Passier seems less common in h/j land compared with the French saddles. Has anyone tried them for a high withered TB?
They’re super common in eventing land, where they’re used pretty routinely on high-withered TBs. As always, YMMV depending on the actual horse.
Passier is also becoming more common in H/J land because they’ve started sponsoring a few popular American riders. Reed Kessler, for example. She rides in a Passier Marcus Ehning.
What is the leather quality like?
Passier has that cut-back head and it fits almost anything.
Passier is one of the best made saddles in the world. Period.
It is a life-long saddle. It is an education to see the inside of one, layers of leathers, different thicknesses, stamped Passier, and hand made. Each one has a serial number and you can e-mail Passier in Germany and they will send you the measurement and date of manufacture in a day or so.
Funny how they went out of style - marketing, perhaps.
[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;7637298]
Passier has that cut-back head and it fits almost anything.
Passier is one of the best made saddles in the world. Period.
It is a life-long saddle. It is an education to see the inside of one, layers of leathers, different thicknesses, stamped Passier, and hand made. Each one has a serial number and you can e-mail Passier in Germany and they will send you the measurement and date of manufacture in a day or so.
Funny how they went out of style - marketing, perhaps.[/QUOTE]
They went out when the close contact saddle came in. Compared to what Hermes was putting out, the passiers were huge all purpose saddles. A lack of sponsored riders didn’t help either.
It’s just now that they’re even starting to come out with saddles that look like, and are balanced like, the close contact saddles that riders today want to have.
Leather quality is amazing. Passiers last forever.
I have a Passier that is now 30 years…
They fit almost every horse. The secret is a metal part in the head that can be widened and made smaller if the saddler knows how to do that.
The leather quality is very good same the way they are made. As said above, each has a number and one can trace size of the seat and of original width of the metal part. Unfortunately I do not know how to translate the name of this part.
If you go to their homepage you see all different models.
If you buy them directly new you can order them with different options.
E.g. My brother is thin and long legged. He used to have a saddle at had a seat of 16" and the flaps as in the 18" size.
My saddle is made of two colors…
So we did buy it through a shop in Germany but the ordered it exactly the way we wanted it to have from Passier. No addiotional price to the model !
On my jumping saddle they altered the block already during production for me. I have Velcro so that fit me and my long legged “co-rider”.
They have different models - also close contact. You just need to check.
And interesting to know: jochen Schleese of Schleese saddles received his full 6 year German education there.
My last lease horse was a high withered OTTB. He had an older Passier Precision that fit him quite well. The cut back pommel certainly helped. A very nice saddle…very well balanced, flat/open seat, minimal rolls. My only complaint was that the bridle leather, while beautiful and seemingly indestructible, was slippery!
Passiers have made a cc saddle for ages…but for some reason more trendy models have taken over, including dressage, although the GG turned my forward seat h/j daughter into a dressage-seat rider, just by the balance.
I’d like to see this kind of quality being appreciated again.
I ride stadium and x-country in a Passier Wellington (close contact) and that saddle has a cut-back head. At the time when I bought it, it was the only saddle I could find that was wool flocked with gusseted panels. I wouldn’t say my guy has high withers but he can be a bit difficult to fit and this saddle (like his Passier Grand Gilbert) fit him very well.
I don’t think they make the Wellington anymore but I’m sure some used ones might be around. Not sure why they stopped making them, I love mine!
i Think, if you get in contact directly with them, you will find that they are able to make what one wants. Even old modells - just ask and have a store in the Background you can buy through as I think they do not sell directly to customers. In Germany for sure not. Maybe overseas is different.
Pasier saddle quality
I have two 35-year old Passier saddles (dressage and AP). They have fit every horse I ever needed to ride (although, truthfully, at times have needed shimming). The quality of the workmanship and leather is unparalleled. I am now 66 and never anticipate having to buy another saddle. I also am fortunate to have a German made Stubben that is 45 years old and still in excellent condition despite years and years of use. Cannot beat German quality.
