17.5" M Santa Cruz monoflap
17.5" MW Forestier monoflap
18" M JES Elite by Schleese dressage saddle
18.5" MN cheap synthetic dressage saddle
And a mediocre sidesaddle.
The Santa Cruz remained with the red mare while she was in training and she apparently had a hissy fit about someone touching her ears and reared, fell over and busted the tree. I'm currently in the midst of an insurance claim to repair/replace the saddle but the insurance company is taking their sweet time about it.
The crease at the cantle is where it broken :( |
This left me with the Forestier to jump in. I knew it wasn't a great fit, it is snug in the shoulders and not wide enough in the back and slides back. We compensated by purchasing a breastplate and an Ogilvy pad to try and protect old-lady back. This has gotten us through the first few months but now every time I try and ride in it she is uneven. So it's officially been shelved :( I have no desire to sell this saddle because I got an amazing deal on it and it fits Merlin like a glove.
Purdy Forestier with snazzy Ogilvy |
Cheapy synthetic |
It's brown and beautiful. |
I sold the sidesaddle (for more than I paid for it!) after I bought Dee since it never fit me right and it was WAY too long for Dee.
I love riding sidesaddle, just not in this saddle. |
So right now, my best option is bareback. Which is fine for the occasional ride but I really need to find saddles that fit both me and her.
I've started looking, but she is remarkably hard to fit. She's actually a medium width at her withers but she's almost flat across her back. She also has a very short back and a giant upright shoulder that makes everything more difficult.
I'm also not really ready to compromise the monoflap. I have a major love affair with the monoflap and my new jumping saddle must be one. It'd be awesome if I could get a dressage monoflap too!
I'm completely open to suggestions!
Love that brown Schleese.
ReplyDeletegood luck! saddle fit is, uh, pretty much the worst... hope you find a good solution :)
ReplyDeleteSaddle shopping is the worst. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI was bareback for a few weeks while my custom (HA! not custom at all) saddle was tweaked by a different saddle fitter. Saddle shopping is no fun. Unless maybe you have an unlimited budget! Good luck on your hunt :)
ReplyDelete