I am at my wit’s end. Does anyone know of a deeper seat dressage saddle with a hoop tree and narrow twist, that will fit a round pony? I love Black Country dressage seats, Vinici in particular, but not the APs, which is what I am trialing now. I had to pull the knee block out just to be able to sit in it. This is supposed to be an 18.5 seat.
Well I am in an 18" saddle because of a long femur, but have a lousy seat, so my knees always were over the knee block. So much so that I got a Stubben Genesis with no knee blocks. Sold that later because I needed more support.
I ended up with Custom Saddlery Advantage R. The knee blocks don’t bother me at all and my leg is actually behind them.
You might just need a saddle with a more forward flap, like the County series Ephiphany?
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I recently trialed a Lovatt and Ricketts Berkeley in an 18.5 that might suit what you’re asking for. I loved it for me but it wasn’t quite right for my horse.
I had a Vinici X made with a short block that ended above my knee, and a 1.5" forward flap and it worked perfectly. My mares got too wide for that saddle, so I ended up in finding a unicorn Patrick Leggero with a short block. It is a wider twist, but I’ve adapted and find it very comfortable now.
Patrick is the orange shirt and Vinici is the turquoise (and a greener horse I’m not sitting as deep).
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EQ Saddle Science saddles have adjustable stirrup bars - that’s what long femurs need. Not bigger seats or more forward flaps - though from the photo OP that seat does look too small for you?
I have the same long thigh issue and the EQ saddles work for me - with the bars on the farthest back position! You also get to pick where your knee bocks go, or have adjustable ones.
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Yes, I felt pushed forward and I struggled to find the sweet spot in that seat. A more experienced friend of mine also sat in it and she couldn’t find it either.
I am working with a BC rep and she’s been out to the farm twice and watched me ride in demo saddles, so it’s not as if she didn’t know how long my upper leg is?
Very nice photos.
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I tried the L & R and it wasn’t quite the same feel as the BC.
That’s a shame. Is there a reason why you aren’t going with the BC Vinici then?
I cannot fit it in a Vinici because of the placement of the knee blocks.
Are you looking at a used one? They will make the block however works for you. I can get a pic of mine if you’d like. I had one with the regular flap and block previously and it was impossible to keep my knee behind it.
ETA: I found a pic - the monoflap with the forward angled short block works really well with a long femur. [
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OP, it looks like your stirrups are too long in that photo as well, or are you just showing us a saddle you tried?
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What are your riding now and what are your goals? In the picture you posted your stirrups are much too long and your pelvis has a forward tilt, but I can’t see if your upper body is collapsed forward which might be causing that. Never mind that it doesn’t fit your femur.
I did once ride in an 19 in saddle. I think it was an HDR and made for a VERY wide horse. But I think you could get away with a 18 or 18.5 with a more forward flap and an open seat.
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I think it’s an indication of the problem. If those stirrups were shortened, either OP’s knee would be over the front of the flap or her lower leg would be somewhere about even with the horse’s stifle and her femur could sit in for a plumb line.
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See photo reply to another post.
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No, I am looking for a new saddle but was on a budget when I ordered the AP. I may have to break open the piggy bank and spend the money for a Vinici. I was hoping the AP seat would feel better than it did.
I have ridiculously long femurs too – the short blocks really help. I have a Stackhouse that fits perfect, but that wasn’t cheap. I had a Custom Icon Flight that worked well for me, but I think your issue then would be that the Customs have a very long footprint and I bet would be too long for your horse’s back. Maybe if you find one with pony panels? I sold my Custom saddle because it was too long for my much larger steeds.
The deeper the seat the smaller the saddle is going to be. A flat seat 18 inch will not feel like a deep seat 18 inch.
The other issue you could have is that 18 inch seats are likely to be too long for the pony’s back. I had this problem with my short backed horse and I had to get a saddle that didn’t hav gussets.
Here is a photo of my saddle. I also have not only long femurs, but short calves. I need to ride rather short in order to balance properly. I intend to put this saddle up for sale as I am now retired from riding.
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The first step in solving a problem is to accurately assess what the problem is. You don’t have a long thigh, OP, you have a thigh that angles forward.
If you had a long thigh, like the person in this photo, the solution would be a long flap. For you, the solution is a forward flap.
This is VERY common, especially in amateur riders with desk jobs because all that sitting tightens hip flexors and the leg doesn’t hang as straight as on a pro who spends hours every day in a saddle. The wider the horse, the more challenging it is to get the leg to hang straight too.
Not saying this applies to you, OP, but it’s often accompanied by denial. Riders have a visual image of themselves with a long, straight leg so they want a saddle with long straight flaps. I have custom ordered saddles for riders with similar leg position and been greeted with dismay when they saw the saddle and comments like, “it looks like a jump saddle!” Except when they sat in it, they could ride so much more effectively, and they looked far more elegant in a saddle that fit than they did in the saddle that looked like they wanted their saddle to look when it was hanging in the tack room.
Most custom saddle makers, Black Country included, will put the flap wherever you need it.
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