Hi all!
Anyone have a new Madmoiselle? What was your break in time like for your horse (not just the flap, as in panels and tree)?
I am conscious about short, simpler rides until ‘broken in’.
Rep suggests 20-30 rides before getting into regular routine. What did it take for your horse?
TYIA!
You shouldn’t have to wait for a saddle to “break in” for your horse to feel comfortable, especially when it comes to foam saddles. The 20 to 30 hours is really just for wool saddles to bed in and need a touch up flocking because of it.
I’ve seen horses get tired more quickly simply because they’re using their bodies in a different way, but they usually find the new saddle comfortable right away.
Saddles do not need to “break in” for a horse. The saddle’s tree is a fixed (though slightly flexible) object and if it is bending and remaining deformed to accommodate your horse something is drastically wrong. The panels of a CWD are flocked with memory foam. The foam should compress when under pressure and return back to the original shape when pressure is released. If the flocking is remaining deformed after a ride, again, something is wrong.
I really dislike what your rep is telling you. It sounds like gaslighting aimed at delaying/suppressing possible concerns a client might have about back soreness related to a new saddle. Or a way of making you feel like YOU are at fault if your new saddle doesn’t fit.
I have bought many new saddles over the years and I have NEVER done anything other than immediately use the new saddle as normal, unless there was an apparent fit issue to be addressed, in which case the resolution was fixing an error (saddle company manufactured and sent a saddle with the wrong tree width) or readjusting wool flocking in a new wool flocked saddle.
Very good points! Thank you.
It’s been a struggle to find good reps this way, the two I found ended up leaving the company due to values and the companies very poor treatment of employees.
I don’t have fit concerns, seems to fit well, but want to do best for horse. However, it does make sense the difference in body use with new tack.
I do notice the foam settling/conforming slightly after a ride, then folds back after about 30 minutes ungirthed, so this makes sense! Thank you
While I agree with the others that saddles shouldn’t need a break in time, I’ll say I noticed a difference with my new SE03 in 2019 after about 30 rides. It wasn’t a drastic difference in fit but it stopped sliding back (it was sliding quite a bit).
This is great to know thank you!
Here is my take on break in & what I used to explain to my clients:
No, if the saddle drastically doesn’t fit, no “break in” is going to help it. Break in only really means breaking in the leather. Any new saddle is going to be “stiff”, even if its made if the purest, highest quality calf skin. The panels and other parts of the saddle aren’t made of the same leather, they are made of a thicker leather. So, just like when you get a new pair of boots with a thicker leather, it needs to stretch and “break in”. That can mean that in 2 weeks it might sit a little different on the horse, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to magically fit the horse if it doesn’t fit right now.
Small things like slippage, mild tightness around the scapula/shoulder area, etc could change a little. That’s why there is a difference when you sit in a saddle of the same exact model/panel/year thats one day old vs 6 months old. You might find the saddle isn’t as soft and buttery as the demo you sat in, and that will come with riding. I sent most of my demos to busy pros for 2wks+ to break in for me, so they were more comfortable for people to sit in and weren’t so stiff.
As for tree breaking in, it’s not going to break in. The leather will break in, the foam panel with compress in some areas, but they tree isn’t going to and shouldn’t break in.
I felt I should add an update for anyone in future reading through. Finally I see the fit of the saddle that my fitter was telling me.
This took a good 18-20 rides, not heavy riding but butt to seat. The angle of the saddle tree was always spot on, but I had doubts about the foam.
The foam now conforms a bit nicer as soon as it is girthed. Ungirthed, I see. I change.
Fitter attests this to break in of the leathers and foam, while it springs back, it will soften slightly.
Good luck to all, and thank you for the advice of the responders!
The only thing that “broke in” for me was the seat and the flaps getting more to my liking (softer). I had mine fitted to my horse and it always fit him just fine. I needed to squish the seat down 
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