From: Debe
Hello Jessica,
Thank you for your answers to my questions concerning my horses hollowness. You are right about the saddle issue. I knew it (sigh)... However, I'm afraid I do not understand why one can not put one's leg in the correct position while bareback. Do you mean assuming one can not hold one's leg in the correct position that the saddle aids in doing so? I do not think that is an issue for me. One of the things I have always practiced is rotation of my trochanter while lengthening my thighs as in Sally Swift's book. This is what led me back to wanting to pursue Dressage... My saddles were not letting me keep my leg back because they were hung forward.
But, my horse did get that month off. It had been weeks since I had ridden at the time that I wrote to you. Since then, a friend I made recently let me borrow one of her saddles. She was kind enough to bring over several for me to try. With her help, we seemed to have found a nice fit for both the horse and me. It is her twelve yr old Passier Hannover PS Baum 3-17.5 (I believe this means seat size). I think I love this saddle. I don't know the tree width but it does seem to fit the horse. I think it has a narrow twist. The seat is rather flat, and though I've seen comments saying these are uncomfortable saddles (due to lack of padding), I feel very good in this style. The flaps are a bit far forward for long legged riding but, it bothers me not for my leg to be off the flap a bit in the back. Does it really matter? Since this saddle is not for sale, I still need one of my own. Do you know of any other brands/styles that could fit the above desciption in a dressage model? Or do I really need a dressage model over an all purpose?
Horsewise we seem to be back on track. We are working on being on the bit consistently and I can feel her back rising up into my seat. I do not go very long yet as I think she is still not strong enough to hold here. Just a few circles in both directions and straight lines. I also switched my bit to one without keys. She is salivating more. I think I had too much bit in her mouth. This is what I've done since your letter. I'm sorry to go on so.
One more digression please, This Is A Great Service, and I really appreciate being able to write. Being very computer stupid I'm not sure if it's better to post questions here or on the E-L list.
with much appreciation, debe
About saddles and leg position: A good, well-designed saddle will allow you to put your leg in a correct position, because it won't get in your way! Some saddles are designed to put your leg into a particular position, and are equipped with extra padding in the form of front and rear thigh blocks -- I know people who enjoy riding in these saddles, although I'll admit that I'm not one of them! Similarly, many people enjoy the very deep seats and soft padding that some saddles provide, while my personal p reference is for a flatter, harder seat. Each to her own taste!
The 17.5 is, as you thought, the seat size of that Passier. You should be able to find a saddle like this one for yourself -- there are a lot of Passiers around, new and used. If you have a choice, and if you intend to do ONLY dressage, it's nice to have a dressage model.
If you plan to do dressage and trails and perhaps go over a few low jumps (up to 3' or so), you would probably be happier with a VSD model -- this is midway between a dressage saddle and an all-purpose saddle, and, when well- made, is basically a dressage saddle with flaps that are slightly wider and cut slightly more forward than on the "straight" dressage model, to allow you to shorten your stirrups enough to ride comfortably over small jumps. Whatever you buy should have flaps that are the right LENGT H for your leg -- so that the bottom of the saddle flap doesn't catch on the top of your boot!
If you aren't sure what you want to do, or if you want to event, an all- purpose saddle will probably suit you best.
Where to get your saddle: Good saddles, if well-maintained, last a long time. You may well be able to find a nice used saddle in the style you prefer, for as little as half or a third of what you would pay for the same model today if you bought it new. Passiers are durable saddle s, and there are many used ones on the market. You should also look at saddles made by Stuebben and Courbette -- the D and VSD models in particular -- as these, too, are good quality saddles that last a long time, and you can often find them (used ones!) for amazingly low prices. I've seen good older saddles in excellent condition sell for $300 and up! There are several commercial services that sell used saddles on consignment, most tack shops have a few used saddles that are either being sold on consignment or were taken as trade-ins, and most boarding barns across the country have at least ONE boarder who has a used saddle for sale. Look around, see what's available in your a rea. When you've determined precisely what saddle(s) you want, complete with tree width and seat size (is the 17.5" right for you?), condition and even colour if that matters to you, make a SADDLE WANTED! flyer and post it everywhere.
Also, consider posting the SADDLE WANTED! information to Equine-L, and on rec.equestrian. I've bought and sold tack through both, and it's always worked out very well.
Now, as for whether to send your questions to Equine-L or to horse-sense, I'd say that depends on what you want! If you ask a question on Equine-L, you can get answers and opinions from any subscriber who wants to contribute. If you send it to horse-sens e, you get an answer from ME. ;-)
... and there's no rule that says you can't send it to horse-sense AND to Equine-L! I do answer questions on E-L, but usually can't take the time to provide the detailed answers I can offer the horse-sense subscribers.
In any case, happy saddle-searching -- let me know if I can help!
- Jessica
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