I rode in an very early AP saddle, until I did a clinic with an instructor just back from a year with the SRS and was into a long, long, longer leg. The twist on my AP killed me. I borrowed a dressage saddle from my instructor, and it made a big difference.Sigh!
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You’ve gotten great advice here. I am no UL rider, but I do ride the dressage portion of my events in my Black Country Vinci XC saddle. No one cares - it’s what works for my gelding, so it’s what I do.
It might help to get used to the “dressage length” stirrups, by warming up every ride with no stirrups. You don’t need to do all gaits - you can even just walk – but I find it helps loosen up your legs if you spend the first 5-10 minutes with no stirrups, which can help train your body to a longer leg.
Are you sure the M Toulouse fits? I am not one to knock saddle brands because I really think every horse is different, but I don’t care for M.T saddles. I used to do quality control for a major equestrian retailer and I cannot tell you how many M.T saddles we would send back for uneven panels, broken foam, just general poor craftsmanship. They are on my list of saddles to avoid.
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No …I don’t think it fits me or my horse particularly well at all. But yes lots of good advice here …I love my wide County Innovation and it fits him really well…he’s softer , lifts his back and I’m able to use my leg with minimal effort and he responds nicely.
If you are near Central VA I could loan you a County Eventer. I think its a wide.
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Realistically, you can do dressage, bareback. So it’s not a crime to do it in whatever saddle you have. My trainer has told a story for years about how she won a dressage show in her jumping saddle because her horse was injured and she sold her dressage saddle to pay his bill. There’s nothing you can’t do in a CC that you can do in a dressage saddle, technically, but it’s easier in a dressage saddle that helps you stay in position.
It’s also a process to find the right dressage saddle so you may be better off at first using a saddle that fits you and your horse than buying a dressage saddle, just to have one.
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She can school, but can’t show bareback
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Ingrid Klimke is the daughter of a famous dressage rider and is an accomplished eventer on the world stage. Her position doesn’t matter much to those who aren’t as accomplished as she is.
Huh? Of course her position matters, and it should matter MORE to those who are at the lower levels, no matter their aspirations.
It seems you entirely missed the point of my comment.
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Thank you …I am in Berks county Pa
Yes …I think part of the problem is the dressage saddle I do have doesn’t suit me or my horse …I bet a County dressage saddle would be more comfortable for me at least since I’m used to County …but back to what many others have said …I’m quite comfortable and feel effective in my County Innovation so I will just stick with that for the time being.
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Ummmm, you recommended that Ladipus raise her stirrups because it is not about the tack. It’s “independent” of the saddle, you said. You referred to Ingrid Klimke. I responded to that comment.
Kilmke is an extremely effective rider and a world-class rider. She can probably cream me in a jumping saddle on one of her horses in a dressage competition. To say that dressage legs have to be long and “straight” tells me you don’t know much about dressage. No dressage rider has such straight legs that they reach for their toes. But they don’t ride with hunter-seat legs, either.
I maybe have missed the point of your comment and I re-read it. Can you explain your point to me? I’d appreciate it.
Dressage IS about the tack. Dressage saddles put one in a better position to ride dressage. Jump saddles put one in a better position to jump. Ingrid Klimke can likely outjump us in a dressage saddle and ride a better test in a jump saddle. Bringing her up as an example to someone whose stirrups seem to be too long, saying the tack doesn’t matter and using Ingrid Klimke - riding in a typical dressage seat - just doesn’t make a lot of sense. To me. This picture you posted is enhancing her horse’s uphillness, as can be noted because you see the hoof in one diagonal pair on the ground but not the other. The photo is tilted. You have to tilt your head a bit to see that Ingrid has a classical dressage position here. Her lower leg isn’t as forward as you seem to say it is-it’s pretty classical.
JB said Ingrid does not have a super straight or thigh-down leg position when riding in dressage tack, proven by the picture showing some bend to the knee, some weight in the heel. Also no mention of the stirrups being too long. Not sure what post you were reading?
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IME, as someone from a H/J background who does dabble in dressage, the fit of a dressage saddle makes a lot more difference than the average jump saddle. I’ve gotten on horses in jump saddles that were wildly wrongly sized for me and could ride moderately effectively, but I’ve gotten in dressage saddles that were marginally not the right fit and could barely trot.
There’s a big quality difference between the MToulouse and a County. If you’re happy in your Innovation, keep riding in it, and maybe next time you have someone out to check/adjust the flocking, ask about trying some of their dressage models. I jump in an Innovation and have a Connection for dressage 
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I clearly did not say it’s not about the tack, or independent of the saddle
Again, clearly NOT what I said.
You mean you can’t school leg yields and half passes and shoulder in or lead changes in a CC saddle?
And, here’s what I ALSO said
What does that even mean? I didn’t say a single thing about her position, or what the horse is doing, or the angle of the picture, or her accomplishmens or the horse’s level of training. I pointed out a highly accomplished Dressage rider, in a Dressage saddle, whose leg is far from straight, which was the entire and ONLY concept I was addressing
What are you even reading? Because it’s not my posts
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I posted quotes from your post. I commented on the angle of the picture you posted, which was rotated to make the horse look more uphill. You posted this as an example of her forward leg. If you rotate the picture to its correct orientation, she has a classical dressage seat.
Dressage riders don’t ride with straight legs. You said they do.
Sorry, I’m reading your posts.
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clearly you didn’t, because what I quoted from my own post is in direct contrast to what you claim I said, which was your interpretation (no idea how, they weren’t that confusing), and you didn’t actually quote me anywhere
Not sure why you think I was commenting about the horse, because nowhere did I mention him
Again, complete failure to understand what I said, which was ONLY about the bend in her leg, ONLY about the fact that her leg was not so straight as to cause her to reach for the stirrup, ONLY in the context of “despite what some may think a Dressage leg is supposed to look like, it does not have to be straight”.
I really didn’t think there was anything open for confusion there.
O. M. G Seriously, what part of “Also, it’s a misconception that a Dressage leg has to be long and “straight”.” are you taking to mean I said they ride with a straight leg???
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If you’re a County fan, check out the County Epiphany dressage saddle. Im primarily a hunter rider and now I almost exclusively ride in the Epiphany dressage!
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Ok …that’s great to hear ! I was hoping to give that saddle a test ride !
Yes …I think that’s a big part of the issue here …1 is the fit of the M.Toulouse for both myself and my horse …and second the difference in quality between the M. Toulouse and my County as well
I agree with this. When I first started taking dressage lessons my stirrups were too long as my hip flexors were tight. My instructor, said he commonly saw people start with stirrups that were too long for their ability and had me shorten them until my body adjusted.
Now, it could also be that the saddle doesn’t put you in the right position. I have very long femurs and need saddles that have set back stirrup bars.
With the right saddle, you shouldn’t be fighting the tack, it should put you in the right position.
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