New CWD - Breaking in thoughts...

[amnich123]

So, I got my CWD this week and it’s lovely to say the least but when I got around to riding in it yesterday afternoon, the comfort level made my face go: :no:.

Since It was my first time riding in it I definitely can’t judge it on that since it’s brand new. It definitely threw my equitation COMPLETELY off, and no stirrups was another story. Terrible.

The seat is fine, just the flaps are throwing me completely out of balance since they’re not broken in. Would you suggest I just hack in it until its well broken in? I feel like I won’t be comfortable jumping in it until then since it’s going to take some serious sweat and time to break in.

(I have the option to use the saddle belonging to the woman who I lease from)

I also feel like the stirrup bar is placed a bit far back because I found my leg sliding back and adjusting my legs so that the leather would be more forward. I texted my rep and she told me it could be because the seat/flap/ combination and probably because the flap itself isn’t broken in at all.

So, I’ve told my junior peers around the barn that I’m open to letting them ride in it to help me break it in since I only ride 3x a week. So hopefully that could help speed up the process.

Anyone who’s had a custom CWD and gone through the break in period, any advise, thoughts and comments would be great.

[Bogie]

I’m not sure how riding in it more would make the stirrup bar position more appropriate for your leg. I also think it’s unusual for the bars on saddles to be too far back, but maybe that’s because most bars are placed too far forward for me.

However, if it also didn’t work for you without stirrups, then it’s more than just the placement of the bars.

Was the saddle fitted to a specific horse? Another issue could be that the saddle is too wide for the horse you are riding which would cause you to tip forward.

I would be loathe to have other people ride in the saddle until you are sure it will work for you. Can you have someone take photos of you riding and share them with the rep?

Whenever I’ve broken in a new saddle, the balance always felt fine from the start, even if the leather needed to be broken in.

[MIKES_MCS]

Saddle should not have felt akward at all , I would contact your rep , it sounds as if the saddle may not fit you … Did you perhaps grow since ordering it ?

[Frivian]

If the balance of the saddle is truly off, no amount of breaking in is going to help. Sorry to say.

[HomelessPony]

I would call your CWD rep and ask them about it. The issue of balance and flap placement won’t improve just by breaking it in.

[supershorty628]

Agreed with everyone else so far.

I will say that when I broke both of my saddles in, I conditioned the daylights out of them with that conditioner CWD gives you - and I made sure to roll them A LOT. It made them soften up really quickly and I find that the conditioner soaks in better that way. I think a lot of people neglect to roll the leather when they condition it.

[amnich123]

[QUOTE=supershorty628;7566461]
Agreed with everyone else so far.

I will say that when I broke both of my saddles in, I conditioned the daylights out of them with that conditioner CWD gives you - and I made sure to roll them A LOT. It made them soften up really quickly and I find that the conditioner soaks in better that way. I think a lot of people neglect to roll the leather when they condition it.[/QUOTE]

I think it also may be the stirrups I’m using which make it hard for me to ride anyway since I’m always adjusting my foot position since I’m used to riding in cheese graters rather than the super comfort pads which don’t really work.

I haven’t rolled the flap yet at all and the flap stuck out a bit when I put it on my lease horse, so I think maybe I should try that and ask one of the trainers to take a look at it while I ride?

[amnich123]

[QUOTE=supershorty628;7566461]
Agreed with everyone else so far.

I will say that when I broke both of my saddles in, I conditioned the daylights out of them with that conditioner CWD gives you - and I made sure to roll them A LOT. It made them soften up really quickly and I find that the conditioner soaks in better that way. I think a lot of people neglect to roll the leather when they condition it.[/QUOTE]

I already spoke to rep. I got the correct combo. 17 seat 3L flap since 3C is too far forward and 2L is too short. The saddle is a pro-panel.

[Show_boots]

Are you using new stirrup leathers? And or newish riding boots? Both of those things with a new saddle will be slippery. If you can, change out the stirrup leathers to old ones, and don’t wear soft leather. If you have suede half chaps try those, and if not polo wraps as half chaps would probably work as well.

Also do not oil it for a while. Clean it with water and glycerin.

Otherwise, most old timers will tell you to leave it out in the rain.

[supershorty628]

Did you try a saddle with those dimensions when you were looking into getting one, or did you and your rep come to the conclusion about the size based on what you were able to sit in?

What seat depth is it? Speaking from personal experience, that can make a HUGE difference. When I got my second saddle (which I didn’t know I was getting… long story), my mom ordered it while I was at school, and because I had gradually worn the seat of my first, flat saddle into a semi-deep seat, she ordered the semi-deep. I ended up sending that saddle back to CWD and getting another flat seat because the semi-deep seat did not work for me at all. We were all surprised by that, given how I’d broken the first saddle in, but there was a huge difference.

Is this the same horse that you did your trial rides on?

