Full seat breeches-- do real suede ones still exist?-- advice on grip

[Platypi]

Okay, so I am back to riding the last couple of years, after a few years out of the saddle, and it seems that everyone has ditched actual suede for various synthetics. Now I appreciate the washable factor, but… the stuff has little to no grip, and for me, that’s the point of wearing the full seat to begin with! I’ve tried all manner of equisuede clarino whatever synthetic, several different brands, but none of them have more grip than the fabric, and some of them honestly are slippery. Huh?

Does anyone still make them? I couldn’t even find anything on ebay. I gave away my old ones because there is no way short of liposuction those are going to fit ever again. So here I am…

Do they exist, or am I looking for a ghost of breeches past? Is there any decent alternative?

I am not completely hopeless at staying on, but even when I am riding daily my balance is not phenomenal. I actually have some neurological balance issues, and while I can practice my way to a decent seat where you would never know, I will never be as stable as someone without my issues at the same level. It’s not an issue for routine stuff, but for example, losing a stirrup at the wrong moment. I have a hard time recovering well. I don’t like it, but it’s my reality-- many people say saddles are for lazy people, etc, and the same for full seat breeches, but in my case I really do need a little help with stability. It isn’t laziness.

Just figured I’d ask before I go too crazy looking, in case they don’t exist any more! My other thought is to get a pattern and make some. I think Suitability has a full seat pattern.

[stryder]

http://www.equissentials.net/

uses deerskin.

[atlatl]

Love love love my equissentials. Nothing else comes close to the stickiness of them.

[GoForAGallop]

Tropical rider’s let you pick your seat fabric as well: http://www.tropicalrider.com/

Let me tell you, I just have the Clarino ones, but combine those with my calfskin saddle, and even on a cool windy day on a hyped up TB, my butt is not moving!

[arlosmine]

FITS uses perforated deerskin. Yummy.

[Countrywood]

I think Kentucky breeches still use real suede.

There is a sticky stick sold by online or on site tack shops that increase stick between saddle and breeches, it is put on the leather of the saddle. ( I forgot the name, a few brands). Also one can rough up the smoothed down clarino a bit by sticking a pin in it and roughing up the fabric…I’ve done it to mine and it does not harm the fabric at all. Just stick a sewing needle in at 1/2 inch or so intervals and roughen up the damped down fake suede.

I also like riding in jean style breeches…the denim based fabric is rougher than smoother based fabric of other breeches.

[Jackie_Cochran]

The way I found to get the stickiness back was to go back to the old style saddle soap in the tin, Fiebing’s Saddle Soap. I clean my saddle with it, I also rub it straight from the tin, no water, on the gripping area of my super slippery warm weather breeches, and I rub it where I grip/sit on the saddle (warning, it may lift the dye out of the saddle onto your breeches.)

My breeches may get stained BUT I am no longer sliding around in the saddle. I have Multiple Sclerosis, very bad balance, and I am very weak and easily exhaustable.

[Lady_Eboshi]

You can also pick up TONS of Old Skool real leather full seats on E-Bay, often for a tiny percentage of their original price.

[Rusty15]

Maybe try horsecountrycarrot.com.