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Saddle brands to steer clear of?

Dressage
#1

I’m in the market for a dressage saddle. Coming from H/J land, I know there are a few brands that are quite popular and have become quite pervasive, despite not actually being all that great - with issues ranging from just being low-quality marked up to outrageous prices, to just flat out not fitting and being known for causing physical issues. Of course, I have no idea about dressage brands.

My budget isn’t big - no fancy customs for me. I just don’t want to be sucked into the trap of “what’s popular” vs “what’s good” if I can avoid it.

#2

Buy used ahd employ and independent saddle fitters. Buy something that fits you and the horse

All the semicustom saddles in the $5k plus range will be perfectly fine for the right person and horse. Different riders have strong feelings about seat depth, twist and blocks. The seat is much more important if you don’t post! If you know your preference that helps narrow down brands and models

6 Likes
#3

The saddle that fits your horse is not always the most expensive one! Find an independent fitter to help you so you don’t fall prey to the marketing message. Personally, I ride in a Roosli Pilatus, which is not fashionable any more, but is a lovely saddle.

Schleese saddles are nicely made but cost a small fortune and I know too many people who ended up selling them because the didn’t fit their horses.

6 Likes
#4

Yes. I don’t think there is a problem with Schleese per se as a saddle, but IME their reps oversell the adjustability which is no greater than any other spring tree saddle, and will sell a saddle with less than great fit.

That’s why I say buy second hand and get an independent fitter to check the fit and adjust the flocking as needed.

2 Likes
#5

Exactly. They are fine saddles but they are not majikal. I’ve actually owned two, both puchased for under $1k on the used market. A new one these days runs $8K or more . . .

1 Like
#6

Everyone single person I know who bought a Schleese has sold it within a year or two at a great loss. Despite the huge price tag and magical promises from sales reps, they stemmed plagued with fitnissues that could never really be resolved. There’s a reason the used saddle market is full of Schleeses at rock bottom prices.

If you can find a used one that fits your horse - great! But I wouldn’t recommend new.

In general I wouldn’t recommend new anyway. Go for a good quality used saddle.

Is your horse curvy or fairly flat backed? Do you like a deep seat or open!

8 Likes
#7

Saddle is everything to performance so in a perfect world you go Custom. But maybe a used Custom might fit the trifecta of horse, rider and budget.

4 Likes
#8

Schleese was the first one I thought of that I won’t bother with. They happen to come to my barn.

On the other side, brands I like are Black Country and Albion. I’ve also been very happy with my Patrick. The saddler I work with is affiliated with Lovatt & Ricketts, and I will strongly consider one when I need another saddle. They are more affordable new than a lot of other brands.

#9

I agree. I own three of them. The first one had been consigned to a saddle fitter, and I tried it out for a month and then bought it. Then later I bought two more, for different horses. Before that was a Stubben, then a Frank Baines. I still have the Stubben but not a horse to fit it, and gave the Frank Baines to my eventing niece. I really liked the Frank Baines a lot, but I keep getting bigger and bigger horses it fit none of them. And I am a firm believer in wool flocked panels.

3 Likes
#10

This is exactly the kind of thing I was wondering about.

He’s got a short, fairly flat back and is rather uphill.
As for what I like - I don’t even know :sweat_smile:

#11

Im not new to dressage, but I’m new to custom / semi custom saddles. I inquired with a few specific saddlers after perusing COTH and examining my horse’s conformation. I ended up with a custom new saddle that fits me and my horse and did not cost 5k. Aaaand I got the “pretties” I wanted. Worth every penny. Horse and I love it to death.

There are affordable options to suit every pair if you look hard enough.

2 Likes
#12

If you are new to dressage buy a very plain saddle with a flatter seat and no blocks. If you must get blocks, get moveable ones. It will help you develop an independent seat.

Some examples are the Duett Fidelio, Euroriding, some Bates models, most Passiers, a lot of Stubbens like the Scandica, 1894, Genesis and Roxanne, wome WOW, Thoroughgood / Bliss models but definitely not all. Basically nothing too bulky or that has massive fixed blocks or a super deep seat. And don’t just get point billets because all the saddles have them, they do not fit all horses. The older Wintec are actually a great starter saddle for a lot of people.

2 Likes
#13

Older style might work well for the back you describe - try the Niedersuss - lots of old style Lippis were wide short backed horses.

2 Likes
#14

I would avoid anything with foam panels. They just aren’t adjustable enough. Wool flocking can be shaped to the horse’s changing back. Since you are coming from HJ land, the advice to look for something with a flatter seat and smaller blocks is spot on. You can even find one with a more forward flap, rather than straight down. Once you are comfortable in a deeper dressage seat, then you can look for something with a larger block, if you want. I’ve never met a CWD saddle that didn’t pinch and bite the horse’s withers. I’d avoid those.

5 Likes
#15

I’m an H/J rider who took up dressage 3 years ago and I bought a Niedersuss from the early 90s. I love it. Nice quality, flat-ish seat (for a dressage saddle) and only a tiny block. It took me a while to get comfortable with a longer a stirrup and the lack of big block let me lower my stirrups slowly over time without trapping my leg. I paid $700 for it and spent another $300 having it strip flocked. Initially I planned to use it as a starter saddle then upgrade once I figured out what I liked, but I realized I like this saddle, so much that I ride in it most days and only use my jumping saddle when actually jumping. Obviously fit for the horse is most important, my horse has high withers, big shoulders and a short back and this fits well. I worked with the saddle fitter at Pelham Saddlery to buy this as I knew absolutely nothing about dressage saddles.

3 Likes
#16

Custom the brand tends to be very long, difficult to fit on a short-backed horse, just FYI. Depending on seat size you may need to look for “pony panels”. Dressage saddlemakers seem to think everything under 17h is a pony.

2 Likes
#17

Sold all my schleese and my customs and my horses went better right away…
Go to a tack store and find that under 2k consignment section and keep taking on trials until you find the right fit. Ask fb if anyone is selling amd try it personally… that gives you more flexibility on trial periods.

2 Likes
#18

Ha I feel naked in a Niedersuess!

2 Likes
#19

I grew up riding in a flat Beval World Cup and chopped the blocks off my current jumping saddle, I feel trapped in anything blocky. :sweat_smile: So keep that in mind with my Niedersuss recommendation, I might be weird in my saddle preferences.

2 Likes
#20

For flat back I would look at Custom Saddlery, Trilogy, and if he’s fairly short in the back, the Prestige D1 and D2

1 Like

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