Functional difference between monoflap and regular flap

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

I’m glad I’m not the only one struggling with T. Rex arms

I have a long torso… and shorter legs and arms. But a really large head. Some things are a SERIOUS challenge in the tack. I actually tried tightening my monoflap girth one hole last week, while on a 17.1 horse… and nearly fell off on my head, while leaning over his side. I gave up and just got off and dealt with it.

Fortunately, the friend I was riding with who observed my struggle has a good sense of humor - and we both had a good laugh.

[Pally]

@endlessclimb

I’ve always wondered if there had been any studies done on the pressure areas long billets create versus a long girth/short billets.

I did some searching, and couldn’t find any. Both the Centaur Biomechanics study that led to the development of the Fairfax anatomical girth and another study looking at trigger points in the pectoral muscles seem to have included both long and short girths within their samples, but not made any comparisons between them. It definitely would be something interesting to see someone look into.

Edit to add: No sooner do I post this than this bit from Centaur pops up in my feed. https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fcentaurbiomechanicsuk%2Fposts%2F4449793978421164 It’s extrapolation from the article I mentioned above, and still not an actual comparison between short and long girths, but a caution not to make your short girths too short.

[Lep1116]

I recently bought a monoflap dressage saddle. I have been having an issue with the saddle shifting to the left CONSTANTLY. I used to use a double flap and don’t remember having that issue so a friend let me try her double flap as I sold my old one. Her saddle did NOT have the slipping issue as well. I’m going to have the saddle fitter out again but pretty sure my new saddle will be going up for sale. Any thoughts?

[no.stirrups]

I can confidently say that the slippage is not because it is a monoflap. There are a lot of other things that may be causing it, but the number of flaps is not one of them.

[Willesdon]

Monoflaps tend to be lighter because there is less leather. Try riding with no stirrups for a bit, look at yourself in the school mirrors and see if you are sitting crooked and if this was disguised by the heavier saddle.

[CHT]

It might depend how the monoflap is done up. If the front billet is through the knee block, then it can pin the knee block tighter to the horse, which I think could cause slipping/twisting. I had to remove the knee block from my saddle as my mare would not canter properly with it sitting tight just behind her shoulder.

I ended up going with a regular flap (still waiting for it to be made though!) as the mono flap ideal only had external knee blocks, and I wanted ones that were velcro/moveable (which my Frank Baines monoflap has). I went completely boring with my custom saddle other than some subtle tooling on the cantle and I think the stirrup leather keeper.

[Jealoushe]

Sounds like the saddle doesn’t fit, or possibly the rider is crooked.