Hi all,
I’m a lifelong dressage rider but wanted to reach out and ask about your experiences with jumping saddles, specifically Courbette Merkur DL, Stübben Siegfried, Parianis, and Steinkraus Hermès. With my height I have never been comfortable in short stirrups since I was a teenager, but I am looking for the perfect saddle to hack around the countryside (Southern NH), go for gallops for conditioning and also take a few jumps. I ordered the four for trial, all four are used, and would love to hear any and all your thoughts and tips. The horse in question: a 7 yr old Trakehner TB cross with much spirit, good all-around training and athleticism. Medium width tree.
(My dressage saddles are a Hôpfner and a Stübben Romanus.)
For me, the balance of a Hermes or (really old) Pariani is terrific. ( My favorite is a Butet.). I know fox hunters love Steuben’s but I’m not a fan. It’s cool you have them all coming at the same time. Finding a saddle makes me bang my head against the wall.
For just hacking around, don’t overlook some of the lesser expensive new options. Don’t limit yourself to certain brands. Look for a more straight flap v/s forward. Don’t discount a new HDR or collegiate, Crosby is back with a new line of affordable saddles, Toulouse also. the leather won’t be as nice but you can get a new saddle that will break in to fit your horse. Pick the saddle that will fit not the brand.
If you’re used to a dressage saddle, most of those other saddles are flat and unpadded to the point that you’re going to feel like you’re riding in nothing. And old trees tend to run narrower, too.
if your horse is generally a good fit in the Stubbens, since you use one for dressage, IMO you should start there. The Sigfried is more of an all-purpose saddle probably feel most similar to a dressage saddle and be fine for some hacking out, if it fits you and the horse. But depending on budget, you may want to work with your fitter on finding something a bit more modern and with a little more forward seat balance, as the Siegfrieds can encourage a chair seat.
Was there a reason you went with these particular models? A Hermès is a very different saddle than the Stubben.
If you are looking for a good value on a tried and true older saddle for comfortable hacking around, and want a great balance and quality, and also a slightly straighter flap…
look for an old all purpose Passier Baum. I have one that’s a medium width tree, and it is soooooooo comfortable yo hack in. Hard - but beautifully balanced for horse and rider. You can find them for a few hundred online, and a master saddle fitter could easily reflect to fit your horse.
Oh wow. Just signed on to see if anyone had responded, thanks soooooo much! This is so helpful. Two of the saddles have arrived and I love their look! Will take some pics and be in touch again shortly. Thanks again!!
I have two older Courbette Husars and absolutely adore them! I have used them both for ring work and trail riding. They’re very similar to the Stübben Siegfried as well. I find that mine have fit a good amount of the horses I’ve ridden (though admittedly, most of what I ride is pretty narrow built) and I find them to be very comfortable. The quality of these saddles are also unbeatable!
A vote here for the Hermès Steinkraus. I sadly had to put mine up for consignment recently as it has a narrow tree and doesn’t fit my horse. Mine is from the '80s and I loved the close contact-ness of it, it was fantastic for half-seat gallops and jumping, and the balance was lovely. Not surprisingly, I just bought a Tad Coffin to replace the Hermès that my new mare goes wonderfully in. The Tad isn’t quite the same, but it’s pretty close.
As you appear to want to mainly hack and not, I suspect, jump very high, can’t you just take up your stirrups a few holes? Personally, I find a dressage saddle to be the most comfortable to hack in and it is fine for low jumps. I find many jump saddles to be cut so forward that my leg is almost off the flap when at hacking stirrup length.
That’s a good point. Well, I adore saddles and was offered a few to try by friends and have always wanted to add a classic non-dressage saddle to my tack room. I plan to spend more time in the countryside, having found a few great trails I can use. I received the Hermès and the Courbette and love them already.
I have a 20 year old Passier Optimum that I bought as new second hand about 7 or 8 years ago. It is modern enough to have a somewhat soft seat, and modest knee rolls, but old enough to have an open seat and no huge thigh blocks. It is my preference for longer trail rides. I even had extra D rings installed in the cantle and attached long leather laces so I can tie a jacket or saddle bags back there. I can ride up or down pretty gnarly mountain trails, I can get up or down anything I feel safe to climb. I like cantering in it.
I also have a maybe 25 year old Passier jump saddle. It is great for doing trot sets and two point (our cross species butt and thigh workout on the trails) and I can canter sitting or half seat. However it really is not quite as comfortable as the dressage saddle for long slow trail rides. I also find I leave the stirrups on the long side.
I can’t do “real” two point in my dressage saddle, and I find that cross training in the jump saddle has been great for me. And for some reason horse seems to prefer the jump saddle a little bit.
Anyhow if you like the feel of the vintage saddles I would always prefer one of those over the newer budget models. However I have seen a lot of “,pancake” Passier dressage saddles and other jumping saddles that are 40 years old because my coach loves them, but they are just a bit too minimal for me.
I had forgotten about the Husars until you just mentioned them, WOW. Blast from the past. I learned to ride in those, way back in the late 1970s and early 80s. They do resemble the Stübben Siegrieds, yes! Very sturdy and truly all-purpose.
The Courbette Husars don’t have the slightest resemblance to the Merkur DL I just received, haha. I can’t wait to see if that one fits my horse. The Merkur is jet-black and very minimal – gorgeously classy.
