Saddle Suggestions for Beginning Eventer

[CorazonLock]

Hi all,
Last night I got my horse’s saddle fitted and found that it was too wide for him. So now I’m on the hunt for a new saddle and was hoping you all could share your saddle recommendations. I’m looking for a saddle I can do both xc and stadium in, as I’m just starting out in eventing coming from backyard hunter world. I’d prefer an adjustable gullet, but quite honestly, it isn’t a must-have. I’m just looking for something that is quality and will allow me enough security for xc.

So, please share your favorites and the ones to steer clear of!

[beowulf]

Welcome to eventing!

The suggestions can’t really start until we know more about you: are you tall? Short? Do you prefer wide twists, narrow twists? Blocks? What about your horse? Tall & rangy? Mile-long wither? No wither?

I personally would avoid adjustable gullets… They really only work in rare cases and I have seen more harm done than good by well-intending owners.

My first saddle when I took the plunge into eventing was an older Ainsley - It’s either a Chester or a Leicester (I can never remember) - it’s a 16.5 and has been one of the most versatile saddles I’ve ever owned. It didn’t fit one of my TBs too well but it’s a great interim saddle. I did everything in it from fox-hunting to dressage rallies as a kid…

It’s the saddle I use whenever friends come to ride one of our guys, or someone needs to borrow a jump saddle locally. Everyone has loved it - it’s very flat and balanced and all of the gals I’ve had ride in it have remarked how secure it makes them feel… and it’s very close contact with the horse.

The older Ainsley models are more like Millers and Crosbys so may be a nice nod to your upbringing (Hunters). Mine has no blocks and a very flat but deep seat and wide twist. I love it and still ride in it from time to time. It’s oiled up so nicely people mistake it for a french saddle despite it being as old as me…

You can snag them online for $200-800 and they really are a steal… just make sure you get a wither tracing first from your saddle fitter.

By and large, the most reliable saddles for eventing seem to be Passiers and Stubbens.

My personal favorite saddle ATM is a Stubben Zaria – but as a beginner I think you might want to look at some older models before taking the plunge into an $$$ saddle.

BTW, Not sure if it is relevant but most eventers use the same saddle for jumping and XC. Three saddles is too much! :lol:

[preppyeq]

I’m a huge fan of Albions! They last forever and are super comfortable. There are quite a few different models so you should be able to find one that fits you and your horse well. There are also quite a few at various price points that are available through eBay, tack trader, and on the different Facebook groups. Make sure you always ask for measurements though because Albions can have slightly different measurements when it comes to how wide they are. I was looking at a medium that was actually wider than a medium wide but they were the same model. It was really easy to find what I needed online after having one of their reps out to my barn.

[asterix]

I’d agree you might want to go with a decent used saddle and wait to get something more high end later. Some older Countys are really nice for eventing and can be had reasonably if you don’t mind well-loved…

One piece of advice - when you try the saddle out, in addition to jumping in the ring, make sure you also go out and at least canter up and down hills in it. A saddle that feels beautifully balanced in the ring may not give you the support you need for xc. I’d err on the side of a more xc saddle than a classic h/j type saddle.

[betsyk]

Love my County Eventer. I’ve done everything from dressage to endurance with it, as well as XC and stadium (little stuff). It’s the saddle I’ll keep til I’m 90. The other saddle I’ll probably keep til I’m 90 even though it doesn’t fit anybody right now is a Stubben Siegfried VSS. I love the County more, but the Stubben was pretty great, too.

[Happyhorse77]

I have a wonderful older model Country Conquest that I use for both jumping phases. It is the most secure thing I’ve ever sat in. I’ve been able to use it on multiple ponies (I have a “type”, little, short backed, n wide please!) and it fits beautifully and keeps them very happy. If you see one sit in one!!!

[rainpants]

I’m a field hunter, not an evente but my saddle is super secure for galloping over hill and dale. Its a Passier Marcus Ehning. Very good quality! They don’t seem to come up a ton used in my area, and do hold their value well when then do, so probably not a bargain.

Passiers are very horse-fit friendly, come in several tree sizes and are quite adjustable (by a saddle fitter).

[PaintedHunter]

I love my Albion Kontact monoflap. It’s great for me with a long femur, proportionally.

But yeah, how are you and your horse built?

[CorazonLock]

Sorry, should have given the specs on me and my horse:
I’m 5’3" and 120 lbs. I typically have fit in 17 inch saddles well. Knee blocks are a must have for security.