Thanks for starting this thread! I’m going through a new saddle fit for a high withered Thoroughbred as well, but his wither drops down into a fairly wide and well sprung rib. So lots of saddles that clear his withers end up having panels that are too narrow in the back and don’t lay flat, but poke down into him and create pressure points. Would be interested to see if Passier panels are relatively flat towards the cantle?
[QUOTE=jn4jenny;7636987]
They’re super common in eventing land, where they’re used pretty routinely on high-withered TBs. As always, YMMV depending on the actual horse.
Passier is also becoming more common in H/J land because they’ve started sponsoring a few popular American riders. Reed Kessler, for example. She rides in a Passier Marcus Ehning.[/QUOTE]
Ditto –
Passier has an awesome ‘new’ saddle, the Ingrid Klimke - from what I have seen it fits high withered TBs very well. It was made with high blood in mind.
Is their leather that soft, cushy, ‘could pat it all day long’ leather of the french saddles? No but it is excellent quality, durable leather. These saddle last forever and can be modified for almost everything. The cutback head is great for high withers and they have short tree points. The balance in them is also fantastic.
My only quibble is that the stock models are all made for the tall/ thin rider and the flaps don’t accommodate the short/fat rider well. (ie me) Calf blocks always end up down by my ankle. I’d have to go custom for a jumping saddle. Their old flatter dressage saddles are fantastic for me though
I have a Passier dressage saddle (an older Optimum) but ended up with an older County jump saddle, though I wanted a Passier for that too (shopping second hand limits your options). My coach (ex-eventer) is a long-time Passier fan, and I’ve ridden in her Passier jump saddles (and her ancient flat as a pancake Passier dressage saddles). They are really solid, high-quality saddles, and they do seem to fit well. I’ve been surprised to see them go somewhat out of style as I like them better than some of the currently fashionable (and much more expensive) brands.
I will give up my Passier when someone pries it from my cold dead hands. I love it so very, very much. It’s a kind of bizarre looking monoflap (Military II is the model), which another COTHer turned me on to in my search. it’s a dream. Fits my high withered/flat backed/wide shouldered TB like a dream. Fit’s my 6’0 made-of-femurs self like a dream.
Most definitely not the gorgeous buttery french leather of Antares etc., but absolutely the kind of leather that never dies. And holy moly, with proper care it looks beautiful. I am socking my pennies away for a matching Passier Marcus Ehning bridle.
[QUOTE=kashmere;8576211]
I will give up my Passier when someone pries it from my cold dead hands. I love it so very, very much. It’s a kind of bizarre looking monoflap (Military II is the model), which another COTHer turned me on to in my search. it’s a dream. Fits my high withered/flat backed/wide shouldered TB like a dream. Fit’s my 6’0 made-of-femurs self like a dream.
Most definitely not the gorgeous buttery french leather of Antares etc., but absolutely the kind of leather that never dies. And holy moly, with proper care it looks beautiful. I am socking my pennies away for a matching Passier Marcus Ehning bridle.[/QUOTE]
KEEP PINCHING THE PENNIES! That bridle is worth it - have you seen the matching breastplate? You can’t go without if you get the bridle… :lol:
[QUOTE=beowulf;8576227]
KEEP PINCHING THE PENNIES! That bridle is worth it - have you seen the matching breastplate? You can’t go without if you get the bridle… :lol:[/QUOTE]
Girl, my wallet does not need this enabling. :lol: On the other hand we do have a lot of very hilly trails and plan on going XC schooling so… really it’s a safety investment. Right?
[QUOTE=kashmere;8576235]
Girl, my wallet does not need this enabling. :lol: On the other hand we do have a lot of very hilly trails and plan on going XC schooling so… really it’s a safety investment. Right?[/QUOTE]
It is.
I looked at their catalog, the pricing is not that bad. IIRC the Ehning was under or around $200.
See, I have the Ingrid Klimke bridle so I know what it feels like to want to be matchy matchy when your wallet is saying no. But Ingrid’s breastplate is 1. butt fugly and 2. stupidly expensive at something like $250… I liked the Ehning better.
