Voltaire saddle fit help! So sorry another of those. For a Voltaire Adelaide

Hi all! I currently ride in a custom palm beach (17in seat 2A flaps) for a high withered horse (5” gullet with pro panels) but am dipping my toes into eventing. Looking to get a used Voltaire dressage saddle until I’m ready to go custom.

I am wondering if anyone can tell me if my flap or seat sized would change or fit for the horse ? Seat I’m assuming probably size up 1/2 in. Flaps I don’t have any idea. I am 5’5/6 I have about a 31in inseam with the top and bottom portion of my legs being close to the same. Thank you!

There’s no 1-to-1 comparison, you really just need to sit in a few and see what works. I find I’m a lot pickier about fit in my dressage saddle than I am for jumping. I tried several different jump saddles that I would have been happy buying but it took ages to find a dressage saddle I didn’t hate. YMMV. My saddles are the same seat size but different flap configurations (same brand); the seat in my dressage saddle is maybe a touch small but it’s still comfortable.

The Adelaide flaps run pretty short - their standard/2 is equivalent to a short flap in other brands. I’m just shy of 5’2 and their standard flaps are the correct length for me so you’ll probably want longer. How much longer, and whether you want forward or straighter, is going to depend on how your legs sit relative to the blocks and stirrup bars. The flap can also affect what seat size is most comfortable. You’ll probably want to go .5-1 inch bigger but it’s hard to tell without sitting in them. Luckily for you the Adelaides are super common used so you should be able to find what you need to try pretty easily.

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100% agree!!

I ride in a Voltaire for both jumping (Lexington) and dressage (Adelaide). I LOVE the Lexington. I don’t like the Adelaide because it feels too wide in the twist and tilts my balance forward. I feel like I can’t find my right balance in it. I do not have that feeling in my Lexington and other Voltaire jump saddles I’ve ridden in (Palm Beach and Stuttgart). I’m looking for an alternative to the Adelaide with a narrower twist with more of a U-shaped seat. Not sure if that will apply to you but as others have said, I would recommend trying a bunch of different things to find what you like best!

For sizing reference, I have a 17" 2A flap Lexington and ride in a 18" 3 flap Adelaide. The seat is too big - I wish it was 17.5". The flap length is good.