My horse is a Quarter Horse that by and far is built like a TB. Nice withers, not muttony, but definitely not shark fin either. He fits a medium tree in a Pessoa. He’s very long all over, petite rib cage. 15.3 hands.

I don’t want a high end model of anything, but I want something that I could compete up to novice with using it as my stadium and xc saddle. I don’t foresee my horse going any higher than novice, and this next year I plan on competing a few starters and hopefully moving up to BN. We’ll see. I’m committed to eventing and will not go back to the hunter ring. I’d love used but not abused - a decent quality saddle. I had a Thornhill that I loved but that’s the one that no longer fits. I’m looking for similar quality.

[devvie]

I event using an Amerigo jumper saddle . . . no issues. I have a friend who events on a budget (spent her money on an absolutely class mare instead of bells and whistles) and she uses a really cheap foam all purpose including for dressage Training level . . . no issues on her easy-to-fit mare.

[Foxglove6]

Need to follow as my horse and I fit your description almost exactly! I’m glad to know we’re not alone.

[Happyhorse77]

Op I’m your height weight also & my recommendation (County Conquest) certainly has nice fluffy knee rolls, as well as thigh blocks.

[mountainhorse]

Try looking at the Bliss of London saddles. Great quality, good price point. http://www.bliss-of-london.com

[kcmel]

I love my Black Country Wexford. I feel very secure in it and it is super comfy. Check out ebay.uk for the best deals.

[Ready_To_Riot]

The stubben Siegfried is a good one. It’s highly recommended (and isn’t it the saddle Nick Skelton just won a gold in?). I’ve never owned one, but my saddle fitter recommends everyone have one in their barn!

[Inclined]

I second the Stubben Siegfried. They’re very secure for riding across country, and IMO seem to fit a pretty wide range of horses, including the thoroughbredy types. The vintage ones are very close contact/ bare bones, but the newer versions are cushier. I’m not much bigger than you are, and they have always fit me well.

[173north]

Thirding Stubben! Great quality, great balance, super secure, fit lots of horses - I honestly think it’s hard to go wrong with them. Nick Skelton did just win a gold medal in an old Siegfried.

If you want the ultimate XC saddle, their Zaria Optimum is incredible. I have a Portos Elite, which is more of a H/J option, but I wouldn’t hesitate to go XC in it. Their Siegfrieds and Roxanes are classics, plus you can often get a great deal on them used.

[pharmgirl]

I love my Black Countrys. Very secure, cushy and comfortable, and lots of options to choose from (I believe Bliss also would have the same things, but it’s more likely you can find a good used BC at a good price vs. Bliss). My current one is a Ricochet- it’s the Wexford tree built on the Quantum “skin”. Very secure, but I also haven’t felt hindered jumping at least 3ft and doing xc in it.

[Bogie]

Depending on your build, the older stubbens will put you in a chair seat. Not bad for jumping banks and galloping cross country, but not my first choice for a first eventing saddle (note that I have very long legs and the Siegfried def. did not work for me).

I am a big fan of the older Ainsleys mentioned here. Not the new ones. You can pick them up for $300 and change and they are nicely balanced.

I don’t have an aversion to the interchangeable gullets. I keep an old style wintec pro jump in my trailer for rainy days. It’s a great saddle, very well balanced and depending on the gullet fits my TB or my draft x (I am lucky that they have similar backs in different widths). If you can find the older Pro Jump, they run about $400 and they are much nicer than people give them credit for.

You can get a very decent saddle if you go used. I no longer event, but I do foxhunt. In my tackroom I have:

• A County Extreme
• Jeffries JMX Monoflap
• Schleese Eagle XC
• Hastilow Event (this one has interchangeable gullets).

None of them cost more than $1K. I love the Jeffries JMX. They are hard to find in the US but they have nice grippy leather and even new they aren’t too expensive.

You might also look at the Thorowgood T8 which is a hybrid synthetic & leather saddle with wool flocking. I rode in one and it didn’t work for me but it was a nice saddle and not terribly expensive. They are hard to find used but not a bad price new.

Saddle choice is very personal. Ride in as many as you can and decide what fits you and your horse.

[Nancy1]

I have evented up to prelim on my Paint horse in my Pessoa Legacy saddle. It fits all of my horses well and I’ve had it for several years. I just got a Pessoa eventer and LOVE it. Reasonably priced and very comfy.