[amnich123]

[QUOTE=Show boots;7566470]
Are you using new stirrup leathers? And or newish riding boots? Both of those things with a new saddle will be slippery. If you can, change out the stirrup leathers to old ones, and don’t wear soft leather. If you have suede half chaps try those, and if not polo wraps as half chaps would probably work as well.

Also do not oil it for a while. Clean it with water and glycerin.

Otherwise, most old timers will tell you to leave it out in the rain.[/QUOTE]

Yes! Brand new full calf leathers which came with the saddle. I’m riding in my aria boots and tredstep chaps which I’ve had for a while.

[amnich123]

[QUOTE=supershorty628;7566473]
Did you try a saddle with those dimensions when you were looking into getting one, or did you and your rep come to the conclusion about the size based on what you were able to sit in?

What seat depth is it? Speaking from personal experience, that can make a HUGE difference. When I got my second saddle (which I didn’t know I was getting… long story), my mom ordered it while I was at school, and because I had gradually worn the seat of my first, flat saddle into a semi-deep seat, she ordered the semi-deep. I ended up sending that saddle back to CWD and getting another flat seat because the semi-deep seat did not work for me at all. We were all surprised by that, given how I’d broken the first saddle in, but there was a huge difference.

Is this the same horse that you did your trial rides on?[/QUOTE]

Yes, the last demo I tried was a 17" Med-Deep 3L full calf.

I went with 17" Med-Deep 3L grain calf.

The only difference is the leather and that I got a pro-panel.

The rep and my trainer both agreed that the saddle looked like the correct fit and it felt great riding in it. And I’m leasing a different horse from the one I was riding in the fitting.

[Bogie]

[QUOTE=amnich123;7566485]
Yes, the last demo I tried was a 17" Med-Deep 3L full calf.

I went with 17" Med-Deep 3L grain calf.

The only difference is the leather and that I got a pro-panel.

The rep and my trainer both agreed that the saddle looked like the correct fit and it felt great riding in it. And I’m leasing a different horse from the one I was riding in the fitting.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like the saddle does not fit the horse, then. If the balance is off on the horse, it will affect the rider, too.

Why don’t you try the saddle riding a different horse and see if it feels any better?

[Frivian]

It could be the horse throwing the balance of the saddle off. How does your saddle fit the horse? If it’s too wide or too narrow, that can also make a big difference. Is the saddle balanced when you look at it (girthed up on the horse)? Does it tip forward or backward?

[amnich123]

[QUOTE=Bogie;7566495]
Sounds like the saddle does not fit the horse, then. If the balance is off on the horse, it will affect the rider, too.

Why don’t you try the saddle riding a different horse and see if it feels any better?[/QUOTE]

Okay! I’ll ask today if I can ride an extra to see how it is.

[amnich123]

[QUOTE=Frivian;7566497]
It could be the horse throwing the balance of the saddle off. How does your saddle fit the horse? If it’s too wide or too narrow, that can also make a big difference. Is the saddle balanced when you look at it (girthed up on the horse)? Does it tip forward or backward?[/QUOTE]

The saddle appears to be balanced. I’ll take a closer look today and ask the manager of the barn to take a look at it for me since she has a more tailored eye when it comes to looking at saddles.

[RugBug]

The issues you bring up really have nothing to do with breaking a saddle in. I would expect a saddle of CWD’s quality to feel pretty broken in from the first ride. It will probably a little stiffer, but it shouldn’t be enough to throw you out of position.

[Madison]

[QUOTE=RugBug;7566545]
The issues you bring up really have nothing to do with breaking a saddle in. I would expect a saddle of CWD’s quality to feel pretty broken in from the first ride. It will probably a little stiffer, but it shouldn’t be enough to throw you out of position.[/QUOTE]

I agree with RugBug (hi RugBug!!) – these sound like completely different issues. I’m riding in a loaner CWD while i wait for my order to come in, and it looks practically brand new and is definitely not broken in, but that isn’t causing any of the types of issues that you are describing, and even brand new it feels pretty grippy and I’m not sliding around. If the rep hasn’t seen you ride in it, I would have someone take short video clips and send them to the rep so they can see. Don’t give up til you are satisfied - saddles are too expensive for it not to be just right, and your rep should be cooperative on that.

[GoForAGallop]

[QUOTE=RugBug;7566545]
The issues you bring up really have nothing to do with breaking a saddle in. I would expect a saddle of CWD’s quality to feel pretty broken in from the first ride. It will probably a little stiffer, but it shouldn’t be enough to throw you out of position.[/QUOTE]

Yep.

Nor should the stirrups make THAT much of a difference.

[RugBug]

[QUOTE=Madison;7566581]
I agree with RugBug (hi RugBug!!) – these sound like completely different issues. I’m riding in a loaner CWD while i wait for my order to come in, .[/QUOTE]

Hi Madison! I saw your name on another thread and thought to myself, “I wonder if Madison is riding again?” Sounds like it. :applause: