The Dreaded Saddle Search

[Squirt]

So I am switching my focus from H/J to dressage and so have started the search for a saddle.

The horse I’m buying for is a Arab/WB cross with a fairly straight back and minimal withers. Honestly the most comfortable horse you’ll ever ride bareback. I haven’t jumped him since last September and have ridden him primarily in A.) my western saddle, B.) an old wintec pro dressage that I picked up for cheap at a tack sale and C.) my friends County Perfection. His musculature has changed so much over the winter/spring that his jumping saddle (a prestige Roma 34cm tree) no longer fits and he is not shy about telling me that fact.

So.
I’m looking for some suggestions. Limited budget, I want it to have a good resale value (finally sold my old Sommer that I bought for a TB after trying to sell it for 8 YEARS), Something that will help me develop a good dressage position
I have a budget set for myself at about $1500, which I’m actually still working towards. (the quarantine has affected how much I can work at the moment)
Some of my friends have also told me that I should sit in LOTS of saddles before I make my decision which is kinda hard to so in the current situation as my state is on lock down until at least May 28th.
I have tried the old Wintec Pro Dressage - Horse liked it, I hated it. I felt like my hips would roll forward uncontrollably and the next thing I knew Id be perched in a quasi-2 pt.
Custom Saddlery - Wolfgang solo with short blocks. Liked this one really well but really kind of want the buffalo leather and haven’t found any used. New is really far out of my price range.
County Perfection - Seemed to work for us pretty well, know that they have good resale value. Is marked a medium tree but seemed to fit Bob pretty well and he has NEVER been in a medium tree anything so ??? Honestly have the opportunity to purchase this saddle but I’m not sure if I LOVE it and she wants double my budget for it…
I have yet to sit in any Stubben that doesn’t feel like I’m straddling a 2x4.
I am not a fan of Passier or Keiffers.
So does anybody have any suggestions of some other brands/models that might ride similar to the models I liked? Albions seem to be plentiful and reasonably priced. The ones I have ridden in seemed ok but Im not sure what models they were or if Id still like them as its been a couple of years since I’ve been in one.
Anybody have any input on Trilogy or Verhans? Fit, comfort, resale value?
I love my Prestige jumping saddle but with how he is reacting now I’m hesitant to even try a prestige dressage saddle. Anybody know how their trees differ between jumping/dressage?
Not going with a Toulouse or HDR.
What about Schleese? Any of their models that anybody thinks that I might like?
Arrghh! I really hate saddle shopping!

I also had a thought and let me know if you think this is smart or stupid…
What if I contacted the reps for the County and Custom and ask them to come out for a fitting after the quarantine has lifted? I realize that new is out of my budget but do you think they would come and help me find a model/size that I could look for on the used market? I would of course pay for their time and be 100% up front about my wants/budget.

Thanks for any input!

[BrokenArrow]

I think getting as many rides in different saddles is the only way to go. If you’re up front with the saddle fitter most will be happy to work with you. They may even help with finding second hand or demo saddles for you.

I just scored a Trilogy Amadeo Elite. It’s a few years old now but the comfiest and most secure saddle I have ever ridden in.

[blue_heron]

I have a Trilogy Verago elite (buffalo leather) I got used and LOVE it. For reference, I get tipped forward in the Wintec pro, all of the french made dressage saddles like Antares, CWD, hate Toulouse. I did have a JES Elite (old Schleese) that worked well for me but doesn’t fit horse. It’s still for sale.

The Verago has a more narrow twist and a more rounded place for your seatbones. The Amadeo is wider and flatter and I don’t like it nearly as much. I also like Albions and Borne saddles too and they usually have options for wider horses.

I think your best bet is to work with someone independent that has a lot of things to try. I worry about having reps come out unless you’re sure that’s what you want, because they can be pushy and sometimes dishonest. I did have someone from Custom fit my Schleese but I told her up front I was not purchasing another saddle and I only wanted to fit the saddle I already owned. She had also already sold multiple saddles that day.

