I have a chance to buy an ortho-flex saddle. This one is an older one and looks to be in good condition but I have not rode in one.
What is a used one worth?
Do they fit most horses well?
I will have to buy the saddle then try it. I am leaning towards getting it. I just would like the option of not loosing a lot of money if it does not work for my horse or me.
I’ve tried them a couple of times. I’ve never liked the fact that they put me much farther from the horse than I liked and I disliked the sensation of the saddle (not the horse) “moving and flexing” underneath me. Others think these things are the best thing since bottled beer; I don’t agree. 
“Try it before you buy it” is always good advice.
G.
They are good saddles. I bought 3 of them years ago. The principle is good. They have large floating panels that conform to the horses back. These floating panels allow the actual saddle Tree to float on top of them.
They also make use of spreading the load out over a large area.
1 pound per square inch is acceptable, but no more and these saddles have over 300 square inches to spread the load.
It is like using snow shoes on snow. You don’t sink into the back of the horse anywhere.
Connie Rawski bought one of my spares and you see alot of pictures with that saddle in her advertising.
I have two and love, love, love mine. I have a UK Dressage Model and a Patriot. I do not feel they put me up above the horse too much (and I was previously nothing but a close contact saddle girl even for distance rides). I’ve had them on Morgans, Arabs, TWH’s, WB’s, Appys- and had no problem with fit.
I have the saddle…
I put it on one horse and sat in it. I have a problem with how the stirrups hang. I cannot flex my ankle enough to put it in the right stirrup. With the none leather leathers the stirrups sit parallel to the horses side. 
Not a problem with my english, western or steele saddle.
I’m not quite picturing how you mean with your stirrups, but check the set up as my ortho-flexes have several points of adjustment for the stirrups
My Steele saddle has he sirrups/feners hanging like this:
http://www.steelesaddle.com/images/classic_thumb.jpg
The ortho-flex hang like this:
http://www.ortho-flex.com/Saddles/Saddle-Photos/patriot.jpg
I cannot turn my ankle 90 degrees to “pick up” the stirrup on the off side.
I am riding a lot of young horses right now and bending over to place the stirrup is not an option. Also I am short so the length of the leathers is about half of what they show in the picture.
My mom has 2 Orthoflex saddles that she loves but I can’t stand them. They do fit a very wide variety of horses and that is cool. What I don’t like is how far they sit you up off the horse and they tilt my pelvis forward so my back arches. I also hate those wide stirrups that they come with that are supposed to be so comfy, they put all the weight on the ball of my little toe and my feet go numb. But hey, my mom does endurance in them and I just trail ride.
I use a Steele.
Oh yeah, my saddle doesn’t fit my mom’s horse but her saddle fits mine. Something to be said for that. It really doesn’t matter how the saddle fits me as long as it fits the horse I am riding.
[QUOTE=2enduraceriders;3930774]
My Steele saddle has he sirrups/feners hanging like this:
http://www.steelesaddle.com/images/classic_thumb.jpg
The ortho-flex hang like this:
http://www.ortho-flex.com/Saddles/Saddle-Photos/patriot.jpg
I cannot turn my ankle 90 degrees to “pick up” the stirrup on the off side.
I am riding a lot of young horses right now and bending over to place the stirrup is not an option. Also I am short so the length of the leathers is about half of what they show in the picture.[/QUOTE]
That’s an easy fix - you can either replace the stirrups with the western ones that swivel a bit or you can turn them with a broomstick or you can get leathers from some companies like Tucker that are turned at the bottom.
Just out of curiosity, can you not turn your ankle because of an injury? If its not because of an injury, I would suggest taking some time and learning how to pick up your stirrups. I remember being drilled on it as a kid over and over again- drop your stirrups, pick up your stirrups without looking… I’ve always thought it was a pretty important safety thing to be able to do.
I’ve rode in them and you feel sooooo “perched” up off the horse. I felt it was impossible to ride in. Made me feel like I was riding those 25 cent iron ponies at Walmart…
[QUOTE=tabula rashah;3932388]
Just out of curiosity, can you not turn your ankle because of an injury?.[/QUOTE]
I do not have much side to side movement in either ankle and the right one is the worse. A combination of injury and arthritis. I do not ride with much weight in the stirrups or even a tight girth. I can’t twist my whole leg around enough to pick it up with out having everything go into spasms.
I don’t know what is worse, fibromyalgia or old age! :mad:
I’m not quite sure how to explain it- but if you replace the thicker leathers of the ortho-flex with ones that are more english like you can permanently twist them like this
Well…I thik I will go play with my saddle tonight… :lol:
I know I have plenty of english leathers.
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