I am leasing a horse who has high withers and is a medium-narrow tree. I am 5’10" with a long leg. I have a current budget of $1k to spend on a dressage saddle. I don’t want to spend a lot on a lease horse but I’m also concerned I won’t be able to find anything to fit my leg in that price range. Do you guys have suggestions for saddles for tall riders, that might fit my horse, in that price range? Or am I dreaming and need to save up $3k or so for a more custom option? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. 
My suggestion for a tall person and a high withered horse would be Passier. Should not be hard to find one in that budget range.
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Kent and Master’s high wither dressage saddle. It has a long flap and velcro block. I’m your height and it fits my leg. The gullet can be changed out like a Wintec, but it’s wool flocked, so you can also get it flocked to your horse.
They are like $1600 new, and I paid $800 for mine used in very good condition.
Thank you! I will see what’s out there!
Thank you! That’s a brand I hadn’t even considered. Will keep my eyes peeled.
There is a FaceBook group for buying and selling used K&M saddles. One thing, at leas with my 18", is that they are not for a short-backed horse. Mine works for my 16.3 WB, but it is a touch long on my 15.3 appendix mare, who goes in an 18" Black Country Vinici. Also, they are more of a straight shape that won’t work for a curvy back.
Older Wintec Isabel saddles (but still from the adjustable gullet era) might work. They fit long legged riders really well.
My high withered/shark finned TB goes great in an Albion SLK HH. They are really affordable used especially in the UK market. I’m only 5’6" and all legs and a 17.5" is honestly a bit big for me.
The K&M doesnt give him nearly the wither clearance the Albion does.
An Ideal saddle might work. The Suzannah fits long legged riders and horses with a tall wither quite well. They are well within your budget used, in the UK, anyway. They ride similar to some Albion models but generally cost less.
Do you know anything about the Ideal Jessica model? I’m not having any luck finding the Suzannah model!
The Suzannah is better for high withers, a developed front end, and a mostly flat back. The Jessica seems to have a bit more curve (but that can vary since some of them are custom built on different trees) and the rear gussets aren’t as deep. The seat and knee/thigh block is different too. The Ideal Tonisha is similar to the Suzannah somewhat, but even harder to find, even in the UK.
My Fairfax works on a high withered horse, and I think Kent and Masters makes a high wither version of their saddles, same with Thorowgood. Not sure about flap lengths, I had to get a short flap with the Fairfax as the regular length was quite generous.
Passier and Kieffer might be decent options too. Also adjustable by a saddler and wither room is usually quite good. Fitting a tall rider might depend on the model. The Passier Grand Gilbert is highly rated.
I don’t have the tall person/long legs battle but I do have a horse that is built up hill with a tall withers and a thick rear gusset is really what works best and a saddle with wither room, of course, but nine is a medium wide/wide.
If the horse has muscle wastage by the withers you can look for front gussets or use shims perhaps.
I’ve also seen some long flap Bates around, not sure about the horse fit, but the Innova model seems popular.
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I’m 5’9” with a 23” hip to knee length, yes, a little over 40s junk in my trunk, with a saddlebred with high withers. I had resigned myself to either needing a custom giant saddle or just not ever being able to ride in a dressage saddle because they all tended to jam me up between the knee roll and the back of the cantle.
I just bought a used Passier Grand Gilbert Extra and it not only fits my horse like a glove, but I can ride in it! In an 18”…like a normal size of saddle not some freaky large seat size. My horse loves it. Under $800. They are fantastic saddles. I’m so happy with it…cannot say enough about this saddle!!
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I’m 6’ and rarely do I need a long flap in dressage saddles. As long as you avoid saddles made for short people I expect you will be fine.
I think it’s more of a forward cut flap that I need, not a long one. It seems when I am in a dressage saddle at any gait my knee is creeping over the front of the flap.
Fyi, the Ideal Jessica and Suzanna can be built on a variety of trees as standard models. I know the Jessica regularly has 3 different trees for different horse shapes as standard.
The struggle is real. Even in a 19" Albion SLK my thigh was always popping up over the block, so I eventually sold it and ended up paying through the nose for a custom Black Country Vinici with a forward flap. I did not need to go longer than the standard 16" flap. The SLK might have worked if I’d had the block removed and replaced with a thinner velcro block, but their flaps are somewhat shaped to the block, it’s not an ideal solution.
For a bit I had an old BC saddle that had more of a pencil knee roll that was wider at the front and tapered down towards the back, and that also worked pretty well despite not being a forward flap.
Ah. I’m in the same category. I can ride in a normal flap if it’s a short thigh block. If it’s a long knee block, I’m uncomfortable without the forward flap.
Custom Saddlery makes three different short blocks now. I don’t know why their US website doesn’t have this picture, but look here: https://saddlesnarts.com/en/dressage/wolfgang-solo.html The first picture on the second row shows the block choices.
I use the Icon Short Roll, because it’s a bit longer, wider, and softer. We call it the short roll for medium/tall people. If you are short, it’s an awkward 3/4 length block that interferes with the knee.
Short Roll Canted (called Solo on the European chart) let’s you have a shorter stirrup due to the angle. R1 is similar, but with more curve to the short block so it feels different to ride in.
I’d hunt around and see if you can sit in some friends’ saddles with different blocks to see if you can fix the problem without going for a full forward flap.
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Thank you for all of the information! I really appreciate it.
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I have an albion platinum with Velcro knee rolls, I just take the knee rolls off and that works for me!
