Anybody out there still ride in a close contact saddle?

[Lilykoi]

I mean really close contact, no padding, suede, nothing. I started riding during the big switch from the Stubben knee rolled comfy saddles to the flatter the better close contacts, like Prix de Sautes and Hermes. I used to see people actually showing in exercise (racing) saddles. Knee rolls were oh so uncool back then. Anyway, its what I've been used to and still ride in one. In fact, I had a Black County made for my TB mare. Now she's retired and the narrower tree does not fit my Appendix. So...had another made. Can't give away the Black Country and its expensive to have the knee rolls added now.
I guess I'll have to put it in my closet and hope I'm not too old to have another little chestnut TB mare in my future. So how about it, any other dinosaurs out there that have an aversion to knee rolls?:D

[LazyTrot]

Yes,me; I have an old "Whitman" (not the cutback saddle seat kind, a cc) no knee rolls, no thigh blocks, nothing! I guess I'm just used to it, because riding in a padded one feels too confining.

[DieBlaueReiterin]

me! my saddle is an ancient (70's) saddle made by a hungarian company tat's out of business. can't think of the name of it right off the top of my head. it has no padding anywhere on it, no knee rolls or anything. most people hate it and say the seat is too hard and there's nothing to hold your leg. i LOVE it! even though it's a wide tree, it has a super narrow twist, which i also like. then again, i also love riding in exercise saddles. :) that black country would have a good home with me ;)

[jaslyn1701]

I just bought a new "old" Crosby PdN over the summer - no knee rolls, no thigh blocks - I love it.

[Mamy]

My saddle is like that. No knee rolls, no padding... I bought it in 1994.. its a crosby hunterdon. I love it!!

[EAY]

I recently passed down my old Crosby PDN to my son. Though I now ride in a cushy French saddle with knee rolls and blocks, I still think it's great to learn to ride in a pancake flat saddle where you can really feel your horse and don't have any supports to rely upon for your position.

[Donkey]

I've got a 25+ y.o. flat as a pancake stubben close contact that I luv. I firmly believe that it makes my seat and leg sooo much tighter than riding with a deeper seat and knee rolls etc.

However it is making saddle shopping extremely difficult as no other close contact feels right when compared to it. (and I am occasionally mocked for it)

[LockeMeadows]

Yep, and I would not sell it for all the tea in China!

[fourmares]

Me too! Hermes that is over 30 years old.

[theoldgreymare]

Not anymore! I sold my old, flat as a pancake Steinkraus about six months ago. My butt no longer fit in a 16.5" so I saved it for my son. He is very long from hip to thigh and needed a more forward flap than my Hermes offered. I hated to part with it but I knew someone out there would appreciate it. These old bones need something cushy now!

[2 tbs]

Oh my do I wish I still could!!! I had the most fab PDN. I thought I'd never get rid of it. I cried the day I passed it on but it had to go - didn't fit my new horse :(

Then I had a nice Equilibrium that fit the same description but it was a few years newer (though I bought it used like the PDN). It was great for a while but as my guy bulked up he told me in not so many words that he hated the saddle. He's a pretty senstive dark bay tb with very broad shoulders and both Crosby's seemed to inhibit his shoulder movement - or at least he felt they did.

I sent that on it's way sadly as well - to a CoTHer though so at least it got a good home ;)

I now have an HDR Pro Close Contact that I ordered stripped down to as little fluff as possible. It has knee rolls but there is nothing else on it - no knee blocks, no thigh blocks, no nothing under there. It was as close as I could get to the Crosby's but within my budget and a saddle that my horse was happy with :)

[CHF]

My saddle is like that. No knee rolls, no padding... I bought it in 1994.. its a crosby hunterdon. I love it!!

Yep, my daughter still rides in my Crosby Hunterdon.... circa 1982~!! Yikes, does that make me sound old or what!! LOL... I tell you what though it has held up really well and she loves it! :yes:

[Quin]

I do; it's a slightly older Collegiate close contact with nary a roll nor a kneepad to its name. My Little Pony also had shoulders that outgrew the saddle so he has his own wide tree now, but I still use that Collegiate when I ride most other horses - unless it's underneath my DD, because she frequently steals it and uses it herself.

