Cob Jockey

Yesterday, after all that, I finally bought a Dressage saddle. I ended up with a 12 year old wool flocked CWD for 1/3 of my budget, from my pseudo-local tack shop. Which is, you could say, right where I started.

Get ready for some French saddle porn

I learned SO much from this experience, but I think my most important takeaway is that saddles should be seen as temporary residents in your tack room (thank you, JenJ).

Your position changes, you get fat, you get skinny, you start working out, you stop working out, you have a baby, your horse loses topline, gains topline, gets fat, gets EPM, and the saddle that works for you today likely isn't the saddle that works for you five years from now.  And I feel like that's especially true for Dressage saddles.

Getting its first deep condition in my workshop. It was clearly well-taken care of, but it still soaked every bit of it up.

Combine that with not really ever having a "wow!" moment with any of the trial saddles, (do not tell me how amazing it will be if we order mine with slightly different features, I need to feel it before I sign my life savings away), with how much new saddles depreciate as soon as you take delivery, with how expensive they are, and with how generally screwed you are if you don't like it/it doesn't fit, and I ultimately decided a custom saddle isn't for me, and truly, it isn't the holy grail of saddle shopping I thought it was. Maybe if custom saddle money was throwaway money for me I'd do it, but it's not.




It's entirely possible that two years from now I'm going to be moving this CWD along after one or both of us changes, but at this price point, I'll almost certainly be able to recoup most of my money, whereas I wouldn't with a custom saddle, which made signing away the money so much less painful!

After conditioning. It has a 13.5" flap measured from the bottom of the stirrup bar, tee hee.

Some of my other takeaways:

1. Searching for used saddles is time-consuming and frustrating, but ultimately less risky than going custom

2. It's impossible to know what a saddle will feel like just by looking at it, which makes used saddle shopping insanely difficult. Heck, just looking at the picture of the CWD I ended up with, it doesn't look like something I'd like. But I love it.

3. I still firmly believe the saddle industry is broken. I have no answers. I admire the people who are trying to do something about it.

4. Brown Dressage tack would have been awesome, but a saddle we both love matters SO much more than aesthetics.

5. Maybe Connor does have a type.

At any rate, I'm now the proud owner of two CWD saddles, so I guess I can keep wearing my jacket!  Now to sell my brown short girth...

I have spent so much of my Connor-owning life trying to find a (used) Dressage saddle that fits my small self and his wide-and-curvy-but-not-broad back (on a budget), I feel like the tagline of this blog could be changed to "Saddlefitting the Welsh Cob".

A history of the Dressage saddles Connor and I have owned:

16.5 W short flap County Competitor

JenJ's old Wintec which met a sad end when a mouse made a nest in it.  I still have this, in my garage, because I was so grateful to her for giving it to me, and I can't bear to throw it out.

Thorowgood T8

Devoucoux Makila

And those are just the ones I've owned.  I've also tried a newer County Competitor, a Prestige 2000D, a Prestige something else, an Ideal Jessica Pony, a Stubben Juventus D, an Albion of some sort, and my barnmate's Adam Ellis.  None of those fit except that Adam Ellis, which fit surprisingly well.

(Of course it did.  The first Adam Ellis I ever rode in was JenJ and Paddy's Adam Ellis, and JenJ and I are twins.  In everything except getting a 10 on a movement in a rated test, DAYUM GIRRRRL!)

Trying the barnmate's Adam Ellis last summer.  #foreshadowing

With that in mind, part of the reason I finally agreed to do a proper saddle fitting was that I had found a 16" MW Adam Ellis on eBay, and when I did a Google search on it, I found that the same saddle was actually also listed for consignment with, you guessed it, my trainer's remote saddle fitter.  I was so tired of trialing saddles though, I wanted some validation from a pro that it might fit before I spent another $100 on two way shipping.

Long story short...

I feel like the texts between me and my personal saddle fitter/best horse friend Mary say it all:

I'm waiting to make a final decision until my lesson on Thursday so I can give it a fair shake (homeboy got his spring shots yesterday, so I didn't ask for much), but I'm 99% sure this is The One.  And it's cheaaaap.  Pinch me, I feel like I'm dreaming.

