Saddle Stuff

my new toy! for now.

Rachel recently lent me a Wintec dressage saddle that she picked up on Craigslist for $10 to ride in until she can sell it to someone else for significantly more money. Since I didn't have an appropriately-sized girth until this week, I only just rode in the saddle the other day. (If anyone's saddle shopping, it's a 17" Wintec Pro Dressage and seems to have a medium gullet installed. Good used condition.)

Fit-wise for Dino, it's actually pretty good! The panels are a pretty close match to the curvy shape of his back, and it gives him plenty of wither clearance. I wish it was just a teeeeeny bit wider in the shoulder, but it doesn't pinch too much - just a little snug. After our ride there were good, even sweat marks. 

I honestly loved the fit and feel of the saddle for me as a rider - which surprised me a little bit since I've never been a huge fan of Wintec. Usually when going from riding exclusively in a jumping saddle to a dressage saddle with much longer stirrups, there's a bit of an adjustment period until my leg figures out how to hang properly. With this saddle though, I dropped my stirrups about five holes and my leg fell perfectly into place. Nice. The balance of the saddle was really great, and I didn't feel that I had to fight against the design to find a good position. The sueded fabric of the saddle was also pretty nice - it helped me stick! 

Dino went basically the same in the Wintec dressage saddle as he does in my Pessoa close contact, which was interesting to me as each saddle fits him differently. The Pessoa is, admittedly, stupid-wide on him even though the panel shape and balance is good, and absolutely does not fit without a half pad. 

Which makes me really want a jump saddle that fits my pony better. And, to be honest, I could use something with a bit of a more forward flap. If I put my stirrups up to where they really should be for XC and jumping in general, my knee ends up sitting right on the knee roll. Not helpful. But, padded properly, the Pessoa works for us for the most part, so I'm not in a terrible rush to buy something different.

the too-wide Pessoa with essential half pad

The only other problem is that I don't have a couple grand just sitting around waiting for me to spend it. And when it comes to tack, this girl's got champagne taste on a Bud Lite budget. Until I can figure out how to wrangle up some extra cash, I've been online window-shopping like a crazy person. 

So... who wants to buy some real estate!?