Is there such a thing as a "versatile" saddle?

[BlackPony]

I am a little ashamed to admit the kind of saddles I’ve been riding in for the sake of the horse. I have three, and all are different enough to generally require their own saddle, and while of course the little darlings all have a saddle that fits, I am so sick of the most “comfortable” one being a block of wood with a strip of leather glued onto it. This is not an “I’m picky and I want a couch that straps onto my horse” thread, it’s a “I would like a saddle that at least resembles something I should be sitting in” one, lol

So, here I am. Hoping that someone who hasn’t been relegated to the pits of eBay has some words of wisdom for me. I ride a variety of sale horses and have a few of my own, usually QH crosses/ponies, and TB’s. I am short, but not overly picky. Before I start the massive shipping/trying on/returning routine again, does anyone have any recommendations for a saddle that will fit at least a “variety” of horses with a little padding here and there, and won’t be so long that my stubby legs don’t come past the flaps to start me off? I’m not doing anything above 2nd or 3rd level, so I don’t need (and usually don’t prefer) a ton of padding or blocks, and it doesn’t necessarily need to be the nicest thing in the world either. The budget is telling me it would like to stay under $1,000, but if there’s some magic out there, I guess I could try it out and see if I could work a little extra cash for it.

Thank you so much in advance!

[rascalpony]

Hmm.

When I finally broke down and bought a dressage saddle, I bought the Philippe Fontaine Youth dressage saddle. The line is sold in the US by Stubben, but I don’t believe they are actually Stubbens.

I have a wide tree, but that tree is fairly narrow and fits both my Half-Arabian and my grade mutt pony just fine. Since I am little (5’ with a 27" inseam), I can only go youth sizes, or the flap is just far too long. The saddle itself is made of very soft leather and it cleans beautifully. It has minimal blocks. I really love it. I think it retails about $800?

Most youth dressage saddles are cheaper than their adult counterparts, if you want to look around at those. I would avoid the Thornhill Shannon, but the Bates Pony Dressage looks like a dream and is supposed to be excellent. I believe it also has the adjustable tree? I think the Bates runs about $1000. If you want an adult sized saddle, the Trilogy Debbie McDonald and some of the Passiers have short flaps (along with a few others). Ebay usually has a dressage saddle or two for sale with short flaps.

[Equibrit]

www.ebay.com/itm/Laser-English-Dressage-saddle-1954-Adjustable-17-Jumping-Walsall-vintage-black-/331685360491?hash=item4d39fcf36b:g:eiQAAOSwo6lWJFKU

[Crash_Helmet]

I think the old Miller Klimke saddle is versatile and you can pick them up for around 400 bucks. You could consider a wide or a medium-wide. Be sure to avoid the newer Klimkes made by Ovation.

The Neidersuss Symphonie is also a good versatile saddle but their wide is not as wide as the Klimke.

Some of the older Albions might be worth a look. Several people I know swear that Passiers fit most horses. My personal opinion is that Passiers fit very few horses. lol

[mvp]

I find that Stubben trees are pretty horse-friendly. I find them butt-friendly for the minimalist rider IF you choose a covered version. So a Deluxe version of a Tristan or Genesis will feel better than an old school grain leather one. And the same will go for a Romanus or a Parzival.

You can find beautiful versions of these saddles for about $700. And they last well.

I’m shot and I have a library of these saddles (which you can do if since they are pretty cheap). I can tell you more about what different models, knee roll- and panel configurations fit like. Stubben’s idea of “wide” is not wide, so I’d call a 31 cm tree Medium, and a 32 cm a MW. But I have had a 32 be wide enough for the horses I ride. They aren’t crazy sausages like a Morgan might be, or a mutton-withered little Arabian.

Let me know if you want more info on the old school Stubbens.

[RedmondDressage]

Somehow my Wolfgang Solo fits my the very different horses well, with Jay slightly different padding needed for one. I had a Klimke that also seemed to be quite versatile.

[sparklepants]

My ancient (circa 1988) Passier GT fits just about anyone. It’s got a medium tree, and is super comfy. I use it on everything from my horse-sized and tank-like Welsh Cob to Quarter Horses, TBs, Arabians, Andalusian crosses, Morgan crosses, Saddlebred crosses and Standardbreds. Sometimes I have to use a half pad (one of those squishy ones or a riser, depending on who I’m riding) but that’s all it takes to make things fit nicely for a ride. I’ve not had luck using it on a big old Warmblood, but that’s ok, as they are not in my normal ride rotation.

My other super old Passier (it’s an Optimum) fits a lot of horses too. But that’s my fancy saddle. I mostly just use it on the aforementioned tank-like Welsh Cob.

There’s something about the old Passiers (I am clearly no saddle expert) that makes them work on lots of horses…and for me, they fit great.

Neither saddle has a bunch of padding or blocks (I dislike that, and am without a doubt a low-level dressage rider). The GT is great for schooling and long hacks (I’ve gone on three hour rides without wishing my butt were somewhere else!).

I should mention I got the GT for $375 and the Optimum (with stirrups and leathers!) for $1200.

Good luck!

[Bogie]

Maybe just a seat saver for your saddles? If they already fit your horses, it could make it more comfortable for you.

http://www.doversaddlery.com/thinline-seat-saver/p/X1-19965/
http://www.actionridertack.com/JMS-English-Saddle-Seat-Cushion-Covers-p/fecus.htm
http://horsedreamimporters.com/seat.php

I used to have a real sheepskin one and it was very comfortable (especially nice in the winter). I used to have a saddle that was a bit too hard and a bit too large. I tried using a Cashel cushion but that always moved around too much. I preferred the sheepskin. The thinline version looks interesting.

[soloudinhere]

Thorowgood t8. Mine is very comfortable. I’m 5’ tall and the flaps are not too long.

[atlatl]

My trainer has an old Albion that she uses on a wide variety of horses, adjusting the pads as needed.

I hate the thing, but she loves it and even uses it on my horses both of whom have their own fitted saddles. I think it helps that she weighs roughly 95 lbs soaking wet with combat boots on.