[Dun Ciarain]

I did until last year when I flew over an oxer (sans cheval) after a refusal. I then decided that if I was going to ride hot blooded jumpers, it was time to get a more secure saddle. I still have my Hermes Steinkraus, but it is now used strictly in a backup role. I ended up getting an Antares medium deep saddle with just the right amount of knee roll and blocks. I rode in a loaner for about six weeks before I decided it was the way to go. Now, I feel that I have the best of both worlds in one saddle - not too deep, not too much padding, but much more supportive and secure.

[Lilykoi]

So glad to hear from all of you. Dinosaurs unite!!!:lol:

[chawley]

I ride a couple of the greenies in a super flat, old Beval with no rolls, etc. While I like the feel, it kills my back. I've had some issues with herniated disks, etc., so I do much better in my softer, more padded up saddle that I use on my horse.

[Fluffie]

Yep, my daughter still rides in my Crosby Hunterdon.... circa 1982~!! Yikes, does that make me sound old or what!! LOL... I tell you what though it has held up really well and she loves it! :yes:

I bought a Hunterdon in approx. 1993 because my first saddle didn't fit my new horse. When I bought my second horse in 2001, I bought my second Hunt. because the newer version fit him better.

Everyone hates either saddle, but I hate their big ol' puffy ones. :p

[PNWjumper]

This is SO not the place to admit this.....I know I'll get laughed at BUT.....

I pulled out my old Clinton Northrup close contact saddle the other day to see if it would fit my tough-to-fit QH. It did, but (this is the embarrassing part) it. hurt. my. knees.

How weenie is that? Apparantly my knees have gotten used to the cushy life of knee pads, that they can no longer withstand the rock hard flaps of the old non-padded, non-knee-rolled saddles. Which is particularly sad since I LOVED that saddle for the 15+ years I rode in it (and through the GP jumpers, so it's not like I just did a little riding in it!).

I was actually a little embarrassed for my knees after the ride. But not a whole lot I can do about that! :lol:

[tikihorse2]

Oh yeah. I learned to ride way, way back in the seventies and very early eighties. Flat, flat saddles. And when the knee-rolls started to come into fashion, my then-trainer thought they were "gimmicky" and didn't "believe in them", so we continued to ride and jump in our dinner plate saddles.

My current trainer is amazed at my balance. She also HATES my flat, hard Beval Natural (no knee-roll or thigh-block).

I have a confession to make, though. My Beval doesn't fit my new chunky Appendix Quarter horse, and I admit the seat was getting a little hard on my 46-year-old behind. So I broke down and bought a softer new saddle--with knee-rolls (hey, it was the demo model and $200 cheaper! :lol:)

Kim

[lauriep]

I do - 17" BlueRibbon Avanti,bought it off of ebay because it is the EXACT same saddle I had 30 years ago!

[Tiger Horse]

Found my dream saddle today - Hermes Steinkraus, older but for the most part in excellent condition - it's probably 30 years old and will last at least another 30 . . . finding it was a total fluke . . . getting it for $100 - priceless!

[Ride'emCO]

I still have my original Prix des Saute, but it's relegated to backup because it doesn't fit my horse correctly - it'll do, but it rolls. I ride him in a new Beval Gladstone that fits him properly, and look forward to riding friends' TBs in my Beval Del Garda (my favorite, but way too narrow for my boy). Both Bevals have comfier seats and knee pads, and when I go back to the Crump my lower back SUFFERS, so while I don't like a LOT of padding and blocks (a la Devocoux), I don't think I could go back to the bare-bones saddles of yesteryear, I'm too old. :p

Eventually, I'll get a custom Antares with no blocks, just knee pads. That'll suit me just fine. :winkgrin:

[Atypical]

I'm not a dinosaur (only 24) but I'm no fan of the big cushy saddles. I feel very restricted. They're comfy, don't get me wrong, but I feel... locked in. I ride my TB gelding in a very flat Courbette close contact with a minimal knee roll, and the courbette I had before that had no padding at all, but the balance was excellent and I am a big fan.