Where are you located? That helps for finding suggestions for reps that might be able to help out!

[Squirt]

I’m located in SW Michigan and can travel…when it’s safe/legal again!

[Lucassb]

Saddle fit and preference are SO individual. I know it’s not the ideal answer but I agree that having the opportunity to sit in lots of different makes and models is the best way to go, particularly in this situation where you are new(er) to the discipline and probably still figuring out what is both correct AND comfortable. (Fellow former H/J here so I can relate!)

I personally loved the Customs I’ve sat in including the Wolfgang Solo but they were not great for my horses’ backs sadly. My body work person - who I’ve used for more than a decade now, through many different saddle makes and models - spoke up and told me she sees a lot of back soreness from those trees. She’s never commented on something like that before and my horses have gone in quite a few different brands and models over the years so I took that as an important data point. YMMV. I was bummed because I really liked the feel for me, but of course the horses’ comfort is equally important.

My hard to fit guy went quite well in a Prestige Optimax for quite a while and I liked it reasonably well also. One of those, if they suited, would be in or below the price range you mention. I am not a fan of County saddles personally (they just never seem comfortable to me) but there are lots of them around and I would guess you could find one well below the price you have been quoted. For $3K I think you deserve to be in love with whatever you buy! Have you tried a Hennig? I have an older, rather minimalist Hennig Classic that I think I paid about $1500 for and it is the most comfortable saddle ever, and seems to fit a lot of horses. Just another one to consider.

Good luck! Saddle shopping is really painful, I wish you the best.

[rothmpp]

@Squirt

I’m located in SW Michigan and can travel…when it’s safe/legal again!

See, and I was even guessing Michigan since you said you were under a stay at home until May 28 :).

When retail opens back up, if you’re still shopping - it might be worth a road trip to Sporthorse Saddlery on the east side of the state, as they usually have a large amount of consignment saddles that you could at least sit in.

As long as you are not opposed to a slightly older one, I would think you’d be able to find a Wolfgang Solo in buffalo leather in pretty short order if there is any wiggle in your budget. It took me forever to sell my Solo (finally sold this winter after 18 months), since it was not a monoflap, for just slightly above your budget.

I feel your pain - I went through a ton of saddles before I bit the bullet and bought the Solo. I actually had no intention of buying a new saddle at all, but the rep was out for several people at my barn and decided to give some saddles a try. Fell in love with the Solo and never went back. Had been through County, Hennig, 2 different Albions, and Stubben. Partly trying to find one that worked for me, but mostly for the fussiest gelding on the planet when it comes to saddle fit.

[EmmyM]

I was just in the same boat as you, so I feel your pain. After trying many many different saddles and brands I finally landed my hands on a Trilogy. Sadly I haven’t been able to ride in it so I can’t say too much about them other than the ones I tried. I found that the ones I tried really put me in a true dressage position, which was exactly what I was looking for. Stubben’s are known to have a wider twist seat, which works for some but not others. Definitely didn’t work for me.

As for talking to reps I would just be very carful. Like one poster said, they can be very pushy and persuasive. Also, personally unless you are very set on buying a certain brand and are looking to see what model works for you, I don’t see a reason to spend all the money to have a ton of different reps coming out to your barn just so you can sit in the saddles for the heck of it. Unless you know of a specific make and model of a saddle you think you want you can definitely reach out to them and see if they have any used ones for sale and then go from there.

But in the meantime just try as many different saddles as you can. As around at your barn, ask friends, check local tack/consignment stores, see if anyone local is selling their saddle and test ride it.

Best of luck on your search!!

[Ceylon_Star]

I’m going to throw Frank Baines into the pool. Plenty of models to choose from depending on your preference for seat shape. Somewhat plentiful used. Seem to hold their value quite well. The regular grain leather is super durable, but you can do Buffalo as well. They tend to fit generously on the horse side, and are great for lower withers and flatter backs.