Now that the trailer is getting all fixed up, that leaves me with one last item to check off my list before I move barns.


I currently co-own this saddle with another girl in my barn.  The backstory is here, but basically, last fall I found a saddle that fit me perfectly, and fit Connor passably with a half pad.  But it turned out it fit my barnmate and her horse Louie PERFECTLY, so we decided it would eventually be hers, but we would share it until I got one of my own.  She's going to buy my half out when I get a new saddle.  It worked out really well - she got to pay two installments over six months and I can count on a modest check to help pay for my new saddle when the time comes.


I took one more stab at trying to self-fit a saddle, and trialed a Stubben Juventus D in a 32cm (wide) tree, from Pelham Saddlery last week.


It was a 'meh' fit without a girth, a little too high in the front...


And it got way worse when girthed - it went straight up in the back.  Slightly exaggerated here by Connor trying to graze while I took the photo, but still - bad bad bad.

Mary talked me off the ledge counseled me like only a former professional saddle fitter can and said that the tree size isn't necessarily the issue with a lot of the saddles I've tried, but the long narrow points on the horse-sized Dressage trees are the issue.  Our CWD jump saddle fits so well, and was a lot easier to get right, because of CWD's short flexible tree points (and the integrated panel, to a lesser extent).

So I called in the infantry.  I am out of time.  I'm doing a remote saddle fitting with a lady out of Florida that comes to this area twice a year to do fittings and flocking adjustments.  Half of my barn has used her before, a mix of remote and in person and she's good at what she does.  She's a brand-agnostic independent saddle fitter with a large inventory of nice used stuff at various price points.  She also doesn't give up until things are totally right on hard to fit horses.

Here are Connor's remote fitting photos:

Wearing the Devoucoux - which really doesn't look bad from the side, but looks terrible from the front.

And naked - cutest.  picture. ever.  Trainer: "He's really good at that, isn't he?" Me: "What, looking cute when I fake give him a treat?" Trainer: "Yes."  Me: Welsh shows for the win.

And here is his tracing, taken by my trainer:


I am supposed to talk to the saddle fitter this afternoon, should be interesting.  Stay tuned!

So.

I had totally given up on the saddle search.  It was too hard to find something that fit a wide native pony breed that should have a flat back and doesn't, and my short legs.  It's so so SO much easier to shop for a used jump saddle as a tiny person than it is a used Dressage saddle.

Then I'm sitting in the chair watching football the other night and my eBay Saved Searches sends me an alert.  One of the alerts was for a 17" wide short flap Devoucoux Makila, and the asking price was really low - about the same as a pair of custom tall boots.

"Oh interesting," I think.  "I wonder where in the country that is."  They weren't offering trials, and I'm never buying another saddle without one given how hard he's been to fit.  Turns out it was 40 minutes from my house, and the seller was willing to do a local trial!

One mad dash run to Indianapolis and then the barn later, and this happened:

Wrinkled seat, but the tree is in good condition.  No worries, I checked.

It's not perfect, but my trainer pronounced it the best she's ever seen on him.  It's a bit too wide, but perfect with my Supracor pad.  If I can't get it adjusted, it'll be a super easy flip for profit after a dye job.  (It's not nearly as glossy black IRL as it is in that photo).  There's actually already a girl in line for it at my barn.

And it's absolutely perfect for me.  My trainer taught me a mini lesson in it, and it wasn't exactly easy to ride in, but that's because the saddle was trying to get me to properly open my hips and I was trying to curl into the fetal position.  Hopefully the saddle wins, in the end.  I can feel myself becoming a monoflap convert already.

I think my ass is French.  Also, review coming on that sunshirt.

Maybe, just maybe, we're done with the saddle fitting circus for a little while?

On Thursday night, we tried on saddles.  So. Many. Saddles.

(Actually just four)

And there are pictures!  Because my mom was in town starting Thursday night for our "All horse weekend"  (more on that later).

Eligible bachelor #4, trainer's Albion.  Connor's like "Why yes, I can stand here instead of doing a lesson, thanks." PC: My momma!

