Flat dressage saddle? For a horse with a flat back

[Risk-Averse_Rider]

Anyone have any recommendations for a dressage saddle that does not have a seat as deep as the Grand Canyon, with a tree that’s appropriate for a horse with a flat back? Mr. Blondie has withers, but then his topline goes pretty much straight back to his croup. He’s not particularly long in the body; he just doesn’t have a dip in his back.

My current saddle (an Ovation, I believe) both tips me back and makes me bang my pubic bone when I post. Clearly, it doesn’t fit either of us correctly. I think part of the problem is that the seat is too deep.

I jump him in an HDR, and that fits his back nicely. I sat in an HDR dressage saddle at the store today, and it seemed pretty deep.

Suggestions?

Thanks.

[ESG]

Try a Stubben. They’re a lot flatter than most saddles, and many models don’t have that ridiculous knee roll that is better suited to a jumping saddle than a dressage saddle.

[Risk-Averse_Rider]

You mean the Stubben brick? <G> Those suckers are HARD!!

Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll check them out.

[J-Lu]

THe Bates/Wintec Isabell models are very flat-backed. So is the Passier Relevant. I wouldn’t say that either have a freakishly deep seat and they’re somewhat comfy.

My two cents! J.

[Bayou_Roux]

I’d second the Isabell as really flat, pretty good on a flat-backed horse.

[onetempies]

Passier Antares & GTs are flatter but I can’t guarantee that they’ll be a cushy ride. My GT is quite hard… although I did get used to it after awhile.

[pintopiaffe]

My guys all have very wide and flat backs but still have withers. The Ancient Passier is the best damn fit of anything I’ve tried short of treeless. It’s actually a little banana shaped–which seems to be ideal, since it lifts up off the back rather than digging in the way many gusseted panels do. I guess I’m dealing with super-short coupled on top of it, and that might be part of why it works.

I like the Isabell but depending on width and length of back… can be too narrow and also too long in the panels.

[CLB15]

You’re looking for a gussetted saddle to fit the flatter back?
Some stubbens, passiers & kieffers seem to fit that bill (for the most part) and aren’t uber-deep seats. A couple of the newer prestige models have the gussetted pannels but are deeper; I’m not sure if it’s gussetted or non-gussetted but the Amerigo close contact has a noticably (sp?) shallower, more “open” seat.

[RedMare01]

@pintopiaffe;3142497

My guys all have very wide and flat backs but still have withers. The Ancient Passier is the best damn fit of anything I’ve tried short of treeless. It’s actually a little banana shaped–which seems to be ideal, since it lifts up off the back rather than digging in the way many gusseted panels do. I guess I’m dealing with super-short coupled on top of it, and that might be part of why it works.

This is correct; you actually don’t want a flat saddle, but one that curves up underneath. I feel your pain though…the Red Mare has a very long flat back, and it took forever to find a saddle that fit her well!

Caitlin

[Kit]

I have a similar shaped horse. You need nice panels to cover the back and a nice wide gullet. Have you tried Frank Baines or Barnsby? A saddler on “Ultimate Dressage” site has put a list in reply to a similar question to yours which might be worth a look.

[kayandallie]

I think my Barnsby AVG is like that (I loff, loff, loff my AVG).

[MidlifeCrisis]

I have a QH with a similar build. Maybe less withers, but who knows. I bought a Black Country Eloquence through Trumbull Mountain. They were wonderful to work with and it fits him like a glove. My rear end likes it too:D

[SaddleFitterVA]

The older Albions on a Legend tree (Original Comfort, Legend, Euro-Legend and Euro-Comfort) all have a flat tree. They are also gusetted, but not hugely deep gussets. None of those are in production anymore, but are often available used, and much less expensive than new saddles.

IME, Stubbens often rock and most of the ones I’ve seen don’t have gussets, but I only go by what I saw that people already had.

I am out of the loop on what latest/greatest brands/fads are out there. But, I am currently waiting on a Black Country saddle to come in, and both horses I’ll use it on are wide & flat in the back. I’m ordering a jumping model, but they have dressage models as well.