[reithme2]

I just wanted to chime in about County…

1. they run wide so makes sense that a medium could fit a wider horse when other mediums wouldn’t work.
2. I bought a used/demo county saddle off a county rep for a great deal and I’ve never heard of one not willing to work with someone in the used market. (they have a list of used saddles across the country so they can tell you what they have and can ship to you to try for free (just pay cost of return shipping).
3. if you go county and dont go through a rep, keep your eyes peeled. i see some asking $3k and then the same saddle going for less than $2k a day later (maybe a few years older but similar condition). you can definitely find a county in your budget so long as you aren’t looking at a newer model (epiphany, etc.). Check out the used county saddles FB group!

Im an H/J convert and I now ride in a Albion SLK that I love but I have a much different shaped horse so no way to give a lot of opinions on how that would work for you.

I only sat in 5/6 dressage saddles before settling on the Albion. Like you I didn’t have a ton of options to try dozens of saddles and I imagine as my horse and I evolve we may move on from the Albion for a variety of reasons so for me as long as I got a saddle at a good price (could resell for the same pretty easily) and it works for us now I was happy.

[SonnysMom]

Smith-Worthington has a lot on clearance in your budget. Most were demos.

Too bad you aren’t closer. My horse just outgrew his Prestige Roma dressage saddle.

[fordtraktor]

I have a Custom Icon Flight and just love it. Similar to the WGS, from what I can tell. You can find the WGS in your price range, because they put out a signature type with calf leather sold through Smartpak and others for in the low 2000s. Buffalo I think will be out of your price range unless really, really trashed. But maybe that is wrong? If you can go up to 2k, you will be able to find a nice one I bet.

There is a Custom rep in the area (I’m in NW Indiana). We are trying to get on the schedule here but not having much luck! If you loved the saddle, it would be worth it to have her come fit your horse and see what works. Also, I believe she can adjust the trees (and several models ride similarly but have different trees, so she might be able to tell you which one to look for). My trainer’s Custom Icon Star fits both her and me very similarly to the WGS and my Flight, but fits an entirely different shape horse.

My 2 dressage horses are build really differently but both seem extremely happy in my saddle. My one mare needs a slightly wider one, I think, but overall I’ve been immensely pleased. I do have the hybrid panels/memory foam which helps.

[Jo]

I have a Wolfgang Solo - with buffalo - and if you keep your eyes open, one’s bound to pop up in your price range. I was rabidly searching on Facebook and have seen several under $2k in the past few months.

Different shaped tree, but the Wolfgang Advantage comes up frequently in your price range.

[Tanny98]

Unfortunately I don’t think anyone can suggest a right saddle for anyone because dressage saddles are so incredibly personal when it comes to fit.
As others have stated you will just have to try as many saddles as you can and usually it will take a few saddles before you find the right one unless you get lucky. And have a very experienced knowledgeable saddle fitter or at least trainer who has a really good eye for saddle fit watch you. I might have saved myself years of struggling with saddles and a lot of money had I bit the bullet and gone that route originally. I can’t even recall all of the brands I tried!
I now ride in Hulsebos. They fit me like a glove, and worth every penny. Occasionally you can find them for under $2k and their reps carry several used saddles on them at all times for you to try, plus they trade on saddles if you ever wind up wanting to get a different model/ fit.

[artisticgold]

It sounds like you may need a saddle with more of a hoop tree because of your horse’s build. I would consult a good saddl fitter who isn’t brand specific

[the_rook]

I have been borrowing a Black Country saddle for my new young mare and I find it to be well balanced and comfortable. She also has a flatter/rounder back and they do make a Freedom (or hoop) Tree for that shape. You can find the older models in your price range, but sadly not the newer ones very often.

I have a Verhan saddle for my older mare - although it is a jump saddle - which I like. I was able to have it custom fit to her even though I bought it used, which was fantastic. It also has nice balance and I can ride for several hours in it. My dressage saddle for the older mare is a Niedersuss, which you would probably find a little hard but I don’t mind. It doesn’t lock me in so it forces me to work on my position and I appreciate that!