Please post your opinions about the fit of my sidesaddle.
I have been having issues with my sidesaddle "slipping" at the front. What happens, after I have ridden for about 10 minutes, is that the front is pushing right up against Molly's wither, meaning I feel like I am quite over to the left and no longer balanced. Unfortunately no local saddler will touch my sidesaddle so I have been reflocking it myself, but there is only so much I can do with limited knowledge and improvised tools.
I also think the problem is 2-fold:
1. Molly has changed shape and possibly dropped in gullet size. I'm not sure how I fix that one!
2. I'm not keeping my right shoulder back, and I am unconsciously "dumping" my weight to the left making the saddle rotate that way slightly. I have found an instructor and just need to book in for some lessons, so hopefully I'll find out if I am doing that or not.
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| From behind |
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| Near side. I use a rugby sock to keep her girth clean :) |
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| Off side |
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| Gullet, showing the nice clearance over her spine |
I have made a pad for under the off side, using a rubber bedroll.
The pad is made of 3 layers of rubber, each a different length so it creates a wedge shape. The wedge is thicker up the top and tapers down. I then glued them together so they don't move and covered them with some fake suede I have (I have it for repairs to the boys teddy bears!)
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| Showing where I place the pad I made |
The pad seems to be working to hold the saddle out to the right and is stopping it from sliding over, but its obviously not the best solution. So all thoughts, opinions & suggestions as to what to do, or try, next will be gratefully received :)
That's a really clever idea making a pad out of a rubber bedroll. I may have to try that with mine too. I'm in the same boat, there isn't anyone near me that can/will add flocking to a sidesaddle. So I've been stuffing bits of fleece in between the panels and the seat which helps a bit but not enough at all. I'm not brave enough to try adding flocking into the panels, I have no idea where to start.
ReplyDeleteI had a similar problem with my saddle, it was rolling slightly to the left after a bit of riding. A saddler told me to add flocking to the offside at the front and to the panel on the near side of the seat. So pretty much what you've done with your bedroll pad.
I will be waiting to hear advice as well. I went for my maiden voyage aside this weekend and nearly slid right off the left, twisting the back of the saddle with me. I know it is mainly my problem hooking my right knee, but I am a newby to sidesaddle fitting and need to learn a great deal before I go to the expense of mailing it of for adjusting.
ReplyDeleteA couple of thoughts, Anita.
ReplyDelete1. You might want to try adding a queen to your upright pommel. Without seeing you seated it's hard to tell, but frequently the right shoulder forward problem stems from crooked hips. Pushing your right knee slightly over to the right brings your femur into a more parallel position to the horse's spine, allowing you to bring your right hip further back, which in turn allows you to sit up straighter on your right seat bone.
2. I think your instincts are correct regarding left rear quarter/right front quarter padding. I have several thin shims made of firm closed cell or wool felt, and when I'm having saddle fit issues I build them up in varying combinations until the fit works; in fact, I just slide them in at the gullet over the panels. I can then measure the thickness of the shims to quantify how much flocking is needed.
3. You might want to try building up the cantle a little bit so that it sits slightly higher in back. I've obviously not seen Molly in motion, but remember that a dressage horse will lower her hindquarters when moving correctly forward, which can result in the saddle riding uphill, which can cause more positional problems. Again, try it with wedges or shims first to see if it works before you alter the flocking.
Thanks for the comments. Robin I will definately try a queen - my gut is telling me my position is compounding the problem, so I'll pad it out a bit to keep my thigh right & see what happens.
ReplyDeleteI'll keep chipping away at it, fit is so much more complicated than a "regular" dressage saddle! Why do we do this again?
To throw a wrench in the works, the padding at the LEFT side of the withers, may have packed down a bit too so it's become a bit too wide. I know this is the case with my Manorgrove as the flocking at the left side is all soft and squishy so there is nothing to help support the saddle so all the pressure is put on the right side of the withers.
ReplyDeleteMy saddle jams against the right side of Hattie's withers and then I feel like I'm falling to the left. I know like Robin said, that I need a queen on the pommel as I find the pommel curved for a wider leg than mine but I also feel that there is nothing supporting the saddle at the left front side either so it's just dropping down.
It is soft on the left too Leila. I was loathe to put too much flocking on that side in case I pulled it even further off to the left. I'll have a play with a pad though, and see what it feels like, before I put anymore flocking in.
ReplyDeleteThanks heaps guys, you have given me a few ideas to play around with now :)