Searching for a dressage saddle and my favorites are British made. Anyone here ride in or are familiar with Ideal Saddlery? Are there any good Ideal reps in the Western States? I am in no man’s land with NO brand reps or designated English tack shops in my state, so it’s a given that I will do a long-distance fitting. Would love some feedback.
I like the design of Ideal’s Martine and Suzannah models.
Looking for:
-high quality leather that wears well and won’t crack or fade
-grippy leather
-wool flocked
-soft/comfortable, moderately deep seat
-narrow or medium twist
-moderate knee rolls (prefer tapered or covered, not a long exterior block)
-allows me to have a slight bend in my knee (not a super straight leg)
-I am 5’4", 120 lbs with a muscular thigh and longer femur (think typical gymnast leg conformation), not leggy :lol:
Horse needs a slightly curvy tree. He’s a 15 H Quarter horse, has moderate withers, built more like a small TB (not stocky), fairly narrow (I’m thinking Medium tree. He’s too narrow for my MW tree BC Solare jump saddle without a half pad). Horse does need to build up his topline. He doesn’t have any major conformation issues to address with regard to saddle fit.
Would the Martine or Suzannah be worth looking at based on our criteria? Any feedback you have on Ideal dressage saddles (or another mid-priced brand that seems to fit my specs) would be fantastic! Many thanks.