[jetsetter]

As so many others who have posted on this thread, I as well have a Crosby PDN (no knee rolls, blocks, etc.). Although I do love it very much my trainer REALLY REALLY wants me to get something with actual substance. We will see I just love that saddle soooo much!:D

[Lieb Schon]

Same here. Prix de Nations w/ nada. Quote from first fox hunt ...."Are you really going to hunt in that saddle???!!!??" At the end of the hunt ..." Did you seriously hunt in that saddle???!!!???" Truthfully the biggest cowboy ride of my life on a borrowed horse who had no brakes and no aversion for the leading horse's ass. And I don't mean donkey. However, that saddle was good fortune. It was the subject of a very lively pool. I did quite well that night thanks to that saddle.

I now operate out of a comfy saddle with knee rolls and thigh blocks. This is self preservation at my older age with my younger mare. I have no shame as I earned the respect of an entire hunt once upon a time.

[bumknees]

I gave up my prix de salute a few yrs ago when my knees really hurt while rinding in it and after trying to do a 'dont fall on your buttocks when dismounting' dismount... I was riding with flex irons which helped in the beginning but as time went on and knees got worse...

I still miss my 4 peices of leather put together saddle but my knees love the roll on my new saddle.

[seabreeze]

I ride my TB gelding in a very flat Courbette close contact with a minimal knee roll, and the courbette I had before that had no padding at all, but the balance was excellent and I am a big fan.

About 20 years ago I had a Courbette Stylist DL that was the best balanced saddle EVER! The seat was hard, but the balance was awesome. With my crippled back, there's no way I'd be able to ride in it now, but it was the most perfectly balanced saddle I've ever had.

[asanders]

My first saddle was a Crosby Mark VI (which has no nothin'), then wound up with 2 Hartley Galaxies which have less than nothin'. These were all used saddles purchased in the 80s. I also rode in exercise saddles, and a flatest-saddle-I-ever-saw Whippy among other 'little bits of leather'. After my late 90's horseless period, I was finally in the market for a new (or at least more $$) saddle. I looked in vain for a saddle with no knee roll etc. Out at the barn, my Hartley was refered to as a postage stamp. Back in the day, I can remember being taught that a plain flap saddle was a must, because the pads/rolls meant you had some deficiency in your leg. I'm happy enough with my Bates, but I still ride in the Hartleys.

[copper1]

ME! When my Hermes was killed by a flipped out horse I got an Ainsley close contact saddle with NO padding of any kind and I adore it as does everyone who rides in it! Tried to find another for a client when she wanted to buy mine but no luck. I have done everything in my flat saddles over the years and I don't feel comfortable with rolls and padding, even though I have gained those myself! LOL!

[NancyM]

Me. I have a Courbette Stylist I, that I bought new in the late seventies. Rode GPs with it. It does fit quite a few horses adequately. Pancake flat, very nice. Took a jumping clinic on my project TB with a big scopey jump, an international rider stepped onto my horse to feel the power. Was jumped loose by my horse, blamed my saddle. I laughed, but felt better because I was grabbing mane to stick with this horse over some of his jumps, but then, I haven't been jumping as much or as seriously as I used to. I used to have an old full cutback Crosby Prix de Nations, but sold it because it was too wide for anything I had for several years. I used to use that saddle for lots of things... on the lead pony working at the track instead of a western saddle, used to gallop racehorses before I bought my gallop saddle in the early 80's. Since then, I use that gallop saddle for so many things, again on the lead ponies, breaking all babies because it is so very flat, you can get soooo close to the horse, like riding bareback with stirrups. So easy to follow the motion closely with that saddle. Also have jumped in it, and gone trail riding in it. Beavertail saddle. The ultimate in a flat saddle. These new saddles so popular these days with all the padding, they are comfortable to sit in, but I don't like riding in them. I like to be able to move in a saddle, not held in place by blocks and padding. But perhaps their popularity reflects much of the quality of riding skills taught these days in the show barns, where riders are taught to sit pretty and win ribbons on tranquilized schoolmasters instead of actually learning to ride squirrelly ones and greeies? I am very uncomfortable in any dressage saddle, have ya ever sat in one of those things? Man, feels like one of those chair saddles that the knights in armour were winched into.

[equest]

I used to ride in a Crump PDS which was totally flat save for foam knee pads (a newer model), my former trainer had recommended it for me and I think it was fine for learning to ride, but after a couple of years with it I noticed lower back/knee issues as some have mentioned.

I found a used Childeric, and when I first sat in it I was amazed at how comfortable it is, and my knees and back feel SO much better.

