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Stubben Tristan dressage saddles?

Dressage
#1

I’m sort-of looking for a dressage saddle for my long-withered, big shouldered TB who goes very well in a Stubben Siegfried jumping saddle. Of course I’m on a tight budget and am also a hard rider to fit to a saddle–6’ tall, 35" inseam, rather long femur. I’ve come across a few of these and the shallow seat (for a dressage saddle) and plain flap look like they might work for me. Plus they seem easy to find in brown! Does anyone ride in one? Tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly lol.

Also if anyone has other saddle suggestions these are the best pictures I have of my horse’s back. Weight-wise he generally stays closer to the first than the second.
https://scontent.ffsd1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/10532339_10154499392555038_411158735067974371_n.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoibCJ9&oh=9ee563d67641e7c2d2a8fb9426eacc58&oe=5935D90C
https://scontent.ffsd1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/11225389_10156372106295038_166014178119083553_n.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoibCJ9&oh=4faf16813850c793f613820cfc50942f&oe=59472731

This is me on the beastie. I’m roughly one jean size smaller than this right now. You can see how saddle shopping is kind of a challenge. My Siegfried is an 18" CS with an extra forward flap.
https://scontent.ffsd1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/1509144_10154795111410038_8930940744714431693_n.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoibCJ9&oh=81e04ddc34ec91f95e39655486a9576a&oe=5932E12D
https://scontent.ffsd1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/fr/cp0/e15/q65/221622_10150551302135038_6302614_n.jpg?efg=eyJpIjoibCJ9&oh=4b13727ae28ad24cf0289c63a84ec56a&oe=5937AB8D

If anyone has other saddle suggestions that can be found in the sub-$800 range in an 18.5 or 19 inch seat that might work, let me know. I’ve found some Albions and County saddles but I have never ridden in one and don’t know much about the different models.

#2

Well when I changed barns many years ago, the trainer in the new barn requested that I changed from a Passier to a Stübben Tristan (in fact to a Stübben Schultheiss which is a special edition of the Tristan)… It was kind of life changing for me. You will find out how good your position is :slight_smile: The saddle does not support you at all. If your horse is big moving you will really develope a stable seat in order to survive. But I have to say it is teaching you a lot. It was a valuable time for me and I am glad I had it… So I would recommend the Tristan if it fits your horse

1 Like
#3

The old Stubbens are indestructible…and usually hard as rocks.

Can’t remember if it was Keiffer or Stubbens, but I found their tree didn’t work for me. I had a Passier Century from the same vintage as the Siegfried. If you ride in an older Stubben and are ok with the saddle, you can sometimes find them for the $600 range as they are flatter, without the big knee rolls popular these days. Their tree seems like it would fit your (very nice) horse.

#4

Thanks for the feedback. I highly doubt I’ll ever find a perfectly fitting saddle for me without going custom. I’d prefer a flatter seat and minimal or no knee rolls because there’s less to get in my way if the saddle’s only an ok fit. My horse is easy to sit so I don’t feel like I need a ton of support–I ride bareback and without stirrups a lot. I’ve ridden in a Hopfner, a Kieffer, and an Ainsley dressage saddle that fit my horse well. I LOVED the Hopfner, hated the Kieffer, and my horse loved the Ainsley but it was too small for me. Try finding a used Hopfner in a weird size, I’ve been looking for about 6 years :no:.

Thanks for the compliment on my boy, pluvinel! I love him to bits even though he’s a sensitive TB Princess who has definite opinions about saddle fit :D.

1 Like
#5

I have a Lovatt & Ricketts Berkley model, 18.5" seat that was custom fitted to my previous horse, a very tall Hanoverian with a High wither and relatively narrow build for a WB. I am terrible about marketing tack and it’s been sitting in storage. I’ve had a new horse since 2013 and she has her own saddle. I would sell it to you for your budget if you are interested, it was more than four times that price, new in 2010.

To start, look up images of the berkley model and see if it looks like something that would work for you. I have been told the leather quality is excellent. made in England. It was lightly used in the period I owned the horse it was bought for, and it’s in better than good condition. If you are interested I can send pics and we can respond in PMs. If not, no worries.

1 Like
#6

I ride in a brown Stubben Tristan and I love it. I also have an older Bates Caprilli that does not have much in the way of support. When I first rode in my Stubben I was alllll over the place…poor pony. But now I truly love it. I put on my Bates last fall just to see how it fit my horse now and felt very confined. My horse is built kind of like your handsome dude and he loves it. Never has a sore back.

If you can find one go for it.

#7

My first “new” saddle was a Stubben Tristan DL. It was new, never seen a horse, but had been Stubben’s trade show demo model so I got a discount. I bought it for my wide shoulders, substantial withered, racebred QH. I loved it and was very sad when my next horse got too wide for it.

I replaced that saddle with a Schleese JES - shallow seat, moderate blocks (I would have said big blocks when I got it, but compared with standard blocks today…). I had the rep adjust the tree, and then widen it a bit further when my horse wanted it wider. I had my fitter adjust it (flocking) last fall as my horse has lost some topline muscle due to his Cushings. At that time I discovered the blocks were attached with a single screw each and asked her to leave the blocks off when she reassembled it. I don’t know what they go for used, but it’s something to consider.

Don’t​​​​ ignore the deeper seated, large blocked saddles if you have trouble finding something to fit. My preference is shallow seat, little-to-no blocks but when I was searching for a saddle for my younger horse last year I told my fitter I could live with either provided I didn’t notice them while I was riding. He is such a tough fit, his comfort was priority. As it happens I did end up with substantial blocks and a deeper seat, but I don’t notice either. They don’t interfere with my riding.

