This might be a stupid question, but dressage is all new to me. I usually ride in a 17-17.5" seat close contact saddle. Should I look for a dressage saddle in the same size or go up 1/2-1"? Seems like with the deeper seat I might need a bigger seat size. Also what is a good saddle for a beginner dressage person that works well on lighter TB build horses? I don’t want to spend a ton and will probably buy a used saddle. Thanks!
Dressage saddles get intensely personal. A saddle that one rider loves puts a differently built rider in position that they are uncomfortable in. some like narrow twists, some like a broader twist. Have I terrorized you yet? I don’t mean to, but I do suggest that you try some, on a moving horse, You should be able to let your leg hang comfortably down (some saddles will throw your leg forward), so your heels fall under your hips and shoulders. When sitting centered, you should be able to put the width of your hand between you and the top of the cantle.
Thanks for the information. I guess this will be quite a trial and error adventure. There are no local shops that sell dressage saddles so this will be a mail order extravaganze. LOL! Any suggestions on kinds that are a good fit for light-built tb’s?
If dresssage isn’t your thing but you want a saddle to play around in a Wintec Isabell might be a good choice. It has a fairly deep seat so I would suggest a 17.5. Of course if you are horrified by synthetic a kieffer might be good for a narrow horse or a passier. Like the previous poster stated they are a personal thing. Do you want a saddle that really locks you in place or do you prefer more room to move around? Also do you have a budget in mind?
Dressage has never been my thing before… but it’s what my mare can do so we’re going to try it. I am honestly not a synthetic fan. I want something we can show in down the line. She’s not really a narrow horse, but a typical tb-type build. She fits very well in the medium tree of the Dabbs saddle I have now. Just wasn’t sure if dressage saddles fit differently. I’m used to a jumping saddle so I think any dressage saddle is likely to feel more restrictive to me. I know they’re personal, but I’m not really in a good spot to judge what’s best since I don’t know what I’m “supposed” to feel like. I can certainly get a professional opinion while I have a saddle here on trial though. I’m thinking used and maybe $6-700. I was looking at some of the rembrandts… seems to be a lot of them used in that range. Any thoughts on them? There was a Nicole Grand Gilbert I saw too.
I used to ride in a hunt seat saddle that was 1/2" smaller than my dressage saddle and it fit well. I think alot of people ride in slightly smaller forward seat saddles than they would in a dressage saddle because they spend alot of time “out of the tack”.
Dressage saddles tend to be deeper in the seat and if you look at different models, some seats are closer to the pommel and some are closer to the cantle. Some have straighter flaps, others have more forward flaps. Your comfort in the saddle will depend on how much you like a deep seat, how long you are from hip to thigh, and what the balance is in that particular saddle. For example, I’m a solid 17 1’2 in many saddles, inlcuding Wintec, Albion, Passier and Schleese, but can easily do a 17" in the Anky, other Schleese models, County and Custom Saddlery. Did I say that saddle shopping is a big pain in the butt?
For TBs? Oh, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to try a bunch! I’m sorry! I’ve ridden TBs in a Wintec Pro, a WIntec Isabell, a Thornhill, a Neidersus, and a Crosby. Each fit well, but I felt the Crosby had too narrow a channel and the Neidersus made me feel a bit high off the back. My friend rides her Tb in a Keiffer. I think you should look at the straightness versus curve of your horse’s back, and contemplate whether you like a deeper saddle or a more shallow one. Lastly, contemplate your price range! There are some semi-custom saddles that aren’t too too TOO expensive that can be reasonably fit to your horse with wither and back tracings and pictures.
Good luck!
Edited to add: just read your post - you can show just fine in synthetic saddles. Noone actually notices. Also, really look at the curve of her back. If she’s curvy, something like a Passier Grand Gilbert might fit well. Many of the Rembrandts are older saddles…you’ll get a pretty well used one in that price range - make sure you know how old it is and what the condition of the tree is and the stitching is. Personally, I’m wary of a $600 leather saddle. For a leather saddle in good condition, can you bump your price range up to at least $1K? I think you’ll get a much better saddle if you can spend $1K-$1.4K.
For a TB, I like a Kieffer or a Passier. Both have excellent wither clearance, the M tree seems to fit a wide variety of horses, including the typical TB, and either can be readily found used for under $1000.