I do think the flat saddles have their purpose in helping the rider develop a balanced seat, but you can't beat the comfort of the newer French close contact models.

[mortebella]

I do - 17" BlueRibbon Avanti,bought it off of ebay because it is the EXACT same saddle I had 30 years ago!

Wait, it is a monoflap????!!!!! Dear lord, if it is I had the same saddle - 30 years ago too! This is too much!! :lol::lol: And I'd kill to have another one too!!! I need an 18" though. I've written Blue Ribbon and Avanti both about them, and never got a word back from either. ooooooo!!!! If it's the monoflap, it's amazing that you found it on ebay - I think they're pretty rare.

[Mac123]

I do!! The Steinkraus is my favorite but right now I'm riding in an old, flat flat flat Jimmys. It totally makes one aware of positional flaws, that's for sure. I like it because the rider's position has to meet the horse instead of the saddle coming out to meet the rider.

My seatbones, on the other hand, are seriously bruised. I think when I have the saddle reflocked I'll have them add some padding on the seat, because whatever minimal seat padding the saddle once had is long gone. It's like riding on a 2x4. Yeowch.

[lauriep]

Wait, it is a monoflap????!!!!! Dear lord, if it is I had the same saddle - 30 years ago too! This is too much!! :lol::lol: And I'd kill to have another one too!!! I need an 18" though. I've written Blue Ribbon and Avanti both about them, and never got a word back from either. ooooooo!!!! If it's the monoflap, it's amazing that you found it on ebay - I think they're pretty rare.

Not sure what you mean by monoflap. I have my ebay search set to alert me whenever any "Blue Ribbon saddles" are listed.

[LetItBe]

Currently riding in my 5th Crump Prix de Saute and for when this one dies I have a brand new one stored away from when they discontinued them about 10 years ago or so.

Let It Be

[veebug22]

Well, not full time anymore, I have two others with knee rolls, BUT I have kept my flat-as-a-pancake Nelson Pessoa and use it mainly on babies and ponies. I wouldn't ever sell it -- it's over 20 years old and is in great shape!

[mortebella]

Not sure what you mean by monoflap. I have my ebay search set to alert me whenever any "Blue Ribbon saddles" are listed.


It had no flaps. It was marketed by Blue Ribbon as a "Skirtless Competition Jump Saddle." It had two girths, an overgirth and an undergirth, like a racing saddle, and mine was suede. It was like riding on a bareback pad :D Damn, that thing was the bomb!

[chawley]

While I know that many of us grew up riding and showing in our flat saddles, it seems most of us admit to preferring a softer saddles as our bodies incur more aches and pains. But, I will say there are many newer saddles out there that offer support, but aren't super restrictive. I ride in a 10+ year old Pessoa in Paris made in England. It has a medium seat and nice comfy knee rolls. However, it does not have any blocks or anything so I feel very free to move in this saddle & feel the horse I'm riding.

[oharabear]

Another Crosby PdN fan here.

And I'm only 24, too. I LOVE that saddle. I have a variety of saddles at my disposal, currently, but I only use the Crosby.

Not ony do I ride in it, I break the green horses in it too. True story. :yes:

I get too worked up about 1.) feeling too confined and 2.) Not being able to feel the horse quite as well....

Ironically, the only times I've ever been thrown from a horse were when i was in western or dressage saddles. Never been tossed out of my PdN.

[Seven-up]

Another dinosaur here. I'm on my second Crosby PDN. I adore it. No knee rolls, no padding, nothing. I can't ride in anything else. I'm very short, and can't seem to put my leg on with a saddle with all that crap in the way.

[GettingBack]

I'm not riding in my PDN right now because my behind is a little too large for it, but I'm saving it for when I lose weight again (it's just slightly too small for me). I love that saddle, was so secure in it. I'd get another one in a heartbeat.

[YankeeTurnedHillbilly]

I have a PDN circa 1985 that is in my guest room closet. The seat is completely worn out, but I cannot part with it.

I saddle shopped for an eternity before buying my County Stabilizer a few years ago. I love my County - but I ADORED my PDN. But facing the reality of getting old meant getting something with just a bit more padding for my tired knees and back.

