Strada saddles

[Heather]

Yes, I felt the same in the Strada, Emma, I am not sure I would have remained in the plate a few times, on both Rei and Sudi, had I not had the big rolls on my saddles, to be able to butt the thigh up against, in either a massive spin/spook, or airs above the ground!!

But I love the tree and the panel, just wish they would design one more forgiving for the rider!

Heather

[double trouble]

Hi,

I tried a strada before I tried the vogue, Ilga (the company owner) was lovely, very helpful, but my horse just HATED it, he is very wide being Friesian cross cob and as he has sooooo much shoulder that as the panels are so thin, the sweat flaps etc just dug into his flesh behind his shoulders and its the only saddle I've tried that he bucked in on every occasion.......and this horse just doesn't buck, he's a gent to the extreme but he has a wide spine also and Strada just didn't suit at all, same for my arab cross, again very chunky.
I also had concerns re panel in cold weather too,they are very hard and board like at first until warm, not all neddies will accept that
Love the vogue though

[Lucia]

I tried a Strada on Thea (only on the lunge so can't comment from a rider view point) and it fitted really nicely, didn't bounce or move and she seemed happy in it. Would have got one but couldn't afford a brand new one for a young horse (they are SO expensive for a saddle that can't be easily adjusted!).
Got my Vogue now though. 

[sixfootblonde]

I had one of these too.  Whilst the panels were great in the warm (!!) summer, in the winter they went really stiff and therefore the shock absorption was almost zero.  My horse was not happy in it in the winter at all.  We put hot water bottles underneath, but if he did not warm up quick enough they went hard again.  Also, did not find it great for me to ride in.  But I would imagine they are designed for a better rider than me.

Now Heather's saddles, on the other hand.... 

[whisper's mum]

I'm really liking the Frank Baines (apart from the seat being a bit large) I'm hopeless! 

[double trouble]

In fairness, Frank Baines are a very good make of saddle,if you'd rather have a tree. I have the enduro in black buffalo leather which is lovely but my horse outgrew it in less than six months even though it was custom made for him and due to my arthritis a treed saddle really hurts me anyway.
Out of the treed saddles I tried though I felt his to be the best. As long as you have the fit checked, I'm still sceptical about long distance templates etc.....
I still prefer the vogues and so do my boys and price wise they are cheaper (and no I'm not on commission   honest!!!!!!) just sharing views cos I spent and lost.....a fortune on saddles over the 18months before I got my vogues and even now I see lots of people needing physios out at the yard due to horses changing shape and saddles pinching. I get the boys backs checked every six to eight months and have never had an issue in the saddle area at all, except once when the treed one was pinching............ (never put another back on him after that)
Mind you not everyones neddies are built like barn doors!

[whisper's mum]

Thanks for all the input folks. 

[portia]

both lauraD and jenny have strada`s and love them you could always pm them too

[laura D]

Yes I  my Strada - so does Ginge. The only downside I would say is the foam being hard in the cold but the tree is flexible enough it isnt going to dig into the back when the foam is still hard.

I feel very safe in mine and have jumped around 1.15m tracks in it. Mine is the Multi saddle and not the dressage.

[whisper's mum]

I love the look of the Strada, I'm 98% sure I'll get one - just not this month. Thanks for all the recommendations. 

[Heather]

I dont think you will like the feel of the Strada though, Helen, when used to having more support/stirrup bars further back. I love the tree, but Lexi didnt like the hard panels when Laura first rode him to jump in the Strada a couple of weeks ago- humped his back when she got on due to the hard panels, got better as he warmed up, but the foam was still rock hard at the back when she got off. This is why I have never used memory foam in the panels of any of my designs, the seat, always, as the rider's bum warms it up!

But the Strada is a saddle I find that you have to really work at maintaining your position- it is my main gripe with it, as most riders who only ride an hour a day or less, find it puts them into a slightly chair seated position. I have pleaded with Ilge to put velcroed on knee rolls on the dressage saddle as this would solve the problem, but she is adamant that it is perfect as it is!

For me, having adjustable knee roll position is paramount, as the size of the rider's thighs determines whether they are in contact or not- big thighs will be, but very slim thighs may well be three inches or more too far back to be in contact, and this then really encourages a chair seat if the rider is still trying to make contact with the roll.

Heather
Heather

[whisper's mum]

You may well be right, Heather, I love the idea but may struggle to ride in one. I've got a Frank Baines Capriole for the moment and that will take some getting used to. I've been studying photos of my position and it is interesting ... a couple of years ago I was riding with my legs too far back in your saddles because of years of keeping my legs back to compensate for forward stirrup bars, I then over compensated and all my recent pictures have been legs too far forward, even in the Vogue or the St.Merryn. I'll now have to go back to the "legs back" feeling in the Capriole. 

[EmmaB]

I've had the same thing Heather, Zimbral humps his back (& then unfortunately has a bucking fit) when I first get on when its cold & the panels are hard, even after I've lunged him first to try and warm the saddle up.  He never feels completely "through" either.  But he does go well in it when the panels are warm, it depends how sensitive your horse is.
Helen is there a way you can trial a strada just to see how it suits you?  Are you anywhere near Southampton as you could try mine if its the right size as my new saddle's hopefully going to arrive soon,
Em xx

[Heather]

Interesting, Em. If in a warm climate, I think the panels are great, but in weather such as this, even on a horse's back that has been worked hard, the backs of the panels do not seem to soften. I think that the Strada would be better with moulded panels of the same material as we use, as they could still be close contact without the temperature problems.

Heather

[EmmaB]

Thats a good idea...maybe you could suggest it to David