This story actually starts two weeks ago, when I took an Ideal Jessica Pony on trial from Hastilow.  I freaking loved it.  It's the first Dressage saddle I've ever sat in that fit me, and I was in love.  Alas, wrong tree shape for my homie (too flat). It fit so badly I only did one lap in it to judge how I felt in it:


So on Thursday, Liz brought out two Prestiges for me to try.


I was especially sad that this pretty brown thing didn't work.  In fact, neither one of them worked.  They sat fairly well on his back while standing, but once we got moving, they were clearly not a good fit.  Lots of moving around and coming up off his back.

Next we tried my trainer's Albion.  Same as the Prestige - looked okay standing, terrible when moving.

I was just about to go get my CWD when the girl riding her 17hh Trakehner was finishing up her ride, and offered to let me try her saddle.  And what do you know....


It fit absolutely perfectly.  Go figure.

After starting the lesson with saddle fitting, he was pretty 'meh' the rest of the lesson.

If you ever had any doubts that JenJ and I are actually twins (work in the same industry, both have opinionated Malamute mixes, both ride - uh - "Haflingers"), let me put them to rest: the first Dressage saddle to fit Connor is an Adam Ellis.  Which JenJ rides in.


So, to recap, I have figured out that he actually has quite a curvy back for a native pony.  Native pony saddles are too flat for him, and he's got more in common with a giant warmblood than with other Cobs.

Brands that don't work:
- Ideal
- Thorowgood
- Albion
- Prestige

Brands that do work:
- CWD
- Adam Ellis

Very nice Trakhener rider offered to let me show in it that weekend, but I declined given the 100% chance of rain on Saturday, and chose instead to show rated Dressage in the CWD.  It's a horse show, not a tack show!

Even though I'd never touched a Thorowgood saddle in my life before one arrived on my porch on Friday, I was feeling confident that this eBay saddle would fit. I assumed that I'd end up ordering a slightly wider gullet bar than the medium it came with, but that the tree shape would be right, based on everything I've read about Thorowgood/K&M/Fairfax saddles and cobby backs.

Survey says?

Almost perfect, pending the arrival of the medium wide gullet bar.

Fits exactly like I thought it would.  Great contact with his back all the way down, but just a hair too narrow in the gullet.With a slightly wider gullet, it'll be a perfect fit in front, and perfectly balanced front to back.

Liiiiiitle too high.

Fortunately, Thorowgood has a saddle fitting "worksheet" available on their website.  It allows you to use a flexible rule to both figure out what shape of tree your horse needs (high wither vs. normal vs. low), and what side gullet bar they need.  You shape the flexible rule against the horse's back or withers, and lay it against the sheet to determine sizing.

Point billets and movable velcro blocks.

Connor came out to be a Medium Wide, so that is on order and will be here soon.  But before I pulled the trigger on that, I rode one lesson in it to make sure I liked it well enough to keep it (and my trainer approved).

Connor not wanting to play my reindeer games.

And I gotta say, I'm pleased.  It strikes just the right balance of encouraging good position and not forcing me into a good position.  It's a 17" and I almost could use a 16.5, but that just means I've got a tiny little gap between my butt and the cantle, making it less restrictive.

The seat, knees and a panel behind the thigh are leather, while the rest is synthetic.  Also, it's wool flocked.

It also made some of my biggest positional issues a lot easier to fix - especially my tendency to ride with the left hip angle wide open and the right hip angle more closed regardless of direction.  That's not really a comment on this saddle, it's just that doing Dressage in a Dressage saddle is easier than doing Dressage in a jump saddle.  Even a glorious, well-balanced, well-fitted unicorn of a jump saddle.


My one complaint is that the twist seems a little wider than I like, but I didn't get off waddling in pain like I used to with Louie's old saddle (EquiNovice knows what I'm talking about!)  And even with the gullet situation being what it is, Connor went really well in it, especially at the canter.  He's always moved a lot better at the canter in a Dressage saddle.

I told my trainer the cover struck me as odd.  It says, "Real saddles made in England."  As opposed to fake saddles made in England?  That made her laugh, because she's from England, and apparently 'real' in this phrase means something like "proper".