[Indy]

I ride in an old Beval Devon. No rolls of any kind, flat as a pancake - and I love it. Cost me just under $300 on Ebay. I keep saying one of these days I'll trade it in for a nice cushy saddle with padding but I just can't seem to make the switch. Plus, I feel like I can feel the horse better without all that leather and stuff under me.

[mvp]

There are pictures of the man jumping a huge trellis-y oxer in what looks like a Prix Des Nations. By the way the gray horse (Tough of Class?) has perfect hunter form.

Back in the day, I foxhunted and evented in my PdN... and accused people riding in deeper saddles (mainly heinous "toiler seater" stubbens and all purpose saddles) of cheating.

Now I'm old. I'll take knee pads. No pencil roll and definitely no calf block. I still consider your leg being wedged between two hidden "stakes" underneath the flap to be cheating. I'm very, very glad I learned to ride without all that help. But, I want a flatter, more open seat than the new saddles. I'm only 5'2", so all the saddles being made now with forward flaps will not allow my knee to find the pocked. Also, why are saddlers advertising saddles that allow you to hike up your stirrups for big jumps, just as we are creating 2'6" at rated shows?

But I digress. My favorite, favorite saddle of all time is a unique Crosby AGA Grand Prix. It has that weird, wavy sueded padded flap in front, no matching pad behind your leg, and no pencil knee roll. It's from the early 1990s when leather was beautiful and Crosby was still Crosby. It's quality is spectacular, and I love the geometry for me. I feel like I can stick on anything in that saddle. If I could get another one with a tree and panels that would fit my warmblood, I'd do it in a heatbeat.

Thanks for the memories... and so glad I kept the Grand Prix. The people paying nothing for them on Ebay can bite me.

-mvp

[hunterjumper225]

I'm thirteen and when I first started riding about 4 years ago my mother/trainer had me riding in a Crosby Prix De Nation, because she said that it would help me develop my leg and learn the right position. To this day I never want to part with my saddle (I've only moved up to a bigger size) and I don't really like riding in other saddles. When other people ride in my saddle, they say that they don't like it because they can't ride without a thigh block, or extra padding, and my saddle is just like riding bareback. But I do well in equitation, and I love my saddle so much because of the security I feel with my legs. I also think that when riding in a saddle like that you really feel the horse moving. I know that I am always going to ride in a Prix De Nation and no other saddle compares:)

[Beverley]

I am clinging to my Crosby Prix des Nations, Xmas present 1971, $365 new including stirrups, leathers and a tri-fold girth. Doesn't fit current stock, but you never know what the future brings...

[Fluffie]

There are pictures of the man jumping a huge trellis-y oxer in what looks like a Prix Des Nations. By the way the gray horse (Tough of Class?) has perfect hunter form.

That is Greg Best, but his amazing grey was Gem Twist. Touch of Class was a small, bay mare ridden by Joe Fargis. :)

[Milocalwinnings]

Yes- I have a County pro-fit that I just got for my somewhat hard to fit gelding... neither of my two saddles fit him and I needed something to ride in until the end of the summer. I wish I had more time to look for a saddle at fit him but I needed something quickly and this fits him really well.

It has no knee blocks, no suede knee rolls etc. It's different and I'm certainly not in-love with it... I wish I had a little more support for jumping. If I had the money I'd look around for a better jumping saddle and sell the County if/when I found one- but I don't have the extra money lying around so I just deal with this.

My favorite saddle I've had was a Crosby Hampton Classic. It had suede knee rolls with just a small knee block- but I felt secure in this saddle.
I also have a Toulouse that has a big knee block and lots of support but I didn't like it anywhere near as much as the Crosby.

[gypsymare]

http://www.bcsaddlery.com/sadusus.img/us05073.htm

I sold one identical to this about 4 years ago. If it weren't listed as a size 16 I'd swear this one was mine. On certain horses I absolutely loved it but on most of them it just put me in a horrible chair seat. If I found one like it again with better balance I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

[Seven-up]

I am clinging to my Crosby Prix des Nations, Xmas present 1971, $365 new including stirrups, leathers and a tri-fold girth. Doesn't fit current stock, but you never know what the future brings...

That makes me laugh. I paid $400 for my ancient PDN about 7 years ago. It was in incredibly great shape, but nice to know it was more expensive than if it had been new. :rolleyes::lol: I feel like it was worth it, but still...

