Charlie with the long sought after cooler

Charlie with the long sought after cooler
Spring NWEC 2013 Novice

Friday, January 22, 2010

First three saddle test ride results

Holding steady in first place, not surprisingly, is the Regal saddle of my trainer's:
http://www.regalsaddles.ca/saddles.htm
http://www.horsetackreview.com/review-display/11243.html
I have found one for sale used.
As I described in the post below, the heavens opened up and angels sang when I rode in this one. Everything about it was perfection. That may have been because Mike broke it in? I found a bad review online and heard about a similar experience for the customer service.

Second place, the Anky Euro XCH saddle:
http://www.doversaddlery.com/anky-euro-xch-dressage-saddle/p/X1-15645/cn/1707/
http://www.horsetackreview.com/review-display/9422.html
This one was a much closer second than I expected. I could not sit quite as well and the saddle didn't hold me effortlessly in exactly the right position so that I could use all my aids by just breathing what I wanted. It was a 17.5" MW, and my knee didn't quite make it to the front roll, so maybe I need a 17"?
A very close second though. I really want to try it in 17".

Third place, the Niedersuss Symphony:
http://dressagestars.com/symphony__6.html
http://www.horsetackreview.com/review-display/4222.html
I loved what this one did with my seat - especially in the walk, I could really feel him respond to my hip bones and forward motion. But I had to keep pushing my knee back really hard to keep it from riding up on the knee roll. It also kept my lower leg really stable and still.

Fourth place, my existing saddle, the Dover's Circuit:
http://www.doversaddlery.com/circuit-dressage-saddle/p/X1-15012/cn/91/
When I got this two years ago, I had to buy two new saddles because neither of my existing saddles fit Willig (but fit the thoroughbred), and sadly, it appears that I ignorantly bought the wrong size. It was a screaming deal (I did some math today and it has been about $1.67/ride!), but now that I have tried the other saddles, it is like riding around on a greased bouncy ball. While it has probably taught me some extra super duper awareness of my legs, it has also made my life that much harder. This may be because it is a wide, and the other saddles have all been regular or medium or medium-wide (whatever the makers call "regular"), and so this saddle has never fit Willig properly.

Fortunately, two more of the delightful wonderful fellow boarders have offered to let me try their dressage saddles, and I am going to go by the tack store and sit in a bunch this weekend to see if any others leap out at me like Mike's did.

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