@greysfordays, thank you. Very cool story re: Mr. Butet!!! I did not know there was one.
I’m 5’2’ with long legs; 2/3 of which is my femur. Discovered that I could ride in 5’8" trainer’s dressage saddle without needing to adjust the stirrup length. Unfortunately, DD17 inherited my freakishly long femurs. We now need to replace her 3yo jumping saddle – the stirrup bar is not set at the correct angle and puts her into a chair seat. Seat size is important. Flap length, angle, and stirrup bar position is even more important, though. I weight around 115-120 lbs and take an 18" in a dressage saddle. A “perfect” jumper saddle for me is a 17" or 17.5" with a long, aggressively forward angled flap.
Almost all brands that make custom saddles make customized flaps to accommodate long legs and long femurs. So it’s absolutely nonsense that your leg length should delineate brand. Your leg length delineates what custom flap size you need.
With regards to better comfort in the seat area, I agree that CWD has a particular fit that can be uncomfortable for some in the crotch area. I would give Antares a try for the French saddles, and if you want to try something different, the County saddles have a very comfortable seat as well that is slightly different from the French saddles. Remember, comfort in the saddle is related to our own individual pelvic structure–so what’s great for one person might not be so great for another and vice versa.
When you try saddles, experiment with going a half an inch bigger on seat size (like maybe you will be more comfortable with a slightly bigger seat than what you really need). For example, if you think you need a 17.5" seat, maybe an 18" would actually be more comfortable for you.
Also, experiment with seat depth. I think you might end up preferring a flatter seat as you yourself suspect. don’t worry about a “flatter pommel” I think that when you find a saddle that fits you well that will be a non-issue. Oh, and of course make sure the saddle sits in a balanced fashion on the horse–if the saddle sits too low in front that can aggravate the issue you speak of, putting your pelvis up against the front of the saddle.
With regards to the neuropathy, I have a couple of recommendations. First of all, test out wide stirrup leathers, this will help with lower leg stability. Also test out different stirrup brands (wide footbeds, angled foot beds, etc). These items can cause subtle differences in your riding that can make some people quite a bit more comfortable.
Lastly, with regards to the neuropathy, if your health allows it, could you consider a background core strength training program, such as pilates? Some physical discomfort issues while riding can be attributed to strength and balance issues. I’m sure as a dressage rider you are quite strong, but riding does tend to build up certain sets of muscles while ignoring others, and the balance for dressage vs. jumping is a bit different.
Wish you luck with your saddle search!
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