[Beaulovee]

i'm no dinosaur-only in my teens, but i have a keiffer thats probably 60 years old, made before their current numbers that has less then nothing by way of padding, but fits my weirdo TB perfectly
its a mix between the aachen and the norbert minus all the nice padding they have now.
i bought it after my cushy circuit (that was like sitting on a couch and SOOO COMFORTABLE) didn't fit my horse anymore, and honestly i LOVE riding without all the padding and space between me and my horse. I can feel his heartbeat after a hard workout through this saddle and i love it... not to mention it makes me actually ride, rather then enjoy the couch of my last saddle..

[caqh]

I have a "last of the good ones" Pessoa (don't know if it's the A/O or Eq) that has a plain flap, no knee rolls, no thigh blocks. I love it! I've ridden in other people's trendier saddles that have blocks, etc, and I hate it, which surprises them. They assume that because I'm predominately a western rider, I'd feel like I was in a western saddle (seriously, lol). Sorry, but I'll take a western close contact equitation or reining saddle over a fancy blocked-to-the-hilt english saddle any day! Plus, having to work all by my lonesome to maintain proper position in a plain flap saddle makes me ride sooooooo much better. I feel like the rolls/block eliminate the effort I need to exert to be effective...and then I end up riding like a duck (with my knees and toes turned out!), lol.

[CacheDawnTaxes]

:eek: waw, I didn't even know those still excisted! :D good on you guys but I do have a question tho. Don't you find the knee rolls do provide quite a bit more support and comfiness to your ride? don't you miss that aspect of the saddle?

[Seven-up]

:eek: waw, I didn't even know those still excisted! :D good on you guys but I do have a question tho. Don't you find the knee rolls do provide quite a bit more support and comfiness to your ride? don't you miss that aspect of the saddle?

I find knee rolls restricting and uncomfortable, actually. They push my knees out and lift my calves away from the horse. And I grew up riding in the flat eq-type saddles (back when eq saddles made you develop a solid position instead of holding you still) so I don't miss anything. And I'm not quite a dinosaur. (early 30's.) :winkgrin:

I think my PDN is the most comfortable thing ever. I even had a saddleseat rider sit in mine, her first time ever in a CC saddle. The very first words out of her mouth were, "this is the most comfortable saddle I've ever been in!"

[Airamennyl]

I also had a Crosby Prix de Nation when I started riding many moons ago. This summer when I started riding again, I had a cushy Delgrange Partition with huge blocks, very comfy and secure, but I couldn't get my butt out of the saddle far enough. I'm waiting for my new County Stabilizer. While not pancake flat, I ordered it without blocks because I really like the freedom and feel of my horse.

[mvp]

Yeah, so since I'm not going to the Olympics (or anywhere expensive), I'm a little out of the loop.

But the point still stands. If Greg Best can jump huge oxers in a PdN, we ammies ought to be able to do the same. Also, I think I remember hearing around the water cooler than Gem Twist could be a handful. So apparently the naughty ones can be ridden in very flat saddles, too.

This thread is convincing me that we ought to at least start riding in saddles that don't give us much help. I don't mind riding in "buckets" (at least until they invite me into that toilet seat because my knee can't reach the pocket), but I'm glad my body learned the really correct-- ankle hip and ear in a vertical line-- that all those years in a PdN offered.

Thanks all you old purists for making me grateful for my roots.

-mvp

[KnKShowmom]

Love my Crosby Sovereign - just enough to hold 2 stirrups on and nothing to get in my way - I have showed hunters, fox hunted, and galloped horses on R&R from the track on it and then gave it to my daughter to use after she outgrew her PDN!

[lyndaelyzoo]

I also rode in a Crosby PDN that I bought used when I was sixteen and rode in it for about twenty years. LOVED the saddle!!! After selling my horse and not riding for about ten years, I decided to start riding again and couldn't find a new saddle anywhere that did not have all of the excessive padding. I just purchased a new Hermes Brasilia saddle from ebay and am going to have my first test ride in it on Wednesday. I just hope that I can feel the horse underneath me!

[Beverley]

:eek: waw, I didn't even know those still excisted! :D good on you guys but I do have a question tho. Don't you find the knee rolls do provide quite a bit more support and comfiness to your ride? don't you miss that aspect of the saddle?

