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Please tell me about your dressage saddles!

Eventers, please tell me about your dressage saddles! I’m looking for your personal experiences with saddles that you love/that have helped you excel in dressage. I’m especially interested in:

  • brand;
  • monoflap or dual flap;
  • what kind of thigh block do you like (is it large and nearly perpendicular to the saddle; short and more angled; no block at all), and how does it help you keep a long-leg position (especially for those of you who may be more comfortable in a jump saddle);
  • what kind of flap length do you like;
  • did you have to buy custom to get the right fit for you/horse;
  • is your saddle foam or wool;
  • anything else that you want to share!
I'm not looking to rehash the debate of foam v. wool, or really start any debate. I'm looking to enlighten myself as I try to wade through all the options and counterbalance some of the pressure to go with the brands that dominate my barn.

Thanks, guys!

Well I’m an eventer looking for a dressage saddle. My problem is all the ones I’ve tried felt good, but for me I can’t feel much difference between them. I used to have a Passier Grand Gilbert, wool flocked and fit my horse great. I liked it, but after 3 different trainers plus a saddle fitter told me it was tipping me forward I sold it. (Turns out it’s just me not the saddle :confused: ) I’ve tried several County saddles - I liked the Connection and the Perfection. I also tried some Stubbens, and liked the Juventus and Serenity. They all seem fine to me, I just can’t make up my mind and am not sure if I should keep looking and see if there’s one that really does stand out.

Really liked my Albion ultima platinum. Very comfy and supportive. It’s a tad wide for my horse but I added a mattes and he loves it. At first feels like a wide twist but after 2-3 rides I got used to that feeling. The big knee rolls definitely helped especially in canter.

Ooh, also we went through multiple saddle fitters I finally broke down and bought a Port Lewis Impression pad. It tells you most of the information but it’d be nice to have a pair of eyes on the ground or have someone videotape you. Every horse is different. Don’t go by the brand, go by the saddle that fits your horse be it a 5000 Hennig or a 500 Wintec.

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I’m currently riding in a Thorowgood T8. It fits my horse like a glove. It’s wool flocked. It’s a bit too wide for my hips, but the flaps are nice and long for my legs. It allows for some wiggle room despite a deeper seat, so you don’t have that locked in feeling.

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I ride in a Laser Rendezvous monoflap dressage saddle. Love love love it! I think it’s beautifully balanced, and it makes it easy to be in the right place. I have the full blocks in front, but it comes in a 3/4 block version as well. It has a narrower twist which I prefer, and an adjustable tree. The panels are wool flocked so tweaking it is easily done by a saddle fitter.
http://www.laserequestrian.com/rendezvous-le.html

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Thanks to those of you who have responded! I’m especially interested in fitting/supporting the rider. Saddle fit for the horse is critical, but I’m working with the general impression that different thigh blocks, flap lengths, mono/dual flaps, and other features that support the rider are available across many saddle-to-horse fits.

Thanks again! I hope you keep the responses coming!

I have a Patrick Saddlery saddle. He is a custom saddle maker based in England, I ended up buying one of his demo saddles. I love it. It has an adjustable tree, is wool flocked and a monoflap. The flap is a little longer but I am nearly 5’9 and all leg. The blocks can be changed around because they are Velcro. There is no back blocks on the saddle.

Previously I tried a Hennig which was very comparable to the saddle I have now but it was not adjustable. I used to have a Custom Saddlery Wolfgang Solo, it was not a monoflap but had a large, exposed angled block. I liked the look of it but found it did not encourage correct leg position for me. It was also a long flap.

I have ridden in every single trilogy model and I don’t like any of them, FWIW. I do know people who swear by them though.

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I have a short back OTTB, and bought a Prestige Venus K (Monoflap) dressage saddle. The craftsmanship of it is stunning. They are about mid-range price. I like that they aren’t too expensive, but yet they don’t cheap out on the work. The trees have a lifetime guarantee.

They have a medium size thigh block, I am 5’4 and wish I chose a shorter flap, but live and learn, I absolutely love the position the saddle puts me in. The one thing to think about is exactly that, the position the saddle puts you in. Even within the same brand, depending on your makeup and structure, you might need to try different kinds within the brand.

The saddle comes synthetic wool flocked or foam, so you can choose whatever you like. The foam you can only go up to 4cm build I believe though. The twist is narrow to some, I find it about a medium twist, to each their own though. Great balance, I would say its 8/10 for comfortable, I really love it, but my friends who have sat in it have gone both ways over comfort. Worth a sit in for sure!

