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| My saddle on Luke, the simulator |
There are many factors in this saddle story, but as a really brief overview: I have a Jaguar Dressage Saddle. I bought it used 7 years ago for a different horse and when I was a different size and shape than I am now. It was the only option that fit my horse at the time so was an easy choice. When I bought Kachina I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Jaguar fit her too, at least to the best I can tell. This summer, I began to wonder whether the Jaguar fit me as a rider. I've never bought a saddle with me in mind before, only the horse. I tip forward constantly and really struggle to sit back, that is almost certainly at least partially just me, but may also be to do with the saddle. The saddle may have too small a seat for me. The balance of the saddle may be off. Shimming the saddle may improve the balance for me, but may also make it worse for Kachina. The saddle isn't a bad fit for Kachina, but it may not fit her as well as it did when I first got her. I've never really ridden in another dressage saddle (other than brief trials), so have very little frame of reference.
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| Me, Ellie, and the Jaguar in 2009 |
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| Me, Kachina, and the Jaguar in 2016 |
So bottom line: My saddle may or may not work for me and my horse as is. Maybe my current saddle can be modified by reflocking, shimming, etc. Maybe I need to buy a new saddle. I need someone to help me determine these things.
Now, here's where the problem is. I don't know who to get to help me. I don't have a regular trainer. I don't know anyone I can borrow a dressage saddle from to try it. The only saddle fitters I know of are not truly independent and are also dealers for a specific saddlery (and I am cautious of completely taking someone's word when they have a conflict of interest, even if they have good intentions). Kachina is not super consistent under saddle, and I don't have a super consistent position, so the amount we can tell from short saddle trials is limited (I can tell bad from good, just maybe not good from great). I don't know where to start.
Do you have any advice for me? If you were in my position, where would you start? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I would see if there are any tack shops in Canada that specialize in distance fitting. There are a couple in the US but that isn't helpful for you. Maybe the next time you go to the place where you took a lesson on a school horse you could tell them you are saddle shopping and don't know what you do or don't like and ask if you can sit in some different brands. Once you get an idea of what you like you can figure out what Kachina needs and hopefully you will be able to find your unicorn.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know distance fitting was even a thing! Thanks for the suggestion.
DeleteVisit the Tack Collector next time you are up in Calgary. Sit in as many of the dressage saddles as you can. See what feels good. That will at least give you a good idea what works for you.
ReplyDeleteSaddle shopping is the worst, even with a fitter.
Excellent suggestion, I actually did just that on the weekend (post to come), they were super helpful! Thanks!
DeleteIt's just as important to consider yourself as it is to consider your horse when you're assessing a saddle! Riders often neglect themselves!
ReplyDeletehorsetackreview.com has a collection of reviews for a lot of different saddles; I'd maybe try reading through some of those and see what kind of saddles people like for horses with builds similar to Kachina's. Chronicle of the Horse forums are good for this, too. So is the horse blogging community- if there are blogs you read whose authors seem to have horses built similarly to Kachina, ask them for their opinions.
Once you have some opinions, see if you can take a few saddles on trial from a tack shop. If you're limited on options in Canada, I'm willing to bet some US shops will send you saddles. (I know my store sends saddles to Canada on trial- the shipping is kind of pricey, but the trial itself is free.)
Good luck! Saddle shopping is hard, but well worth the effort!
I will definitely check out that website, thanks! Also good to know that some US stores might ship trials :)
DeleteI am totally in the camp of neglecting myself for saddle fit. I've owned 4 saddles in my life and they were all bought basically just because they fit my horse. I've finally decided I don't want to have to fight my saddle to sit properly.
uh yeah my advice is to forget you ever had this thought, tuck your head between your knees, and kiss your bum goodbye.
ReplyDeleteWhich is to say, if you think your saddle is tipping you forward, it probably is. There's a better saddle out there, and it would probably be easier to walk through a literal fire than try to find it with your available resources.
Good luck!
Haha, thanks, I think?
DeleteYou're probably correct, but you know, once you let the thought out of the box, there's no putting it back, so fire here I come!
You can take back measurements/tracings by yourself and send them to a tack store with a good saddler. I have the same tipping forward problem as you. I actually tired a Jaguar. It tipped me forward and my trainer made me take it off after like 2 minutes. Check out Classic Saddlery. They have some saddles that "rise quicker seat bones to pubic bones." Which they say helps riders who find some saddles tip them forward. They have their own in-house line in addition to the M. toulouses, so you can do tracings and then call and talk to them and they'll help you.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.classicsaddlery.com/saddles/saddlesdressagetoulouse.htm
I will check out Classic Saddlery, thanks!
DeleteThe tracings might be worth a shot, but I've heard a lot of stories where that method didn't work. I'm basically a believer that you just need to actually sit in the saddle on the horse to really know, but maybe I need to be more open to other options.