I really, really always preferred the feel of nothingness. Used my PDN for foxhunting, and on those occasions when it was down for repairs and I went with hubby's Stubben Siegfried (which we also still have, purchased used for $90 circa 1978), I really just hated the feel of all that padding and blocks and stuff.

Currently I use a Wychanger Barton that I had to have semi-custom made for the warmblood oh, nearly 7 years ago now. It was about the flattest thing they offered, and it did come with the blocks, but saddle fitter assured me he can remove those blocks whenever I want. As it happens, I do find them useful on steep mountain trails- but when that PDN fits something in the herd again I'm goin' back!

[broodmare]

You guys are killing me. I have a Crosby Featherweight that I bought in 1982 for $750. as a graduation gift to myself. I love that saddle and while it is not quite as flat as a PDN (my previous saddle) it is pretty bare bones. Of course they don't make it anymore and I so need a new one. and nothing out there is really lighting me up.

[5]

The Teminator is a Whippy Prix de Ville I bought on ebay for 450. new and it is flat flat flat. There is always a few used at Rick's Heritage.

So it is haunted, big deal. It rides well and thats what counts.

[imapepper]

I was riding in a PDN with a plain flap for the longest time. I have gone to the most padded saddle I will probably ever own with my Beval Natural....flat seat, no knee rolls but does have a padded flap :D One of the girls that I teach says it's like sitting on a board but I actually think it's pretty cushy :) Much more cushy than my old PDN which I almost wish I had kept.

[Mtn trails]

Same here. I have 2 Crosby PDNs in different seat sizes that I use all the time. They are so comfy and I'm a sucker for close contact saddles anyway. My first one was a Beval Gladstone or was it a Devon? and I am so ticked I sold it to get custom chaps and then when the girl quit riding, wouldn't sell it back to me. :mad: Oh well. Still love the old saddles, they really teach you how to stick.

[KathyR]

I still ride in my '72 Crosby PND. It sat in our basement from '84 till '99. I hadn't ridden in it since '83, until 1999. Still fits all the horses I ride. I do use a bumpy pad for one of the horses. I've tried riding in a more padded saddle, but kept fidgiting to get my legs/knees in the right position. I like being able to FEEL the horse under me.

[Hauwse]

I still ride in my Hermes or my Beval Gladstones. I have tried the new Hermes, Butet etc., but I feel a loss of contact with the horse in the newer saddles, if I could I would probably ride bareback.

[SunnysideJate]

My favorite saddle was my 1986 Crosby Mark VI- It was a 16.5 and I no longer fit the saddle and I had not ridden in a few years. So I traded it in about 3 yrs ago and bought a Kieffer Munchen AT. Two very, very different saddles. I do really love my Kieffer and it comes in handy when Sunny is feeling his oats ( I call it my zero launch saddle) but I know I will eventually buy another CC when it is in the budget.

[InquiringMinos]

Me! I've ridden in nothing but my Collegiate Close Contact saddle, it's got to be at least 15 years old now, and replaced my first Collegiate that I outgrew from when I first started riding six years prior. And I love it, I love being able to "feel" what's underneath me and having to do honest work.

I dread the time I'll have to get another saddle if it doesn't fit my next horse. Do they even make saddles without rolls, blocks, etc., any more?

[evans36]

I got a stubben seigfreid III with my first horse - they don't make this model anymore but it's flat on top and on the sides. I love it! I foxhunted for the first time in that saddle and definitely earned a lot of street cred for spending 3 hours on a jigging TB (no good run that day) bouncing on the flat seat. It's not as comfy now bc it needs to be reflocked (purchased used in '95), but I still think it's better than anything else I've ridden in.

It doesn't fit my current TB, so my trainer gave me her old crosby - it's about 25 yrs old, she evented prelim in it, and it's only got a pencil knee roll and a slight curve to the seat. I use it because it fits my guy and it was free... but I can't get my knee to stay in the right place with even just that pencil!

Here's to being regularly mocked for wanting to feel the horse underneath you!

To those of you with older saddles that don't fit your new mounts, I'm in the market now for something more comfortable with a narrower tree than my stubben. My current TB is big boned but with high withers... if you're interested in unloading one of these saddles to a fellow aficionado, please PM me!

