attachment points for your stuff. Doug Kidd at Border States Leather Works makes new McClellans on a wider tree in case your horse is bigger or wider than the old-time cavalry horses.
http://borderstatesleatherworks.com/mcclellan-civil-war-saddles.php

Doug can make the McClellan in a variety of combinations according to your needs, including a padded seat as was used in the senior officers’ saddles. It sounds like some modification of the M1928 would suit your purpose.[/QUOTE]

There’s an entire world of military saddles for longer distance riding. They were the original “endurance” saddles.

That said, they were not all created equal. The Mac is loved by many and can be had in very good quality at very reasonable prices because there’s not much too it (I, personally, find it a “blister rig” but that’s must me ). The last version made in numbers was the 1904. It was the most sophisticated of them, having an adjustable girthing system. Many were later converted to the 1928 version with the addition of flaps and an English style girth.

I really like the predecesssor of the Mac, the Grimsley Dragoon saddle. Comfortable, deep seat and generally “fit” me. Here’s an example:

http://borderstatesleatherworks.com/grimsley-mexican-war-saddles.php

If you want either a Mac or Grimsley then Doug is the man to talk to.

Another commonly available type is the British Universal Pattern saddle. This is the oldest, continously used piece of military equipment in the world. The first model was in 1796; it’s still in use today by the ceremonial units in London.

It’s not a “close contact” saddle. The rider is “suspended” above the horse. The downside is a loss of “feel”; the upside is a reduction in stress on the horse’s back. It’s odd the first time you ride one; you get used to it pretty quickly.

Here’s the 1902 version: http://www.museumofthehorse.org/collections/introduction-to-the-equestrian-saddle-collection/army-saddle-united-kingdom-after-1902/

Here are many variations on that theme: https://www.google.com/search?q=tucker+trooper+saddle&rlz=2C2OPRB_enUS0537US0537&biw=960&bih=528&site=webhp&tbm=isch&imgil=9hRNRV5Aux5fDM%3A%3BY0YQw7EJoVRi2M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ffhotd64476.yuku.com%252Ftopic%252F56608%252FSOLD-Tucker-Trooper-Saddle-500&source=iu&pf=m&fir=9hRNRV5Aux5fDM%3A%2CY0YQw7EJoVRi2M%2C_&usg=__igPE2zjp_f0OLVIQZnOQL41QVyU%3D&dpr=1.75

There are many others out there but these are commonly available in the U.S.

Good luck in your search.

G.

[MyKindaFlower]

What about Specialized Saddles? I ordered a Texas Wade saddle from them for my very hard to fit draft cross. It arrived about a few weeks ago and I really like the quality of the saddle. It seems to fit my boy very well although I haven’t been able to ride in it yet due to the weather that we’ve been having - I’m pretty buried under ice at the moment. Anyway, maybe they’ve got something that you would like? They do have a demo program I believe. Here’s the link: http://specializedsaddles.com/

[4beats]

I have a Tucker Gen II Endurance Equitation saddle but it is now sitting in my basement storage room, gathering dust.

Instead I am riding in a Wintec Isabell dressage saddle with the CAIR system and changeable gullets. My young KMSH gelding has gone from a medium to a wide back with age and conditioning; the saddle fits him very well, the riding position is balanced and the seat is very deep. I understand that these saddles are not uncomfortable on long trail rides, either.

[Leather]

Have you looked at Hillview Farms Evolutionary saddles? The owners were Ortho-Flex dealers back in the day and decided to design/make their own flex-panel saddles.

http://www.hillviewfarms.com/A-f%20Easy%20Slide%20Saddles.htm

[Shermy]

http://steelesaddle.com/product-category/steele-saddles/page/2/

All of them come w/out a horn if you prefer. They are very comfortable, very deep seat, just have a sweet spot.

I have a hard to fit horse, my Tucker Wide become too tight for his shoulders. The Steele fits him great.

You can try one for 3 weeks to see how it fits horse and you. I was very impressed and ordered the Wade model

[Thoroughbred_in_Colo]

[QUOTE=Shermy;8069433]
http://steelesaddle.com/product-category/steele-saddles/page/2/

All of them come w/out a horn if you prefer. They are very comfortable, very deep seat, just have a sweet spot.

I have a hard to fit horse, my Tucker Wide become too tight for his shoulders. The Steele fits him great.

You can try one for 3 weeks to see how it fits horse and you. I was very impressed and ordered the Wade model :)[/QUOTE]

The OP has a Steele, but it doesn’t fit her horse.

[Shermy]

[QUOTE=Thoroughbred in Color;8069575]
The OP has a Steele, but it doesn’t fit her horse.[/QUOTE]

Oh, I missed that.

OP, did you call them? Eric said they can send out mold.

From their website "Our standard fit to the horse is fitting 85-90% of the horses that we send it out to regardless of the breed. We have many other fits for the other 10-15% that our standard fit to the horse does not work for and can custom fit the saddle to those horses that are difficult to fit. Read More About Saddle Fit

This involves sending you a mold kit that you heat in the oven for 10 minutes, lay it on your horses back to cool and return it to us. That way we have a replica of your horse’s back on our shop to build the tree by. We then add stirrup leathers, rigging, and a temporary seat to the tree so you can actually ride the tree to check the fit to your horse before we complete the saddle."

He made it seem he would work w/me if the saddle needed some adjustments to get it to fit. Seemed very knowledgeable.

[ChocoMare]

I would have you look to a Timberline Saddle. If I hadn’t gone with a County Perfection, I’d have bought one.

[Malda]

This place is just outside of Los Angeles. Many people ride in his saddles, excellent quality and last for years. I own a Muster Master. You can ask for english style leathers instead of western. They might be too wide in the twist for you.

http://www.aussiesaddle.com/Products/Saddle/aussie_leather_saddles.html

[walkers]

I’m learning about saddle makers i have never heard of, unfortunately none near me so i can try out the saddles.
Twenty yrs. ago I started riding gaited and bought one of Colins (aussie outback) saddles. I still have it and use it when i was riding green babies. It saved my butt a few times.
Aussies are a little narrow for this horse and he is well behaved so no need for poleys.
ANother disappointment today had a saddle company send me a tree custom supposedly for my horse but its to long and its a chair seat for me, just such a deep pocket that it sits you way back on the horse. I’m not mentioning brands because I’d never want to hurt a small business .
I wish I rode good enough for the Stubbed Siegfried but with my weak legs i think i’d be nervous. In a crowd he can act up.

Hey can you put bucking rolls on a english saddle?