But YOUR shape will dictate the type of saddle that you need as well. How are you built? Long legs, short legs? Do you find yourself wanting to tip forward in most saddles, or can you sit upright easily? If you can’t answer that, let me know and I can explain the “tilted pelvis” thing to you.
Do you prefer having freedom to move around? Do you like bigger blocks in front to hold you leg back, or do you like smaller blocks?
Some online stores will let you try a saddle before you buy. Trumbull Mountain, Risk’s Heritage, and Pelham Saddlery will all send out their used saddles. The people at Trumbull Mountain are especially helpful in telling you what they have that might work, and they will also tell you straight-up if they think a saddle you are interested in would be a bad fit for you or your horse.
Dressage saddle hunting is even more tedious than finding a jumping saddle. The wrong saddle for you or your horse will leave you both struggling and uncomfortable, but the right saddle will make riding correctly almost effortless.
Good luck!
Go Wintec!
Another vote for Wintec, but I’d go with the Wintec Pro Dressage instead of the Isabell. I think for a newcomer to dressage, you’d like the way the Pro fits YOU better than you’d like the way the Isabell positions you. That’s my 2 cents’ worth. I love my Wintec Pro, and it fits my slender TB very well. My jumping saddle is also a Wintec. I show in both – nobody really cares what kind of saddle you ride in, as long as you are effective.
Test ride a Wintec Pro and see how it feels to you. I strongly recommend getting a Wintec that does NOT have the CAIR panels. Mine both had synthetic flocking, which my saddler replaced with wool, allowing custom fitting.
Wintecs are lightweight, easy to clean up, and economical. If you decide you really like dressage once you get into it, you can always upgrade your saddle if you feel like you’ve just got to have leather…and all the maintenance a leather saddle requires. :o)
Take your time, and try as many saddles as you can.
Have fun!
Seat size is in part determined by thigh length. Some horses prefer the rider far back from the withers. Soooo…Even though I am 5’2" I have both a 17.5 and and 18.5. The longer seat really works better for me with most horse since it sits me in a better spot for schooling. A short deep seat can also rub.
I have an M. Toulouse Aachen and it fits my TB like a dream. It has generous wither clearance and the Medium tree fits his back very well(though he’s not narrow at all). Brand new at SmartPak, they’re $949–and for the price it’s a NICE saddle!
If you are used to riding in a close contact saddle, I would recommend that you stay away from any saddle with big honkin’ thigh blocks. They will probably feel to weird for you. Older passiers, kieffers, and stubbens, etc will be affordable, should fit your horse pretty well, and will not leave you feeling trapped. Other saddles like the wintecs have velcro blocks I think so they might work well too. And synthetic is cheaper than leather.
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I ride in a 17-17.5" jumping saddle, and a 17.5-18" dressage saddle. You will want to go up 1/2"-1", depending on seat depth and also the flap cut (it is all relative based on your hip-to-knee length).
Like another poster said, since you are coming from a CC saddle, you might want to try some saddles with more moderate blocks, as the big ones can be quite restrictive. I, personally, can’t ride in a saddle with great big blocks.
I event and have a Wintec Isabelle. I was riding in my trainer’s Devoucoux and had my husband convinced I needed one of those, but really? I liked the Wintec. If I ever decide to get more serious as I am a re-rider, I may get a “fancier” saddle, but I don’t need it right now. My only regret is that I got an 18" when I should have gotten 17.5 to be perfect for me.
I am a dressage rider (in training:)) and I currently just purchased a Wintec Isabell. I have been schooling three different TBs in this kind of saddle and with the easy change gullet system it fits all of them well. I’m also not a huge fan of synthetic but I didn’t have the budget to pay for a leather saddle that I trusted my horse’s back and my comfort with! It is relatively easy to find a decently priced Wintec Isabell used. There are also some dressage saddles which have the stirrup bars too far forward and so they position the rider in a chair seat. I have learned that this is especially true in the cases of the “cheaper” leather saddles. I find that the Wintec Isabell puts my legs in the correction position. My close contact saddle that I used to ride in was a 17" but my Isabell is a 17.5". That is just what I have found works for me! Good luck finding something that works for you! 
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