Saddleseat...

Hello, Im a saddlebred owner/rider and I take them saddleseat. Have any of you other saddleseat riders ever noticed that not many people know about the discipline? I've noticed that people think saddleseat means you're talking about saddles (like jumping saddles ect.) It is a uncommon style of riding but no one seems to be even interested in the discipline at all. How would you recommend we saddleseat riders let others know about us???

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Permalink Reply by Barbara F. on May 25, 2008 at 5:32pm

Hi! I don't ride saddle seat, but would be VERY interested as, I agree, it is completely different than other types of riding. Perhaps if people posted videos and explained what type of classes/levels there are and what is expected, that would be helpful. I look forward to learning all about it!!

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Permalink Reply by SkyHilaryLove on May 25, 2008 at 5:34pm

Thats great! Its fairly common on Saddlebreds, Arabs and Morgans. I like how the saddles have NO knee roll or calf roll you have to hold your self on and really use balance.

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Permalink Reply by Gary Stuart on May 30, 2008 at 3:20pm

I'd be interested in knowing about saddleseat. Why don't you write something about it here?

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Permalink Reply by SkyHilaryLove on May 31, 2008 at 10:05pm

Saddleseat is where you ride using All Balance. You have No knee rolls or calf rolls, no high pommel or high cantle to keep you in place. Its just a flat or "cutback" saddle in witch you must stay balanced and one with your horse. The saddle sits back on the horse more than usual thus to let the horse move its front legs more freely - giving us the high stepping action you may have seen before -. We use different bits as well. We use 2 bits at one time each doing one thing. First we have a Snaffle - usually a smooth or twisted bradoon- for control and to keep the neck up. Then we have the Curb - usually a 5 inch port and a 7 inch chank- used to tip the nose in giving head carriage.

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Permalink Reply by Freda on August 2, 2008 at 11:22pm

Put a short lesson/video together, so people can see it.?! -----Several yrs. ago I worked with a Saddlebred trainer in Wash. (for 2yrs.). He is now at Aldergrove, BC I'm a western rider myself, but he did show me how to ride a 5-gait. You haven't lived till you've done that. I now ride a SBxMorgan geld. A Saddlebred show is second to none.

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Permalink Reply by West Coast Training on August 5, 2008 at 9:35am

Who was your trainer?? I train out of Aldergrove/Langley and have come in contact with an old SB trainer named George.....not the same man is it??
Anyway, we do alot of Arab work, Western working disciplines (reining, cowhorse) but I like he Saddle seat stuff in the SB and SB/Arab crosses. Someone should put together a short vid on what it's all about.

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Permalink Reply by SkyHilaryLove on August 5, 2008 at 11:27am

My Trainer is Gloria Nighswander. We also have Arabs, they do saddleseat as well.

I have my two saddlebreds, one dose all saddleseat, and the other is VERY versitile, shes been trying out western, she dose saddleseat the list goes on.

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Permalink Reply by RhondaL on October 7, 2008 at 10:23am

Saddleseat lesson barns are rare where I am in Connecticut as well. However, a lot of the local Morgan barns exhibit in saddleseat, yet no lessons are offered. They seem to pretty much stay within their own communities. Maybe some kind of outreach program where you just ride your horses where the public can see them?