I’ve recently come to the point where I need to buy a saddle again after FedEx lost my Voltaire. I don’t remember what flap that saddle had and now when I’m looking at used saddles a lot of them have forward flaps. Are these only so tall people have more room or do they put you in a better position while jumping? I’m 5’2 and have never used a saddle with a forward flap but I’m tempted by a lot of the used saddles with them. I also want to know if I need to stay clear of them because my leg can tend to drift forward and I don’t want a saddle that enables that habit.
Depends more on what you’re doing and also on your body proportions. Two people of the same height may have very different leg/torso ratios or upper to lower leg ratios and those will affect what size/shape saddle suits them best.
If you’re regularly jumping grand prix, or galloping XC, you’ll probably want a more forward flap because your stirrups will be much shorter than if you were jumping 2’ or just flatting. This is a good crash course on how flap affects the rider.
Honestly, saddles aren’t something you should buy based on what’s “fashionable” or what you’re seeing a lot of. They need to work for YOU and your HORSE, so I’d go sit in as many as you can to figure out what works for you, and then work with an independent saddle fitter to fit your horse and suggest saddles that align with both of your needs.
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I’m 5’1 and ride in a forward flap.
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I’m 5’5” and use a forward flap in both Antares and TC because of my thigh length (not because of long legs). Sorry about your Voltaire. That’s terrible.
I’m 5’1” and just bought a 16.5 Voltaire with a 1 flap. Short and not forward. It’s perfect for me. Not only are my knees where they are supposed to be, which they are almost always NOT (usually they are on the flap, not in the pocket)…the balance point when in two point is perfect, and keeps my legs in the “slot”. I have fairly short femurs and longer lower legs.
I got a short flap for my dressage saddle also.
Take a look at The Saddle Bank in England. Huge selection and competitive pricing.
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I’m 5’0 and ride in a forward flap! I also have a Voltaire and it has a 2A flap. Are you able to look up the ordering information for the lost saddle to see what flap configuration it had?
Flap forwardness is about the length of your thigh bone
Flap length is about the length of your lower leg.
“Short” people can have long thighs relative to their seat size and need a more forward flap. Short people can have “tall people” legs.
“Tall” people can have a shorter lower leg and need a regular flap length. Tall people can have a lot of their height in their torso.
An Eventer or upper level Jumper rider will have shorter stirrups relative to a Hunter rider, and will likely need a more forward flap to accommodate that
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Yup. I’m very long from hip to knee, which I suppose conformation-wise complements my ape-like long arms. So I’ve always need a forward flap. Unfortunately, over the years I’ve discovered that the definition of “forward flap” varies from saddle brand to saddle brand.
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That’s awful! I’m sorry.
Yes, forward is allll relative, there is no standard. Same with tree width, no standard, it’s only relative to the same brand in a different model, and only gives you an idea of the width to start looking at in another saddle as long as you are familiar with their sizing
Thank you that website really helped!!
Thank you all for the help : ) I’m going to be contacting a bliss of london/loxley fitter too as i’m struggling to find a completely independent one in SLC/utah in general. If anyone has experiences with their saddles I would love to know, but in the meantime I’m gonna be looking online.
I’m only 5’3 but I have long legs and especially long thigh bones.
My forward flap BDH jumping saddle puts me in a great, safe position for jumping.
I’m not short, so I cannot help there. But I would caution the idea of entertaining a forward flap if your leg drifts forward in a straight flap. Unless you can get a fitting or trial on the saddle.
I am 5’7" with quite a bit of leg. I always rode in a long straight flap, until my one saddle rep put me in a forward flap when I was looking for a new saddle. It felt so open and free while in the 2 point, I loved it. Unfortunately, it allowed me to shove my leg super far forward. I lost my base, my equitation fell apart, and it created bad habits. It was bad enough that I subconsciously knew I was shoving my leg forward when I tried to sink through my heel, that I started pulling my toe up instead; yes, I realize this can be helpful, but since I didn’t have stability in my lower leg to keep it from going forward, I was straining my shins and outer calf in an attempt to keep my heels down. I literally gave myself shin splints.
I recently sold that saddle and switched brands to a rep who was also a great fitter. I am now in a straight flap and even just standard length, which is new to me. But she wanted to reduce bulk and thought the standard length would stabilize my leg even more. It is life changing. It’s the most perfectly balanced thing I’ve ever ridden in.
So long story long, it really depends on your proportions and build, as well as the saddle’s actual measurements. But if you’re already shoving your leg forward, I would caution against anything that allows you more freedom to do so.
5’1", short femurs, and my saddle has a forward flap. I also have a bad hip, though. YMMV.
As others have pointed out, there’s so much variation in personal anatomy. I’m 5’7" and ride in the same short, forward flap CWD configuration as my 4’11" barnmate with a half-inch larger seat size. It’s sort of like bra fitting, the way band and cup sizes actually work together.