The tree can be adjusted time and time again. Downfall with that is only select stores are able to adjust them as they need to be heated up. I’ve owned 3 Prestige Saddles, 2 Jump and one dressage. I absolutely love the brand.

If I had a choice, I would LOVE to have an Amerigo dressage, it’s like riding on marshmallow’s but unfortunately those tree’s do not work with my horse.

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Regarding fitting the horse vs fitting the rider - if the saddle fits the horse, it will fit the rider properly. If it does not fit your horse, it will most likely not put you in the best position. If this saddle is not for you and your own horse, I would be wary of buying a dressage saddle to use on multiple horses because a dressage tree is designed usually to fit a certain type of horse.

That being said, if you want a saddle that fits multiple horses, look for one with more of a jumping tree than a dressage tree - the Butet dressage monoflaps are like this.

I have two saddles, one Butet and one Amerigo. Amerigos are specifically designed to fit certain horses toplines. If you ride in the wrong style for your horse, your position will be all out of whack.

Amerigo - mine is a Cervia 17.5 regular flap MW tree. It is not custom fitted but I had my mare fitted to see which Amerigo is right for her. It has a decent sized knee roll, no thigh blocks or hind blocks. It has a deep seat and it is dual flapped. It fits my girl perfectly and thus sits me in the correct position on her. I love this saddle on her, but on my other horses it does not give me the same feeling.

Butet - it is a monoflap with a close contact seat. 17 inch, med tree, short flap. This is the only dressage saddle I have ridden in that my leg can actually reach the horses side. I prefer this seat on a saddle but like I said, on a proper fitted horse the deep seat feels great too. There is very little thigh roll, no thigh block. No hind block. It is very light weight and it fits more horses because it does not have a rigid tree. It fits my gelding well because he has very broad shoulders and the saddle feels fairly flexible as to the shape it can take. If you want to be held in this saddle is not for you, but if you want as little between you and the horse than I highly recommend this one. I have super short legs so this saddle is by far my favorite saddle I have ever ridden in.

Which ones have you tried and what is your guys topline (shape not condition lol) like?

@Jealoushe Not high withered? but Shortish backed? Really don’t know what to call it to be honest lol.

This is the best photo I have of his back, I was told the Amerigo’s are too banana shaped for him. (ignore the red circle, it was me pointing on his kissing spine lol)

Halo Back.jpg

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Is he straight backed or slightly downhill or uphill? That’s interesting, his back looks similar to Pennys but she is slightly downhill. I think you could definitely find one that works for him if that is what your heart desires haha. My guess would be a Cervia or a classic but I’m not a fitter.

Look at their catalogue, it explains all the trees and what shapes they fit. Good for reference at the very least!

http://www.amerigosaddles.ch/images/kat-en/AMERIGO_catalogo%202016-en-fra.pdf

They actually have amazing customer service at Amerigo. When I was on the search for saddles, I had found a used one being sold on FB, and they were more than happy to help me with it, even sent photos of my horse and they tried their best to help, and I wasn’t even purchasing from them. If you want amazing customer service, that’s the company to go to.

I’m happy with my Prestige, love it, and I spent a good amount on it, not planning on parting with it any time soon. But definitely for my next one, whenever that is, hopefully it’ll be an Amerigo.

I ride in a Passier Grand Gilbert, wool flocked gusseted panels. Compared to other saddles I would say it has a small knee block (I don’t like big blocks etc) and it fits my slender ottb great. Everything else I tried on him rocked on his back or he seemed to hate.

I ride in a Custom Icon Eclipse and it will be buried with me. I love my saddle.

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Why do you love it so, @soloudinhere ?

I too ride in a Passier Grand Gilbert with wool flocked gusseted panels. I love it so much that after owning it for 14 years I had the seat and billets replaced instead of buying another new saddle. My saddle is now 17 years old and I’m not getting a new dressage saddle (perhaps ever).

I just realized my saddle is about 17 years old too! I’ve had the billets replaced as well but not the seat. Other than that, my saddle still looks great :slight_smile:

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I guess that is hard to pinpoint. It’s so easy to sit correctly and I have much more control over my upper body - and I can use the upper part of my leg more effectively because of the way the monoflap is situated.

I find it exceedingly comfortable to sit in, so much so that posting is harder than sitting and I have to make myself do it.