[see u at x]

I've been riding in my Stubben Lohengren for the past several years, and discovered a few months ago that it doesn't really fit either of my horses anymore. So, I started borrowing a friend's older Collegiate (no knee rolls), and am now riding in my other friend's older PDN. I cannot even begin to tell you how much my position has improved. It was a challenge for me to get used to riding without knee rolls and thigh blocks, but now that I have, I REALLY like it. And because my position is better, it's easier for me to get my horses round and moving better than before. The change is amazing, and I'm so much happier with my riding now. Now, if I could just find my own PDN to buy!

[arktos19]

I have started using my old (1978 vintage, maybe?) Prix de Nations Sovereign on my guy as my newer saddle seemed to be a little too narrow on him.

Not too much of a change for me as I have been using an old style Delgrange with no padded flaps and minimal knee rolls only.... Come to think of it, I used to play low-medium goal polo in my old PDN too! :cool:

[huntr_eq_blonde]

My first saddle that I bought when I was about 13 and have used now for the last 5 years is a Crosby PDN with the "pancake" flaps--as one girl in my barn called them. My trainer said that he rode in those kinds of saddles and that it really helps you develop your leg position and strength. While I love the beautifully padded Antares, my next choice of saddle, I find that all saddles with too much padding in the flap and knee and thigh blocks don't really let you develop an independent leg and seat.

[loshad]

I'm another fan of the Crosby PdN. I suspect it is probably about as old as I am and still in great shape. The nice thing is that I can go pick up another for next to nothing when this one finally gives up the ghost. Love it.

[carrie_girl]

I will admit that these days I ride in a saddle with knee rolls and blocks, but back in the nineties I used to event Prelim in my PDN. Even back then people thought I was crazy for riding XC in such a flat saddle. I loved that saddle though and often wish I still had it.

[mortebella]

I still ride in my Hermes or my Beval Gladstones. I have tried the new Hermes, Butet etc., but I feel a loss of contact with the horse in the newer saddles, if I could I would probably ride bareback.

Hear, hear!!! No higher than I jump my horse, I DO ride him bareback. I bought a so-called close-contact saddle, mostly because it was practically new, fit my budget and looked good to show in, and I think it gave me a crap position. I've got a saddle that fits me better now, but when I really want the timing and want to feel my leg on him, I take the darn thing off. :lol::lol: Btw, just don't quit riding and try to come back and have to struggle with such things: it's not fun. And where do y'all pick up PDNs for so cheap? :confused:

[SEPowell]

Since then, I use that gallop saddle for so many things, again on the lead ponies, breaking all babies because it is so very flat, you can get soooo close to the horse, like riding bareback with stirrups. So easy to follow the motion closely with that saddle. Also have jumped in it, and gone trail riding in it. Beavertail saddle. The ultimate in a flat saddle.

What do you think of these exercise saddles with full trees and wider seats? I'm so tempted to try one.
http://www.ejwicks.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=0306

http://www.thesaddlecompany.co.uk/index.php?page=Race_Saddles

This saddle's pretty darn flat. It's made in Canada.
http://www.yorksaddlery.com/saddlery.asp?pageid=10002

[baymare]

Jimmy's 20th Century, Crosby PDN and ancient rock-hard Passier Century that somehow managed to fit every horse I put it on. These were the saddles of my youth, but you know what? I don't miss them, and I KNOW my horses don't either. Saddle design and construction have improved, the cushier saddles with the softer wool flocking tend to be a lot more comfortable for the horse than the old more unyielding foam panels.

So while you WILL find me clinging to my rust breeches and brown Dehner field boots, I am happily placing my aging rust-clad booty in my County XTN, a well-designed "updated" version of the close contact saddle that does not put any padding under my leg and doesn't interfere with feel at all.

[Whimsically Smart]

I used to, I had a Crosby PdN, I sold it and got an HDR, biggest mistake! I hated my HDR (secretly) for a very long time before I got used to the padding (knee rolls). I really wish I hadn't gotten rid of that saddle. I now have a calibre that even though it does have knee rolls and thigh blocks it still feels a lot better than my HDR padding wise. Enough said, the bottom line being I would LOVE to have my first saddle back.

[Lilykoi]

Oh yeah, galloping. Nothing like galloping in a nice flat close saddle!