Why No Western Saddles Allowed in Regular Dressage?

[Ponycatraz]

I think starting a thread is a great idea!

I love my dressage and how open it is but I ride in a more flat seat model. There are so many options!

I’d start by posting pics from the side and behind so posters can give you an idea of what saddles may work for your horse. While you can adjust the gullet on a Wintec you can’t easily (if at all) fix a saddle that is too curvy or too flat.

Seat size is more than butt size my husband is tiny but he rides in an 18” forward flap dressage just to accommodate his very long femur. Otherwise his leg is jammed against the thigh blocks.

If you have a store with a good used saddle selection go and try them out! Make notes what is comfy for you. Forward flap vs standard, deep seat vs flat, where the balance point is, etc.

[frugalannie]

@PamnReba, I don’t know where you’re located, but depending on what’s around you, a good thing to do is find a place that sells English saddles, preferably one that also consigns used saddles. They’ll have a saddle dummy that allows you to sit in a saddle and see what it would feel like with a “horse” under you. You can try dressage, all purpose, endurance, whatever they have. You’ll know if it feels good or not after you’ve sat in a few, and the staff can help guide you as to general sizing. Bring a few good pics of your horse to show the shape of his body: one from above, one from the back kind of up high so it’s looking down the spine to the shoulders, and of course one from each side. I suppose one from the front would help too, but I always end up with a closeup of my horse’s nostrils when I try for that one. This in no way substitutes for a good fitting: it’s just meant to help ball park what might work.

If you’re comfy in a saddle and your leg hangs where you want it you may be able to arrange a trial. BTW, in my experience, one thing that drives the size of the saddle from the rider’s perspective is the length of their thigh. It ain’t just bootie!

[Mondo]

@cutter99

Maybe the fact that 6 people responded to correct you should tell you something. I was not nasty or rude to you. I stated facts. If you cannot handle a correction, it is not my issue.

True. And yes, I stand corrected. I learned. It was great. I took exception to the fact that you stated that if you hadn’t said anything, people would get the wrong idea. But had you read past my ill-conceived post you would have known that much clarification had already occurred. I was testy not exactly toward you, but toward the doubling-down that I was so horribly WRONG. It gets old, that’s all. And FWIW, I caught myself doing the very thing that made me mad: knee-jerk responding to a post upthread (different thread) and responding before seeing that there were plenty of responses rendering mine rather moot.

All I would add is that g-you should never opine on things dressage if you have limited experience.

[endlessclimb]

Some people never learn how to graciously say “I was wrong”. Same with the words “I don’t know.” It’s a life skill.

I’m not sure why some take such a personal affront to it, but they do.

Witnessing it here in this thread. Got hackles up when an otherwise very experienced person got a piece of humble pie. Interesting, from a people watching standpoint.

[beowulf]

This has been a really educating read – thank you. I love the bit about competitions between trainers using horse hair! Wow.

[SadieRidingHorses]

FWIW, @cutter99, I found your explanations clearer and more complete (and therefore more authoritative) than those that came before. Thank you!

[Mondo]

@endlessclimb

Some people never learn how to graciously say “I was wrong”. Same with the words “I don’t know.” It’s a life skill.

But that’s the thing that irked me, endless! I DID express that I understood I was/am incorrect. I do not consider it humble pie, because I was happy to be set straight. I learned a lot from all the responses. I did say I was wrong. More than once. Yet here you are backhandedly chastising me for not taking my medicine. It IS snark, and it IS entirely unnecessary if anyone bothers to read the responses upthread. I did NOT get my “hackles” up by cutter99. In fact, I respect their knowledge and willingness to share. I got peeved at yet another correction, when I had twice indicated that I appreciated the education. And I did so with adequate humility (I think). It was the repeated drumming that pissed me off and your post is another example of someone chiming in unnecessarily. Personal attack, no enlightening comment. Good for you.

[PamnReba]

@frugalannie, I’m in Central Texas, a little south of Austin, and actually have friends that ride and show English. I haven’t contacted any of them yet, I’m still in the “thinking about it” stage. This is also a pretty active area for shows (some of my friends actually host them), I probably should find out where and when the next one is and just go hang out and ask questions. Although I’m not sure they’d want to be bothered while trying to focus on their classes and running things, etc. I’m also not sure about used tack shops, but I know they would. Still, getting ideas from a wider audience also helps, thus the questions here. The more I can learn before actually approaching anyone, the better off I am!

But I would not try to enter a dressage class while my horse is wearing a western saddle - I definitely know that now (although it never would have occurred to me to ask to do so in the first place). Pretending to might be fun, just to see the reactions. All decked out in western regalia - “I’m here to do some of that Dress-Age!!”

