While most of the eventing community of our area was off at the Championships horse trial (where I should have been photographer-ing, but whatever. The world is filled with assholes) I met up with a friend, and we had a pony half day. Of course, it started to go off the rails before it even began; she was running late, and it was hot AF.
So we started our weekend at a local tack shop, St. Croix Saddlery. I pawed all sorts of gorgeous clothes, and did not make direct eye contact with the saddle pads. I have been feeling, lately, like I want more block in a dressage saddle but have also never not gotten into a fight with dressage saddle blocks... so I started pulling saddles off the wall (mostly under 1,000$, I didn't want to sit in something too expensive and LOVE it). So I sat in a Bates, a Passier, a Thronhill Vienna and I think... and Ideal. And then I pulled another saddle off the wall simply because it had big blocks (though jesus, they're ugly) and looked super flat through the panel.
And I love it, guys. I don't know if I was just sitting in awful things before (wide twists, made for people with less leg than me) but its like the heavens sang. I felt like I was secure... but like I had a lot of mobility. The blocks were not pushing my legs back, for the first time ever in a saddle with blocks larger than your standard hunter saddle. The problem? It's on sale. And it's not in the greatest condition ever. And it's an 18.5. But I can't get it off of my mind, so I'm probably going to pick it up for a trial and see if I can crank (its a rotate-to-fit) it in enough to make it work for the B. And see if it sits past her last rib.
I'm about 98% sure that what I am looking at is a Classic Saddlery Classic Select. It's a "forward balanced saddle" which means... nothing to me. It also talks about pelvic floor, which means nothing to me but someone on Chrono of the Horse is saying that it works well for people who find twists on most dressage saddles too wide (raises hand Herminone-Granger style).
But looking at it, I could get a basically custom saddle for quite a decent price:
Base Price (bridle leather with calf seat & flaps) - 1095.00
Add Adjustable Tree - 500.00
Add Adjustable stirrup bars - 100.00
Premium leather - 100.00
They don't price out some of the other extras - a point billet, short flexible points, flap length, etc... so maybe they're free? Plus you get free reflocking (I pay shipping) for the first year of ownership.
So I could get an adjustable, base saddle for 1596.00. Or an adjustable, fancy leather saddle (Apparently one can choose from European, Swiss, French, Buffalo or doubled leather) for 1695.00...
I've got an email out to Lynnda at Classic Saddlery to see if she has anything good, too. The saddle I sat in wasn't in the most amazing condition, but I didn't look at it that hard. It could still be a good value.
Stay tuned for saddle adventures!
So we started our weekend at a local tack shop, St. Croix Saddlery. I pawed all sorts of gorgeous clothes, and did not make direct eye contact with the saddle pads. I have been feeling, lately, like I want more block in a dressage saddle but have also never not gotten into a fight with dressage saddle blocks... so I started pulling saddles off the wall (mostly under 1,000$, I didn't want to sit in something too expensive and LOVE it). So I sat in a Bates, a Passier, a Thronhill Vienna and I think... and Ideal. And then I pulled another saddle off the wall simply because it had big blocks (though jesus, they're ugly) and looked super flat through the panel.
And I love it, guys. I don't know if I was just sitting in awful things before (wide twists, made for people with less leg than me) but its like the heavens sang. I felt like I was secure... but like I had a lot of mobility. The blocks were not pushing my legs back, for the first time ever in a saddle with blocks larger than your standard hunter saddle. The problem? It's on sale. And it's not in the greatest condition ever. And it's an 18.5. But I can't get it off of my mind, so I'm probably going to pick it up for a trial and see if I can crank (its a rotate-to-fit) it in enough to make it work for the B. And see if it sits past her last rib.
I'm about 98% sure that what I am looking at is a Classic Saddlery Classic Select. It's a "forward balanced saddle" which means... nothing to me. It also talks about pelvic floor, which means nothing to me but someone on Chrono of the Horse is saying that it works well for people who find twists on most dressage saddles too wide (raises hand Herminone-Granger style).
But looking at it, I could get a basically custom saddle for quite a decent price:
Base Price (bridle leather with calf seat & flaps) - 1095.00
Add Adjustable Tree - 500.00
Add Adjustable stirrup bars - 100.00
Premium leather - 100.00
They don't price out some of the other extras - a point billet, short flexible points, flap length, etc... so maybe they're free? Plus you get free reflocking (I pay shipping) for the first year of ownership.
So I could get an adjustable, base saddle for 1596.00. Or an adjustable, fancy leather saddle (Apparently one can choose from European, Swiss, French, Buffalo or doubled leather) for 1695.00...
I've got an email out to Lynnda at Classic Saddlery to see if she has anything good, too. The saddle I sat in wasn't in the most amazing condition, but I didn't look at it that hard. It could still be a good value.
Stay tuned for saddle adventures!
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