#8

Back in the day when all dressage saddles were more or less flat I bought a new Tristan. Unfortunately, I never was very comfortable with it and eventually sold it in favor of a Stubben Parzival, which I loved. Sadly, I sold it too when I bought another horse and was talked into a Crosby Prix St. Georges.

Fast forward umpteen years. I stumbled across an almost “untouched by human hands” Tristan, snapped it up, and rode in it a bit. I loved the close contact feel, but again, not quite for me. I stumbled across a Parzival in excellent condition on EBay, bought it, and once again loved it.

Moral of the story is that you also might take a Parzival into consideration. Very small thigh blocks, a deeper seat, same close contact. The Tristans seem to occur more frequently on the used saddle websites–perhaps for a reason.

Good luck on your saddle hunt. Also–I’ve always found the hardish seats to be comfortable once one got used to them.

#9

I had a Tristan - for some reason I could not ride in it. Maybe more me than the saddle! Sold it.

#10

I still have my Stubben Parzival - an A/P rather than dressage model - circa 1985!
LOVE it and rode everything in it until my WB who it Did.NOT.Fit.
I imagine it would fit his successor, but instead I am using a semi-custom Maestoso, bought to fit the WB.

The Parzival has a more forward seat than a standard dressage saddle (I showed Hunters in it) but a lot deeper-seated than any jumping model < used to get a lot of snarky comments from the HPs in their pancake saddles…

#11

OP, I think a Tristan might be a good choice for you guys. I ride in 'em and I love 'em.

Your horse has a pretty “orthodox” shape to his back, I’d say. Stubben knows how to build a pretty nice tree. The shape can be quite horse-friendly for horses like yours and as a rider, I can feel the great designed of their spring tree.

You absolutely can find 18.5s in Tristans, though I have seen more of those in modern, black versions than in the traditional version with grain leather and suede knee pads. Look for a 32 cm tree. That’s Stubben’s version of a Wide and it fits many modern horses. Catherine Haddad (and others) will tell you that a 31 cm fits most horses. The tree will be pretty A-framed at the front, and the gullet will be somewhat narrow by modern standards, so anything smaller than a 31 cm I’d consider narrow.

The tree’s size in CM is stamped on a separate line below the saddle’s serial number on the billet guard on the off side.

I really like the Tristan Special (Same flat, open Tristan seat, half panels for the horse, and nothing in front of your knee for the rider). That works especially well on wide horses of if you want a larger seat (because you like room in the seat or have a generous tush. It also lets you ride where your legs hand and ride from balance and your core. It’s an acquired taste and skill (and fitness)… but riding in a Tristan is also a short cut to good dressage equitation. Sooner or later, everyone needs to learn with open relaxed hips, and a really relaxed, springy leg with balance and core doing most of the work. As a pro-Tristan Special lady in my barn put it: You can buy a saddle with big blocks and wean yourself from those slowly later, or you can face a bit of a steep learning curve at the beginning, but get to the end result faster.

There are other versions of Tristans with larger and/or differently placed knee rolls. None will feel substantial by modern standards.

And another idea: Look for a Romanus, Parzival or Aramis. Those are covered versions of the Tristan (with some minor modifications). Romanus will be covered in black bridle leather, Parzival is brown bridle leather, (oh, and a Lohengrin is covered in New Market bridle leather), the Aramis is covered in brown elk buffalo or elk hide or similar. Also, there is a Columbo (black elk hide) version out there. IME, this leather is slippery and stays that way. I haven’t liked those saddles. So again: the model names refer to the leather on the saddle, not the tree for flap design. Most of them will be built on the same Stubben tree and have the same, flat open seat of the Tristan. The modern version of a calf-covered Tristan will be called a “Deluxe.” The covered leather makes these saddles a tad softer. I recommend them over the Tristan.

I have a Tristan Special that’s not quite to your specs that I’m thinking about selling. If you want to consider it… or just borrow it and test-drive it for a while, you are welcome to. It can take some time to learn to ride in them, so it’s great if you can be allowed to keep one for a bit.

Oh, and I have a regular brown Tristan Deluxe on Ebay. It’s expensive there, but perfect and a rare chocolate brown. If I were going to stay in Brown Dressage Tack world, this is the saddle I’d do it in.

Good luck in your search, whether you decide you do like Tristans or not.

3 Likes
#12

Love my two (both in the 32 tree), one with the “Special” leather, one without, with slight cosmetic differences between them, as they aren’t the same age; prefer the leather of the former.

I’ve looked longingly at others when I (rarely) see one up for sale, as I think I could happily have a tack room full of these, as they suit me and my horses so well.

#13

Another vote for the Romanus. The seat is a bit softer than the Tristan.

1 Like
#14

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

#15

I have a Parzival D in an 18.5" for sale. I forget the exact tree size but it is on the narrow side, 29 or 30cm maybe. Currently at Maryland Saddlery. I think this is the link. I’m not sure why they listed it as AP. It’s been there awhile.

http://www.usedsaddlesmaryland.com/18.5-STUBBEN-AP-SADDLE-P-2156.html

1 Like
#16

So that IS your County Eclipse!!! :lol:

#17

I do not like the Tristan at all.
I have a Max Benz Grand Prix Speciale that I bought from a friend of mine who in turn got it on Ebay for $600. It is not particularly deep seated and not much in the way of blocks. My horse goes great in it. Much better than his $4,000 custom Schleese which now sits in the cupboard.

#18

I have a lovely black Tristan with minimal knee roll. Size 18" seat. Horse was retired shortly after I acquired it for him. Sentimental reasons I just hung onto it. If your interested you can message me. I will check the tree size.

1 Like
#19

People either love the old Stubbens or hate them. You won’t know until you try. It’s what we all rode in back in the Dark Ages and we didn’t have anything to compare them to. Personally I am grateful now for more comfortable, supportive options.

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