Saddle fit!
The ever evasive saddle fit! It fits you but your horse hates it or it’s wonderful for the horse and you will never be able to sit that trot. There are so many saddle options available, so much advice out there that your head swims and you are considering just riding bareback. Over my riding career I have ridden in over 20 different brands of English saddle and owned 10 different brands. For the last 12 years I’ve settled on one brand that has worked for a variety of different breeds and different types of rider body styles. The brand is Schleese and while their new models have a hefty price tag, the saddles are completely adjustable so if I change horses the saddle is able to be used on the new horse. I was introduced to the Scheelse saddles by a client when I was having issues with Alliance’s canter transitions. He would give a little buck when he stepped into the canter and I was informed the tree was too long for his back. With the tree being too long it would cause Al’s hip to push the tree into his shoulder as he was engaging to take the first canter stride. I was happy riding in the saddle that was too long for him but I could see this was causing him discomfort and the buck wasn’t helpful with his training. The Scheelse representative fitted a saddle to him and I could tell within the first two strides his shoulder was free and the canter transitions were more comfortable for both of us. I ended up buying a Heike Kemmer model that had both a shoulder relief and wedge relief panel along with a short tree. Al’s comfort increased in this saddle and so did mine because the seat didn’t cause sciatic nerve pain while riding. The Heike Kemmer placed my body in the correct riding position and it was easy to maintain at any gait. I still have this saddle and it has been a great compliment to our lesson program because both the horse and rider are able to enjoy the comfort it provides during their lessons. Our barn has slowly transferred to all our clients enjoying the different models of the Schleese saddles and also taking advantage of have a saddle rep in the area three times a year. Living in Montana doesn’t allow dressage barns to have a variety of saddle fitters at our disposal so we are fortunate to have a fitter at our barn at regular intervals. The barn has currently has around 25 Scheelse saddles with 10 different models including one of their western styles. The horses’ top lines have improved over the years with correct fit and allowing their shoulders to freely articulate with from this fitted saddle and correct training. The Scheelse saddles are not cheap but with the internet we have been able to find good fit for both the horse and rider and their budgets. Also many of my students are enjoying the new technology of the new models. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Schleese brand to a rider because I feel I have benefitted for the brand along with a barn full of students.
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