Jumping Saddles for Short Legs

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DukeyFjord

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Jul 29, 2016
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Any suggestions for a good jumping saddle for short legs?

I am just over 5'0" and most Jumping saddles I've ridden in have the blocks too far forward and the flaps too long.

I've ridden mostly in old Stübben's and Berneys when leasing horses. Now that it's time for my mare to have her own jump saddle, which would you recommend (of course I will find one that fits her, but I need one that fits me too!)

Thanks all!
 
Albion K2? I'm only 5ft3 but have really long legs and the Albion didn't fit me very well so may suit someone with shorter legs.
 
The saddle seat size should reflect you leg (thigh) length so the correct saddle should have the blocks in the right place. A horse that can have up to a 17" saddle should be fine with a shorter saddle, its the other way round you can't do it. If you find 17" saddles are to long in the thigh and flap then going down an inch or two should solve your problem.
 
I am only 5ft 2 I have a butet saddle...tmp_19046-_20170305_2012281334985812.JPG
 

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Lissie said:
Albion K2? I'm only 5ft3 but have really long legs and the Albion didn't fit me very well so may suit someone with shorter legs.
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Thanks! I'll look around for one! Do you think they'd be a big difference between the older and newer ones?
 
Jessey said:
The saddle seat size should reflect you leg (thigh) length so the correct saddle should have the blocks in the right place. A horse that can have up to a 17" saddle should be fine with a shorter saddle, its the other way round you can't do it. If you find 17" saddles are to long in the thigh and flap then going down an inch or two should solve your problem.
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I think I get what you're saying. Would it help if I chose a more/less forward cut saddle or does that not relate to the issue at all? I've been riding in 17 and 17.5. Will look for a 16.5 to try. Thanks!
 
DukeyFjord said:
Thanks! I'll look around for one! Do you think they'd be a big difference between the older and newer ones?
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I don't think so no. I had the K2 Legend second hand I paid around £650 for it. Had massive thigh and knee blocks. Strangely it felt fine to school in but I never felt that secure jumping in it. If you search online a lot of people love them for how secure they but I always felt perched in mine. Didn't fit the pony that well though and I sold it and got something with a flatter tree.

Right about the length too, I can't fit in a 16/16.5 even though I'm very petite my legs are really long. When I had the saddler out he said straight away I wouldn't get in anything smaller as I'm so long from hip to knee, it's something every saddler has commented on. I now have a 17.5 seat but is 17 for the horse.
 
DukeyFjord said:
I think I get what you're saying. Would it help if I chose a more/less forward cut saddle or does that not relate to the issue at all? I've been riding in 17 and 17.5. Will look for a 16.5 to try. Thanks!
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The cut makes little difference as it should all be relatively proportional to the seat, but never say never :)
 
Lissie said:
I don't think so no. I had the K2 Legend second hand I paid around £650 for it. Had massive thigh and knee blocks. Strangely it felt fine to school in but I never felt that secure jumping in it. If you search online a lot of people love them for how secure they but I always felt perched in mine. Didn't fit the pony that well though and I sold it and got something with a flatter tree.

Right about the length too, I can't fit in a 16/16.5 even though I'm very petite my legs are really long. When I had the saddler out he said straight away I wouldn't get in anything smaller as I'm so long from hip to knee, it's something every saddler has commented on. I now have a 17.5 seat but is 17 for the horse.
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That's a very good price! I'd have to have a saddle fitter out to see if it will fit my mare but she has a fairly flat back. I have really short legs in terms of proportions ha ha. My previous saddle fitter told me that anything smaller than a 17.5 wouldn't fit her.... I seriously doubt that though...I will look around though I think it may be difficult to find a 16/16.5 second hand one
 
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Jessey said:
The cut makes little difference as it should all be relatively proportional to the seat, but never say never :)
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Thanks! I often wonder if the issue could be because I tend to ride very very short... I'll try to post a photo, if I figure out how too :oops:
 
Different saddles... trying to figure out how to find one that fits me without having to have it custom made... or does it already fit me and I'm just being fussy?

The photo on the right is a bigger saddle but I feel more secure in it when jumping. I'm wondering if it's just the design of the saddle, the size, or something else completely
 
DukeyFjord said:
Different saddles... trying to figure out how to find one that fits me without having to have it custom made... or does it already fit me and I'm just being fussy?

The photo on the right is a bigger saddle but I feel more secure in it when jumping. I'm wondering if it's just the design of the saddle, the size, or something else completely
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I think a lot of it is to do with the design, my other horse has a stubben and I love it, never felt so secure in a saddle. Unfortunately it won't fit my connie. Can you get a fitter out with a few different makes and models to try?
 
I'm no jumper but I would expect your knee to sit reasonably into the knee roll, both of those pics look like you have a good couple of inches from your knee to the roll which I would have thought when jumping could cause you to shoot forward on touchdown if things aren't quite right (though I learnt back in the days before knee rolls were even a thing). This image (google) shows how the thigh length effects the contact from the seat to the knee blocks, so a shorter seat would bring you closer to the knee roll.
 

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Thanks everyone! I have settled for a K&M GP. Not my first choice by a mile, but it's a good compromise for horse and rider fit. The GP seems to fit me better for jumping for some reason... let's me have the adjustable blocks closer to me. One happy horse and one happy rider!
 
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