Dressage saddles with flatter seats?

[DreamHorseStudios]

A little over a year ago, I fell off my Trakehner gelding and broke both of my hips. We were lengthening the canter across the diagonal and hit a deep spot in the footing caused by rain the day before. Sam went lickity split, and I went lickity splat!

Since then, I’ve been having a lot of trouble maintaining proper alignment in my body while riding in my Prestige Top Dressage saddle. Instead of maintaining a tall, flat back and resting squarely on my seat bones, I’ve found that I’m now tipping forward onto the front portion of my pelvis and creating a pronounced “C” in my lower back. Not okay!

After sitting in every saddle I could get my hands on during a recent trip to Dover Saddlery, I discovered that there were only a couple that actually seem to work with my new “conformation.” Surprisingly, one of those was the Dover Circuit. (The only other saddle in the store that seemed to work for me was a clearance model Wintec, which I wanted to avoid in favor of something a little less slick.)

Have any of you tried Dover’s dressage saddle? Thoughts? I’d also be very happy to receive recommendations for other brands and models that I might be able to try.

[joiedevie99]

I too prefer flat seated dressage saddles. Here are some you could try (some of these have flat and deep seat options, so you have to locate the right one): Butet, Passier, Schleese (older), Stubben, Frank Baines.

[js]

I can’t comment on their dressage saddle but I did take a few lessons on one of their Circuit close contact saddles. The saddles got a lot of use and still looked nice and appeared to be holding up quite well. For the money I’d say they are probably a good buy; of course it would have to fit the horse also.

[Pocket_Pony]

Love, love, love my Frank Baines Capriole. I like a flatter seat - hate to be stuck in a position - and this fits me perfectly. Once I rode in it, I was like, “this is (relatively) easy!” I like the position it puts me in.

Saddle shopping is a nightmare - what works for some doesn’t work for others so you just have to sit your butt in a lot of them to see what feels good to you.

[jaybird660]

The Baines Capriole is a wonderfully made saddle with a nice open seat. It really depends on what shape your horse is. The Kent and Masters saddles have more open seats as well.
Some of the Passier saddles, not the “deep seat” models are also open.

[wsmoak]

The Albion SL has a flatter seat than their other models.

(I bought it after trying a sale horse in one. Didn’t buy the horse, loved the saddle!)

[merrygoround]

Passier!

[Ceylon_Star]

I LOVE my old, flat seat, brown, no knee rolls/thigh blocks Passier! I hate deep seated, huge blocked saddles, they’re incredibly uncomfortable for me with my short-but-VERY-thick legs. My Passier is old, and I sometimes need to ride in a sheepskin seat saver on days that I know I’ll be doing more sitting trot work than usual just for a teeny bit of extra squish, but it fits me like a glove and will last me a lifetime if I treat it well.

Second best would be the old Stubben Tristans, they’re similar to my Passier but have a narrower twist, which isn’t ideal for me but I can still ride better in it than in a more bulky saddle.

Biggest difference in fit for the horse between two nearly identical saddles (my Passier and a friend’s Stubben of similar vintage) is that my Passier offers a bit more room in the shoulder, whereas the Stubben seems to be more forward in the points. So while they measured the same and using a wire hanger to trace the underside they fit the same, the Stubben was a no-go on my pony because the forward points interfered with his shoulders, and my Passier didn’t work on her gelding because the slightly swept back points hit a funny spot behind the shoulder.

[Carol_O]

The older Wintec Pro has a flatter seat. I am not sure this is still true with the newer models.

[drs]

The albion platinum has a flatter seat. I usually ride in cc saddle and this was one of the dressage saddles I could ride in.

[islgrl]

The Roosli Pilatus has a fairly flat seat…

[DreamHorseStudios]

I recently tried a Niedersuss Symphonie that was comfortable just to sit in and fit my horse well, but was KILLER on my seat bones after a little trot and canter work. Honestly, I feel like I bruised myself. Ow!

The older model Passier saddles have a great seat that fits me well, but the fit is somewhat awkward on my Trakehner thanks to his high withers and large shoulders. I haven’t tried an Albion yet, and I’ve never heard of a Roosli anything! I’ll add both of those to my “to try” list.

[DQ01]

I find that the Albions have a bit of a flatter seat, worth a try!

[ivy62]

I have an older model, probably 15-20 years old, Passier and it fits our Trakehner well. Wish it had some gusstes in the back but with a little foam pad we are fine. I, too, hate being locked into a position.
Which Passier did you try? Mine is good with high withered horses too…

[Kitt]

Without seeing the horse in question, it’s not possible to make any sort of detailed recommendations. Some folks have mentioned the Baines Capriole, which is quite open in the seat, but this saddle fits a pretty flat back. Passiers are also very open-seated, but tend to fit a horse with more wither (though the fit does vary from model to model).

The way a saddle rides also depends on how it fits the horse - what you love when you’re sitting in it on the buck can be a nightmare when it’s on your horse. Your best bet (I feel like a broken record saying this!) is to work with a good fitter and try a bunch of saddles in real time. If you don’t have someone good in your area, work long-distance with a shop like Equestrian Imports or Panther Run Saddlery - both have experienced “remote” fitters.

[alto]

[QUOTE=DreamHorseStudios;7208547]
I haven’t tried an Albion yet, and I’ve never heard of a Roosli anything! I’ll add both of those to my “to try” list. :)[/QUOTE]

Roosli’s are very much “made to order” so can vary greatly between saddles, Albions less so (but significant change in trees etc through the years) - of course, panels are often altered/adjusted for the specific horse …

If there are reps on your area, arrange a demo fitting so you can ride in everything a company has to offer (hopefully demo saddles will halfways fit your horse, so you can really experience the saddles), pay attention to what about a particular saddle works/doesn’t work for you.

Hopefully you’re in a continueing physio type program for your hips

Re the Dover Circuit, some of them have been getting decent reviews over in H/J & Eventing, so give it a try (I assume demo model will not be an issue - though I don’t believe they are particularly adaptable if your horse does not fit in the expected profile).

[DreamHorseStudios]

Kitt - No worries, I’ll be working with a qualified saddle fitter to find something that works for my horse. It’s just a LOT easier to start the process if you have at least some idea of what might work and what’s completely out of the question.

[froglander]

This was a good thread to stumble upon!

[ise]

I love my Kieffer Wein’s. I do prefer “less” saddle than the current more popular “circus saddles” (as I call them). I don’t like that feeling of being locked in between a high pommel and high cantel.

[pony_baloney]

I have a 20+ year old Barnsby Raven that is pretty flat and has no thigh blocks and just a small knee roll. The saddle is probably not a good fit for a horse with a flatter back; it’s a perfect fit for my slightly dip-backed senior Arab. I’ve seen some of these used Barnsbys for sale and they’re really well made. And they come in dark brown! Mine still looks great for it’s age and usage.