As far as budget saddles go, it's definitely the best quality and fit for Connor I've ever encountered.  I've tried several Wintecs on him, and all of them bridged and/or pinched at the stirrup bars: this saddle does not bridge or pinch at all.  It's not a magical French unicorn made of tradition and engineering like the CWD is, but the Thorowgood cost $550 and the CWD cost me, uh, um, a few dollars more than that, so...yeah.  Definitely exceeding expectations in relation to cost!

My one issue is this:

I think it's time to admit that he really needs an 18" Dressage girth (this is a 20") but I am so not interested in trying to sell this tiny Dressage girth.  Anyone want to buy a 20" Total Saddle Fit girth?

Luckily it only happened a mile from home, so I drove it home in entirely in 2nd gear, coasting through stopsigns.

The estimate from my usual car repair place was multiple thousands of dollars.  I considered myself lucky that it happened the week before the saddle purchase so that the saddle fund could pay for the car repair.  I approached it with a very level head and immediately started looking at used saddles in a very different price range.

Then the husband of the year stepped in, found a place that would do it for less than half of the first place, and offered to pay for the car repair.  I do not even know what to say.  Say what you will about his complete lack of interest in attending horse shows or going to the barn, he really does support my hobby, just not in the usual ways.

So the saddle is still on.  Since I know that's his new gun fund money (he does indoor target shooting), I offered to repay him in a couple of months because I feel guilty for all of the sacrifices he makes financially and otherwise so that I can pursue this hobby, even though he's never directly spent a dime on Connor.  He doesn't expect me to do that, but he shouldn't have to give up an upgrade to his hobby so that I can get mine.

One bonus?  He's working from home this week, so I get to drive his Hyundai Genesis Coupe R-Spec until mine is fixed:

So fast.  I am going to get a speeding ticket in this.

One problem?  This is definitely not a barn car...and has a black interior...I'm practically changing my entire outfit before I get in it.

One more week...one more week...

I got feisty this weekend and listed both of my saddles for sale.  Nevermind the fact that I have an event this weekend and a clinic the next and am now (almost) saddleless?

The Stackhouse sold, like, immediately.  I guess I got the deal of a lifetime on it last summer, because I posted it for $200 more than I paid a year ago and within minutes had people commenting on it being such a good deal.  I like it when my major purchases appreciate over time!  The girl that bought it, through the Facebook group, is so excited to have gotten it, she doesn't mind if I have to wait a week until after Leg Up to ship it.  Very cool.  One down.

My first, and maybe only, Stackhouse.

The County has six watchers on the eBay auction, which ends Saturday.  Cross your fingers for me, both of them need to go.

Freakin love this saddle.  So sad to see it go.

Where does that leave me?  Looking for a 16.5" wide close contact saddle, used, preferably with short flaps, preferably a good brand that will not depreciate quickly like the saddles I currently own, that's flat through the panels for my broad-backed pony.  Unsurprisingly, eBay is not helpful for something that specific.

The only saddle fitter in Indiana is a (well-loved and talented) County rep.  As much as I love my County, I don't like being locked into a specific brand at all.  But do I buy a County (used) in order to have a saddle fitter nearby?  (Also, someone PLEASE get certified as a master saddle fitter and come to this state!)

There's a saddle fitter that flies up from Florida to do intensive saddle fitting sessions with folks here, but she doesn't come until October.

There's a tack store two hours from me in Ohio that has loads of consignment saddles, high-quality brands, and they allow you a three-week trial on each saddle.  Do I hike over there and trial something, even if it's just to get me through that clinic?  Road trip, Austen?

There's the Trumbull Mtn option.  I've heard very good things about their remote saddle fitting service and trials.  Apparently they stick with you through the entire process, responding to as many emails with photos and videos that you can throw at them, and don't give up until you're totally satisfied.  I'm interested, but wish I knew someone who had done that process.  Anyone?

Trumbull Mtn also carries Kent and Masters saddles, a British saddlery that makes a Cob tree, which I am very interested in, but the resale value wouldn't be as high as it is for the saddles I'm selling now.  But if this is a forever saddle, do I care that much if it fits both of us and is of good quality?  I'm hoping to be done with the revolving saddle door now.

Thoughts?  Your own experiences?