Wanted to say thank you for your post about the older close contact saddles. I am a re-rider at 50, we had show jumpers all my childhood and young adult life. My last A show jumper in college was also a puissance horse ridden by other professionals. The saddle I prefer to ride in to this day and the only one I currently own is just as you described, and is one my parents bought me used but nearly new when I was 11 (mid-70’s) and still doing some hunters. Close contact, no rolls, no blocks, nada. It’s difficult for me to pull the trigger on one as I pour over thread after thread reading about all makes of French saddles for a couple of years now, how fast they wear for the price. I appreciate reading something that so well describes how I feel about mine, and that I’m not alone in my thinking. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
LOL well thank you for your response here. We oldsters are hard to force to make the switch in saddlery to “new and improved”, I think. I have my tack from the late 70’s and 80’s., and still use it too. I was not showing for a while, when I was a racehorse trainer for a couple decades, now back to showing in my old age. I was at a local fall fair a couple years ago, leading my mare tacked up in the warm up area. A “kid” saw my saddle without my arse covering it up… Courbette Stylist, a “flat” saddle that has served me well in local Grand Prixs years ago. She said, “Whoa, Old Style”. Made me laugh. Then I beat her in the class. Don’t worry, no doubt you are more than “legit”, I am sure. Kids these days don’t know how to ride, are ineffectual in the saddle for the most part. Think that extra padding will hold them on the horse when their leg and seat can’t. It’s tragic. I have a local friend who considers herself a saddler. She is actually only a leather worker, and a very good one at that. She knows nothing about saddles, thinks she knows it all. She snorts at my saddles, but can’t get a lead change herself, nor has ever jumped over 3’, and can’t keep a horse sound over time either. And she is actually my friend LOL. I’ve ridden in a couple of her saddles, they are horrific. She is unaware. She looked at my “new” Passier century saddle that I found at a tack sale last fall for $200, and immediately offered to “restuff” it. Um, no thanks. I think I’ll just stay with the construction that Passier did. Nice to hear from you. I suspect that you are not in my area (no one is LOL), but it would be nice to go horse showing with you as a matched pair of unstylish riders who can probably whoop the arse of the kiddies in competition, in our pancake saddles.
LOL I believe we probably could! I am down in Texas, actually far from most shows, but 3-4 hours away are some minor shows, lots of clinics. And yes I mostly ride with those who have never even sat in a flat saddle. Just their conversations about every inch and nuance, it’s a miracle they ever find anything to work for both them and their horses - and I’m sure the high end saddle makers love the constant mental chaos. I haven’t gotten a chance to sit in any French saddles - I can’t even pay a fitter enough to fly to our area - but while at Dover shopping for a new bridle for my new horse, I sat in some new saddles - and yes…I thought wow…so much junk between me and the horse, how do they ever feel secure? The saddle itself would possibly pop me out of it all on it’s own. 
