georgiagal

I'm selling my much loved dressage saddle and was wondering if I should go ahead and buy another and ship it to Oz when we move or is there a good selection over there? I'm thinking the shipping may be better spent on a buying something over there but I'm not sure what the choices are, other than of course Bates. Personally i'm a bit of a stickler for traditional english made saddles but when in Rome...any comments?

chaval

Hiya,

Cant really answer your question but promptd me to ask you one. Having been on horses both in the UK and in the US I must admit that I prefer the western/cowboy type ones...is there any reason why tradition english saddles are as they are ? I just wondered if there was some historic reason behind it or even a technical reason.

Cheers

georgiagal

Oh lord, where do I start on this one? In short, it is both historic and technical, i'll try not to bore! I guess the diplomatic way to start is by saying it's all about preference. Personally I cannot stand to ride in a western saddle. The main difference between riding in an english saddle as oppposed to western is that you actually have to beable to ride....sorry if this offends anyone. Western saddles are really good for beginners or for riding 'green' horses in as there is a lot more to hold you in place (there is also that nice big horn to impail yourself on should you land awkwardly from a bucking horse!)
The principles of an english saddle (and therefore english position) are that you sit in an independant balanced seat, you have much closer contact with the horse and can feel the movement underneath you and therefore can ask more with your seat bones and weight, i.e. be more precise with your "aids".
The basis of good equitation (and I guess this applies to both english and western) is the ability of the rider to sit in the saddle in the correct classical position and beable to maintain this position with minimum tension. English position dates back to 400BC and carries on through Spanish Riding School and is the position you should be taught from any reputable riding school. The main aim is to place as much of your weight as possible where the horse can carry it best, i.e just behind the withers where the horse's centre of gravity lies.
In short, there is good and bad in both english and western craftsmanship, and the difference between riding in a good dressage saddle as opposed to a cheap one is a bit like the difference between driving a Mini Cooper (the old ones with no breaks or steering) and a nice BMW M3!
Hope I didn't confuse you too much, it's actually a really difficult question to answer without getting into too much depth.
Jayne

Eltoro

Hi,

Unless you are also shipping your horse, How do you know it will fit another horse? bearing in mind not all 16.2hh's etc are same shape!. Just replying from personal experience, I wasted a fortune on saddles for my last horse and still never got one to fit properly! Also isn't customs extra particular on saddlery, will need to be super duper clean !
All the best

georgiagal

Yes I am shipping my horse and am more than aware that all 16.2hh horses are not the same size & shape! I was just trying to get an idea of how good/bad the saddle situation is in Oz, for example, it's pretty crap here in the US compared to UK where you can get hold of dozens of good saddle retailers and fitters. If it's going to be a pain to get a decent saddle in Oz, i'd much rather buy here and ship it over.

chaval

Thanks Jayne found that very interesting.

woodring

If you have a good saddle that fits the horse and yourself stick with it.
Although there are good saddler's in OZ they may not be near to where you are living , although I would imagine if dressage is your sport you will not be too far from the main centres .
If you feel like being adventurous you could always try to do a test on an Aussie stock saddle.
The world famous Bates dressage saddles are made in
OZ so you should have no trouble finding a good one if you choose to buy overthere.
Link here.
http://www.batesaustralia.com.au

BadgeIsBack

I am also familiar with the English seat, having been taught it. The Aussie ones seemed a sort of compromise - not as cowboy as the Yank ones I used once. There's less nagging from your fellow riders about your posture in ride-outs in Aussie.

I don't like cobby horses or ones with wide backs. Apart from that I'll ride most.

Pony

I used to think western saddles and western riding were for lazy slobs, thats until I actually saw someone doing dressage in a western saddle - completely changed my view. I moved from the UK to the US and still ride English here. I've rode Western and English. For the daily 15 mile trail rides I did in Canada over a 3 month vacation I just had to use a Western saddle, I tried it in an English saddle and limped for days! I prefer an English saddle as its how I was taught, I feel we have greater contact.

I didn't import my horse (17H Clydesdale/TB X) but brought my saddle. The saddle did fit my replacement horse (a 17H3 Hanoverian) but I recently replaced it with a Stubben. I just love this new saddle. I wouldd not buy a new saddle unless you fall in love with it and must have it, if you don't find the dream saddle then try again in Aus.

MrsDagboy

Funny, when I was younger a Bates was something you had if you couldnt afford anything better .

Personally I dislike Bates, but thats my preference as I dont find them at all comfortable. I always found that I felt like I was perched on top of the horse instead of sitting down into it & being able to feel the horse. Very very uncomfortable. At work I used to ride in a Keiffer & I still maintain it was the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden in (I worked at 3 riding schools in my younger days, so Ive tried plenty!). We also had a Stubben which was my second choice, I avoided the Bates' like the plague.

I own a Syd Hill Suprema Dressage, Syd Hill is much better known for his stock saddles but when I bought my own saddle many years ago, I couldnt afford a Keiffer so I bought the one I found next most comfortable. Never regretted it & it served me well (I still have it, even though I havent owned a horse for 8 years now), but I'd have sold it in a heartbeat for a Keiffer or a Stubben .