Hi y’all! I am needing some help finding a saddle that fits me. I am 5’8" and have long femurs, so I am curious if anyone out there has recommendations for a saddle that is comfortable for leggy riders? I ride English and am seeking a close contact saddle that is comfy for flatwork and jumping. Caveat here is that I ride more than one horse, so a saddle that is also generally well-tolerated by most horses is preferred. My budget is about $2,500.
Thanks y’all in advance!
Look for a long, one or two clicks forward flap. I’m 5’9" and all leg and had luck with a 3L CWD - just a forward flap will put you in a chair seat. A “pro panel” can give you some space for flexibility with padding.
For a budget saddle, I actually like the Ovation San Telmo. It’s made for leggy riders with the long and forward flap, and has the Pessoa adjustable gullet system. The Circuit EQ on the wide tree with the forward flap is another one - it also looks very much like a high end French saddle (and I got asked if it was MANY times when I had one).
Caveat here - these are A frame saddles. If you tend to ride a lot of big shouldered or wide horses, these might not work. I like a Tad Coffin for the multi-horse rider, but finding one in your budget with a long flap is going to be difficult, though not impossible. I ride in a regular flap TC - I don’t notice my knees peeking over the flap, but I have big horses so I don’t have to jack up my stirrups.
Pick up a used shimmable Mattes or Fleeceworks or cotton ThinLine if you can. These will give you some options to tweak fit. I wouldn’t get a wool saddle until you have your own horse - foam panels and a shim pad work better.
Great insights, thank you so much!
I mostly agree, I am 5’7" though and ended up ordering a short forward flapped jumping saddle. My previous saddle was a CWD 4C, which is the most forward they made (at the time, not sure about currently), and I thought it was a little long for my leg and not quite forward enough for my knee.
I now have a short, extra forward flap and love it (Forestier Badminton with 1AA flap). But I think the forwardness is super super important for long thighs, you may be able to play with the length a little bit more, so may open up more options.
As many saddles as you can sit in to decide too. I ended up with a forestier Badminton, but did not like the balance of the Boekelo from the same brand with the same flap.
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I am also 5’8, slender and have super long femurs and ride in a forward flap Voltaire. I sized up in the seat size to accommodate them as well as keep my position correct. I loathed the CWDs and thought they put me very much in a chair seat. It’s whatever works for you personally! My saddles specs are a Palm Beach 3AR and 18” seat. I have a super back cracking jumper doing 1.20 and heading up and have always felt very fluid and comfortable in it. I recently tried a Blue Infinite and my horse absolutely loved it but it was much more open and not as cushy as the Palm Beach- seriously considering it though!