[beowulf]

@Mondo A “timeless” adage I had someone once tell me about the internet and its users:

“If you want to learn something, don’t ask about it. State something wrong about it.”

[endlessclimb]

You weren’t gracious, not even from the start.

It’s ok to be wrong. It’s ok for more knowledgeable people to correct you (even if over and over again). You, in a position of authority (that you self-owned here on the dressage forum), posted with confidence about something… and you were totally wrong.

When you’re in a position of authority, your “lickings” can be harder on the backside when you booger it up.

See politicians and/or leaders. Or, Moses, if you’re religious.

The right response would be to say “you’re right, I’m sorry, I was wrong, thanks for filling me in!” instead of getting indignant. It was a lesson I learned quickly in my career, but work with several others who, like you, get flustered and avoid the cold hard truth.

Your indignant posts also have no value here. Other than to be an interesting “people watching” study.

[endlessclimb]

@Mondo

LOL. I’m not a western rider, can you tell? Just passing on what I had been told. I appreciate the corrections, but seriously, do we have to have the snark? Maybe educate me rather than telling me I’m “profoundly wrong” as someone else said. If that’s not how any of it works, then do tell.
Frankly, I’m now wondering why we are discussing Western at all in the dressage forum…

Here was the first reply. If that’s gracious, then my name is Suzy and I have bridge for you.

[Djones]

She went on to snipe at me that she did speak with authority. No, she didn’t and it is grinding her gears so much that she’s accused the OP of lying about her medals. Bananas, and I speak with authority about Bananas.

[Mondo]

Well if you find me saying that I appreciate the corrections ungracious, then I submit you are thin-skinned. I asked for edification which I received. What about my subsequent reply? Why do you give a hoot, honestly? Let. It. Go. I don’t know how many mea culpas I can offer. It’s a very small thing. Very small. As for the authority thing, someone accused me of “speaking with authority,” so I responded to that specific comment. I never, ever said or hinted that I thought I knew a bloody thing about Western saddles. Forgive me for my ignorance. Forgive me for becoming tired of “endless” corrections when I had already indicated that I get it. I’m still wondering why you feel the need to take me to task, and not otherwise offer any usable comment on the thread (which, were it not for your personal attacks, I have stopped commenting on).

[endlessclimb]

@Djones

No, she didn’t and it is grinding her gears so much that she’s accused the OP of lying about her medals.

Yep, and this is where I got torqued off. For someone who said “well you should have read the whole thread”, @Mondo sure didn’t or she wouldn’t have gotten the impression that OP got her medals on this horse.

Being wrong sucks, especially when a simply google search could have saved you from the foot-in-mouth moment. Tough nuts, too late, and the only one to blame is … you …

[Mondo]

@Djones

She went on to snipe at me that she did speak with authority. No, she didn’t and it is grinding her gears so much that she’s accused the OP of lying about her medals. Bananas, and I speak with authority about Bananas.

[edit] I didn’t snipe any such thing at you. I said very clearly that any “authority” you read into my tone in my comment came from years of dressage instruction and that I don’t know anything about Western. How did you get that I was agreeing with your authority comment?

[endlessclimb]

Oh it’s not you. It’s a people watching thing. More for my own curiosity. You are not important. You just reflect a good portion of the population in the inability to admit when they were wrong.

We all work or interact with “you”, somewhere in our lives (spouse, colleague, trainer, whatever).

[Mondo]

@endlessclimb

Your indignant posts also have no value here. Other than to be an interesting “people watching” study.

And your smackdowns do have value? Alrighty then.

[Ponycatraz]

Take lessons and try it out in the tack you have now! The only think you might have to switch is bridle as the bit and reins you have may not be great for working on contact.

If you love it… look at getting tack. If you hate it chalk it up to a new experience !

[Mondo]

@endlessclimb

@Mondo sure didn’t or she wouldn’t have gotten the impression that OP got her medals on this horse.

I never had that impression. Who’s not reading for comprehension now? I was wrong about the Western saddle comment. I have gladly admitted that. Shall I shout it from the rooftop so you can hear it? You MUST be right.

[Mondo]

@endlessclimb

You just reflect a good portion of the population in the inability to admit when they were wrong.

HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY I WAS WRONG BEFORE YOU ACCEPT THAT I ADMIT I WAS WRONG? JFC some people REALLY need to be right. Therefore, you are 100% right endlessclimb. It’s all about YOU. Now, where was the discussion that you so artfully derailed. Oh, right. It had devolved into a Western discussion and I lost interest. Because you know, I’m so bloody wrong.