Saddle Similar to Detente Isis?

[Pico_Banana]

Hi all,

I am currently riding in a Detente Isis that my horse loves but I do not. The wide twist causes my legs to angle out rather than hang with toes forward; my heel is also a little ahead of shoulder/hip/heel alignment.

Any recommendations for a saddle that might be a similar fit for my horse but better for me? I prefer an external block, but need it to be short and/or angled more forward to accommodate my leg (I have a long femur relative to my height). My horse is wide in the barrel so I also prefer a single/mono-flap style.

I currently have a saddle on trial (Custom Solo) that ticks off all of those boxes for me, but I don’t think it’s working for my horse - she doesn’t seem to really want to reach forward with her shoulders and move out smartly.

I don’t have any great pictures, but do have the attached which shows her back and withers.

TIA!!!

[Dune]

Did you ever find a saddle that worked for both you and your horse?

[Pico_Banana]

Wow, blast from the past . . . but yes, we did eventually!

We ended up originally with a monoflap Hennig Princess that worked well for a short while. But after about 9 months she decided that she didn’t like it anymore even though my fitter thought it was still a decent fit for her. She got wider in that time and I believe it was no longer roomy enough for her in her shoulders.

So the saddle search began again and we tried a number of other saddles – Adam Ellis, Frank Baines, Albion, Tad Coffin, Antares, Black Country, Trilogy, EQ Saddle Science, and others. Although I really wanted to like the Adam Ellis, the ones that rose to the top were the Tad Coffin and the Black Country Vinici. I ended up rejecting the Tad because even though she went really well in it, the tree was a little snugger on her that I wanted and they only come in one tree size (essentially). And although we both liked the super close feel of the saddle, it put me in somewhat of a chair seat.

We ended up with a Black Country Equinox, which is the endurance saddle equivalent to the Vinici. The flap is a tiny bit more of a forward shape and it has a much smaller thigh block than the Vinici, but it has the same very close feeling fit. I’m not entirely sure what she likes about this saddle but it is obvious that she does. I bought used and ended up with all leather panels when I really wanted serge, but I had my fitter adjust the flocking so that we can use a sheepskin pad underneath. I’ve been riding in this for about 3 months now and all remains well. Fingers crossed that this one works for more than 9 months . . . .

Hope this helps!

[Dune]

@Pico Banana

Wow, blast from the past . . . but yes, we did eventually!

We ended up originally with a monoflap Hennig Princess that worked well for a short while. But after about 9 months she decided that she didn’t like it anymore even though my fitter thought it was still a decent fit for her. She got wider in that time and I believe it was no longer roomy enough for her in her shoulders.

So the saddle search began again and we tried a number of other saddles – Adam Ellis, Frank Baines, Albion, Tad Coffin, Antares, Black Country, Trilogy, EQ Saddle Science, and others. Although I really wanted to like the Adam Ellis, the ones that rose to the top were the Tad Coffin and the Black Country Vinici. I ended up rejecting the Tad because even though she went really well in it, the tree was a little snugger on her that I wanted and they only come in one tree size (essentially). And although we both liked the super close feel of the saddle, it put me in somewhat of a chair seat.

We ended up with a Black Country Equinox, which is the endurance saddle equivalent to the Vinici. The flap is a tiny bit more of a forward shape and it has a much smaller thigh block than the Vinici, but it has the same very close feeling fit. I’m not entirely sure what she likes about this saddle but it is obvious that she does. I bought used and ended up with all leather panels when I really wanted serge, but I had my fitter adjust the flocking so that we can use a sheepskin pad underneath. I’ve been riding in this for about 3 months now and all remains well. Fingers crossed that this one works for more than 9 months . . . .

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the update!!! I’m starting another saddle journey and trying to get input along the way. I’ll probably end up saving myself the hassle and go with BC again.