Balance Saddles

[olivia]

I'm obviously suffering serious withdrawel having not had to buy any equestrian kit for nearly two years!!!! I've started my old habit of virtual shopping again!!!

Anyways. One of my new year resolutions is going to be to go ride Tilly more often (Hi Mair - hope you don't mind ) but I'm now too heavy to ride in the SBS. Although if I was going once in a blue moon for a short poddle I didn't mind, I think if I'm going every couple of months I think I should at least think about finding another saddle.

Anyway I have been looking at these:

www.balanceinternational.com/saddles_saddles.html#matrix

I think they look great, but there is no price on the website which is ALWAYS a bad sign.

Anyone got any experiences good or bad?

The alternative would be a cheap'n'cheerful synthetic cob saddle for just me to use and Mair and Rick carrying on with the SBS

[harveydales]

I can't advise re Balance saddles as I don't know enough about them. I've heard both positive and negative experiences but can't really comment. I wouldn't rush into spending a lot on a new saddle though. Are you really sure the SBS wouldn't be OK to start you off and see how you and Tilly get on with it? I imagine Rick is riding her regularly and she will be well muscled and strong so surely that would be the first route to go down? You would instinctively know if Tilly wasn't happy with it. The cheap and cheerful cob saddles aren't that bad either - maybe you could borrow one to try first and see how you feel? Sorry, I'm not being very helpful, am I?

[spirit]

There's a Balance saddle on ebay at the moment just listed at £450 start. Item number: 320187638478 (sorry don't know how to add link on here!)

Not sure what model or width it is, you'd need to ask. I once tried Balance saddles for my wide icelandic and he needed a 7x width. Had a Balance Soft Option which is half treed (front only) and quite liked it but found it difficult to get used to as it was quite a wide seat. Maybe worth considering but think you'd need to consult one of their fitters re size (more expense!).

[Debbie]

I've not seen this one in the flesh, but the semi treed concept, to me seems like you'd have a better chance of being dumped. It could just be a daft opinion I've formed without seeing it truly in action, but it seems like the slightest shift wrong on your part could set the whole saddle to roll.

[nars]

I tried one on an Arab many years ago and hated the width of it. She was not as wide as Till and yet she needed an 8x wide. I needed to have legs at least a foot or two longer to ride in it!! I have ridden in them since as Lisa Bruin has some, but they are exceptionlly wide, even though they have less bulky pads than they had many years ago.

The new price is around £1500 I think and if I was paying that, I'd go for a WoW.