Tried another jumping saddle yesterday...

[CC]

What a gorgeous weekend!!! The crocus are blooming, the daffodils are coming up (and the early tulips too!) and it was in the low 60s F!

I've had this berney bros. close contact sitting in my tack room for a few months. I never tried riding in it because it was a tad too narrow for Carambi. But the saddle fitter said the tree could be widened a bit and to try it when I was ready. So I put it on yesterday. Carambi has definitely lost some top line (ok, a lot of top line!) so it did not seem as tight.

Love this sadle! Like another berney bros. jumping saddle I had tried, it puts my leg in such a secure position that I don't care that it is a flat, non-supportive saddle.

I cantered in 2-point and my completely out of shape legs stayed rock solid! I jumped 2 tiny jumps out in the field (yes, it has dried enough to jump outside!) and my leg never moved an inch. And Carambi seemed happy in it! I'll try it again in a few days to see if I still like it as much.

And yes, I was jumping my "lame" horse ;D. That is what I did the last time he was flexing positive-just kept riding. Of course, I just popped over a small log and a x-rail from trot-didn't over do it.
Carambi, on the other hand had been running and cavorting in the pasture when I was trying to catch him to ride! That hock didn't seem to bother him that much as he cantered down the hill and rocked back nicely on his hindend to balance!

[Johnnie]

Is this the Dublin Jumper? Just curious because that's the one I'm thinking of looking into.

[CC]

Johnnie,
I tried the Prix which is their close contact saddle (a bit of knee roll and square cantle). It is also a few years old and looks a bit different than the one presently shown on their website. Although I was originally looking for a deeper saddle for foxchasing and trail riding, this saddle is so secure that I don't care.

I have heard great things about the Dublin Jumper though. And for drops (even novice drops look huge to me LOL!) and other assorted xc efforts, it is probably a better choice.

[Johnnie]

Thanks! That's why I was curious. I've read great things about the DJ, but I looked at one in a tent at a 3-day and I hated the way it looked. I guess I should have sat in it though. For the price, you really can't beat them.

At Equus America this ditzy saddle fitter lady at Stubben asked me what discipline I rode. I said "eventing", then she proceeded to get out this saddle for me to try. (I wanted to try the two-tone saddle, which is what I was looking at). Anyway, she brought out this honking huge 18 1/2" saddle, I ride in a 17 1/2, and put it on the dummy which is leaning way forward. The thing was so far forward that I had to lean back to keep from feeling like I was going to fall off. Anyway, she then proceeds to tell me that I'm riding wrong, and my legs should be like this. I finally get fed up and basically say "look woman, this is a crappy saddle with a ridiculousy deep seat, huge honking knee rolls and pads that are in my way, the flap is not forward enough, the seat is way too big, and the freaking dummie has me looking at the ground". She then makes a comment about endurance riders loving the saddle to which I say, "well that's fine, but what do the EVENTERS think about it?". I then just walked off before she could answer. I was so pissed. She treated me like I knew nothing about riding, and also told me that my trainer's custom Stubben saddle wasn't really a Stubben, so we got the owner of Stubben NA's son over who told yes that it was a Stubben, and a European-made custom saddle at that. Anyway, she did not get any business from us that day. We had just wanted to know the size of the tree because she couldn't remember and it wasn't stamped.

Oh well, I wish you better luck in your saddle search!