I got a new saddle and I noticed with my right leg the flap bunches behind my calf when I’m posting. It doesn’t happen on the left side, but I haven’t encountered this before in other saddles. I’m sure it’s because I’m gripping in the wrong places and I’m going to try lowering the stirrups down a notch on that side since it is my stronger leg and I do overcompensate with it for weakness in the left. Any other ideas? Is there a type of fastener I can add under the flap to the sweat flap to keep it stationary? The flaps aren’t too short and I don’t believe they are too long either. Otherwise, my balance is fine and it’s just the sliding feeling of the flap on that side which is bothering me.
I can’t see the fit of the seat in these pictures. In the second picture of what I can see, the seat looks a little small. If that’s the case, it may be tipping you slightly more forward which could make you draw up your leg slightly to help keep your balance, which then might cause the calf to push the flap up?
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A- it is probably bunching because your leg is moving.
B - you can sew a strip of leather on the underside of the flap, and pass the girth through the strip. I have a dressage saddle that I bought used, where the former owner had sewn those straps under both flaps, though I never used them.
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Yep, I agree that it looks a little small. If you bought this one based on sizes of older other saddle brands, CWDs are notoriously on the small side. The only time this has happened was when I was schooling ponies in kids saddles and the flap and seat size were both too small and I found myself driving my leg and having to sometimes pinch with my knee to keep more of my body connected with the minion mount.
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Have you tried lowering both stirrups? They look a little short. I ride very short, so I sympathize if that is your preference.
Overall, this looks like a very small saddle in terms of seat and flap. I find that even if you are a petite person on smaller mounts and seem to fit (technically) in the saddle, it can be challenging to actually ride in it. Not sure that makes sense, but it has been my experience! I got a custom Antares 16.5 with a short flap, but found it uncomfortable and essentially unsuable, and now ride in a 17 with an average flap. The switch really sucked, but I’m comfortable now!
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I mean you bought a CWD… it didn’t magically fix all your issues??? (Sarcasm)
Flap is bunching because you’re gripping with your knee, leaning forward and stirrups are a bit too short so your lower leg is ‘rocking’ as you post. All of this exacerbates the issue.
Em
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I find my flap will bunch a little on my Old Man because he’s not as self propelled as he used to be and I’m “scooping” him (read, nagging!!) him just about every other stride.
Note he’s 25 and I’m not going to change his regression into the EFF YOU stage of his life, so I just accept it. A whip doesn’t help, he just doesn’t wanna and you can get him forward and he regresses a few strides later. Ah well!
It doesn’t happen with the younger more forward horse.
Agree that the saddle looks a little small, which may be encouraging you to perch forward on your knee. Because of that, your lower leg is slipping too far back. It appears (especially in the second picture, on the right) that you’re gripping with the back of your calf. If that’s your general position at the trot, each time you post you could be inadvertently scooting the flap back and upward.
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