SADDLES.
BEST SEAT in the HOUSE DRESSAGE HORSES AND RIDERS COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, AND AN ‘OFF THE PEG’ SADDLE MAY NOT ALLOW THE COMBINATION TO FULFIL THEIR POTENTIAL. JANE CARLEY LOOKS AT HOW
T
SADDLE MAKERS AIM TO FIND THAT PERFECT FIT.
he production line saddle is becoming a thing of the past, according to James Hitchen of the Ideal Saddle Company. “In the last 25 years, we have moved to batch production of bespoke designs,”
he explains. “The UK leads the way in this, being prominent in saddle fitting due to the wor of the Society of Master Saddlers.” He points out that even small tweaks to the way the saddle fits can have a dramatic impact on performance, so it is perhaps not surprising that out of the 104 saddles Ideal produces each week, a large percentage are bespoke. The basis for Ideal’s approach is its in-house saddle tree manufacturing division, which also supplies other saddle makers. e can easily adjust the tree for an improved fit on a horse with a dipped back or powerful rear end, for example,” says James. Responding to customers’ individual requirements can mean modifying saddles in the range, he explains. he Susannah is our best seller, but if it won’t fit a particular horse, we need use a different tree frame. He comments that dressage saddle design has had to evolve to keep up with progression in the sport, saddles needing to fit the modern warmblood with its shorter, broader and flatter bac . “However, our dressage saddles are designed on a variety of frames, from the Sophia, which offers a narrow seat for the rider and suits a more angular horse, to the livia which has a flared arch for the broader, more powerful mount. It helps that the saddle is designed from the tree up.” The popularity of adjustable saddles has seen Ideal develop its T&T range which has a synthetic tree on a designed frame with an adjustable gullet. “It won’t suit every horse, but is a really good general fit and an e cellent starting point. Unlike other adjustable gullet saddles our gullet plate is not flat, but is ergonomically shaped so that the points come back from the shoulder for an improved fit. LEFT: DRESSAGE HORSES COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES – THE SHORT BACKED, WIDE AND NO WITHERS SHAPE IS COMMON IN COBS, BUT CAN ALSO BE AN ISSUE WITH WARMBLOODS. PDS SADDLES HAS ADDRESSED THIS WITH ITS INTEGRO SADDLE.
BRITISH DRESSAGE // Issue 2 2021 // 7
