How do dressage saddle styles/fits affect equitation?

[Beau Peep]

Would anyone mind giving a brief crash course on this?

What exactly is a twist? i.e., "narrow twist"

Can you have a seat that is too deep in dressage?

What are the effects of larger vs. smaller (or firmer vs. softer) knee rolls/padding?

I've also read that the saddle should still have a slightly forward flap as to not push the thighs outward, and that women need a slightly wider pommel for more support/comfort. Is there truth to this? (from http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/english/dressage/saddlefit_081904/ )

[slc2]

glad i got that off my chest.

[camohn]

Twist is how wide the saddle is on top. Tree width is how the "spread" fits the horse's back on the bottom, twist is how it fits your pelvis on the top.

Some folks love a deep seat, others do not. Generally I prefer a more open seat where I can move if I want to. A really deep seat definitely sucks you in. In theory I don't need a deep seat to keep me in for my lower level riding...I don't have that huge extended trot I am trying at sit on my mare at present. I DO have a very reactive young horse with a big spook in her though. She used to be prone to lots of explosive moments. Fortunately they are getting much fewer.....but this week was not a good week for her so my butt was still stuck in the saddle after The Big Spooks in my new Passier GG. I also have an old Passier with a much flatter seat (that I ride my better behaved green TB in...). The seat can be too deep when the idiot mare above blows up completely and you need to bail and it is really hard to get OUT of that deep saddle. Not a dressage ideal but an occasional sad reality for me with this silly horse!!
The pommel/twist issue: what is comfortable depends entirely on your build....individual results may vary!!

[Trakehner]

Saddles are about the most personal fit piece of equipment we deal with (well, besides breeches).

I hate "bucket" saddles...those way too deep and steep saddles you see everywhere....you must fit these saddles and ride where they put you. If they fit, good for you, but I had too many students grinding their crotch or rubbing their butts on these things. They look like something the Spanish Riding Academy rides. I much prefer a flatter dressage saddle.

Some saddle lines fit women a lot better than they fit guys...Crosby's are classic guy cripplers. Passiers and Stubbens fit both men and women. Pariani's are a crap shoot for fit, Herme's may fit riders well, but are terrible at fitting normal horses...you could always tell a Hermes from across the ring, they had the pommel pad/banjo pad and a few other fuzzies sticking out (with the parent carrying a Hermes saddle bag over their arm.)

Bring your horse to the local tack store and see how the saddle fits him and you...try on a bunch of saddles to see what fits.

[Gloria]

Twist is basically where your crotch sit. You want it wide enough to support you yet not too wide to push your legs away. Riders' conformation dictate which kind of twist they prefer. For me I like narrow twist.

Riders and horse conformation dictate whether they need a big knee roll. If your horse has a good roll of flesh right behind his elbow and your thigh is moderately fleshy, you probably don't need a big knee roll. If you have a narrow horse, knee roll will probably help you.

[nadasy]

Since 1986, I've had Lauriche saddles for all my horses, dressage and cross-country. I've had them reflocked and adjusted for some later horses after the initial fittings, and they have been fantastic. Eventually I did get a horse that had a totally different body, and elected to get a WOW saddle. (www.wowsaddles.com).

I like the flatter style seats, especially when on young horses, or in case of the x-c saddle, fox hunting for hours. I do not want to feel 'contained' or 'locked in' with some of the deeper seated models. I want to be able to feel the horse under me, without lots of pads/padding/shims/etc. I'm not such a huge fan of major knee rolls, but want a thigh block for x-c. :lol:

Max Gawyler has always been a supporter of Andy Foster saddles, because they could be made for the horse/and the rider. I agree about specific needs of women with regard to the twist. It was very interesting to sit in the Wow demo with the correct size seat, twist, flaps. There were some that did not work, and it made a huge difference in my ability to connect easier through my seat with my horse.

I rode in different flaps, vsd and more ap, I rode in different twists, different size seats, before settling on the final size(s) and style(s) that made up the saddle I ordered. To be able to address, through proper fitting, my asymmetry and my horses, was a most eye opening moment. My coach was there, and quite skeptical at first until she saw the 'aha' moment when my horse was through and free and bounding along because he could without interference.

I'm a tall thin long legged rider with a short upper body and straight hips, and yet if I told you the size of my saddles and the individual components, you'd thing it would be something totally different. Each and every person is built differently with specific issues, asymmetry, hip and pelvic size, the way the leg hangs, the way the joints articulate, whether or not you've had knee or hip surgery, broken bones, etc. I have had remarkably strong bones, but have had tendon/ligament issues with my knees which over the years have altered my gait. I struggle with this, so I pay close attention to my posture and my balance and have exercises, yoga, tai chi to help me.

Just MHO, but if I'm not balanced, flexible, and soft, how can I expect my horses to move correctly?
Dinah