Still trying to find a saddle for my 5’11" daughter and her draftX and I’m wondering what saddles these days are known as good fits for riders with lots of leg–hopefully ones that consider the balance needed and not just more leather.
Right now I’ve got her in a really old Ainsley Chester, but it’s it pretty poor shape. I need suggestions for saddles to try that weren’t new 30 years ago!
Ovation San Telmo II. Not the fanciest saddle, it is a cheaper knock off of the Pessoa TT which is sadly no longer made. The panels are foam.
I am between 5’10” and 5’11” with a longish femur. I have a Bruno Delgrange. Here is more info on their flap sizing:
I ride in a county HJ solution (innovation tree), and I have a long femur. They made the flap an inch longer for me.
I’m 5’7” and I’ve got a Stackhouse on my (maybe draft cross?) large pony. I love the cutaway flap which makes it feel like I don’t have a ton of saddle between me and the pony.
I love my Kentaur saddle. I bought it through Mike the Saddle Guy out of Camden SC. It is a less expensive, good quality, wool flocked saddle.
I love how my Stubben Roxane fits my long femur.
I’m not that tall but I’m long from hip to knee. I bought my Antares monoflap used from a taller rider and I loooove how it fits my leg.
I am 5’9 all legs and I love my Voltaire Palm Beach
Jeffries JMX. Not made any more but not that old and you can find them on the used market for 1K +/-
My husband is 6ft and all legs (seriously-his torso is the same length as mine and I am 5’6)
Saddles that have worked for him:
Stubben has been the best fit for horse and rider. He had a passier but honestly wasn’t the greatest for his leg, and he was passable in a BC.
I’m ~5’9” but I share an inseam length with my brother who is nearly 6’2” so I am very much all leg. I ride in an Erreplus EM monoflap and love it (first saddle I ever sat in which actually fit me), but they aren’t terribly common on the American side of the Atlantic (and they aren’t cheap either, I got really lucky buying a like-new demo model at a steep discount).
I’m 5’11 and possibly all femur. My jump saddle is a Prestige event saddle with an extra forward and extra long flap. I’ve had the saddle for 15 years and I still love it. If you can find a Prestige dealer, the rider can sit in any Prestige saddle and have the dealer send photos of your daughter in the saddle to Prestige and Prestige will look at the photos and recommend the size seat and type of flap for your daughter. They do an excellent job with sizing and most Prestige trees can be adjusted +/- 2cm as well.
Same (and 6’4" here), one of the best-balanced saddles I’ve used. (I also like old Pessoas and Stübbens, fwiw.)
I also have a long femur and Stackhouse has been my go to. superbly custom, ride great, perfect fit, my favorite! Plus, they are gorgeous.
This really isn’t a question of saddle brand.
All of the higher end brands (and some lower end) come with custom flap configurations for specific riders needs. So you can even buy used and there will be a stamp on the saddle that denotes the type of flap.
There will be at least 2 options listed:
Forwardness of flap
Length of flap
Try some used saddles and find out what fits you best ! Likely a long , forward flap .
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