Brand: County
Cost for Fitting: Solo trip fee + fitting + some other fee = $185 (which includes a trial saddle or two shipped to you at no extra cost, cost of fitting is applied to purchase price of saddle if you go through them)
Number of Saddles Tried at the Fitting: 4
Number of Saddles Trialed: 2
County is one of those brands that I didn't think would have anything for me, even though I know they fit Connor decently. I put them on the list because it's the most accessible brand to us in Indiana, and because this whole experiment is as much about finding out what I don't like as what I do like.
The fitting on Tuesday did not go well. It went so poorly, in fact, I was tempted to call up the fitter afterward and tell her not to bother dropping off the two trial saddles she had found for me. But in the end I didn't, and I'm glad I didn't, because the trial saddles ended up changing my whole perspective on the brand.
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| In honor of Halloween, nothing scarier than where this saddle wants to put my leg. BOO! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! |
It wasn't the fitter's fault either, she represents one brand and that brand has a very defined niche in the Dressage saddle market. For as many different kinds of Dressage saddles as County has, they're all, mostly, very similar to each other in where they put you. And it's working for them, they're exceptionally popular around here.
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| Epiphany - was told I wouldn't notice the massive thigh blocks because they're "squishy" and that it "makes the sitting trot so easy". Neither were true for me. Hated it. |
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| Innovation? I think? The only one with Velcro blocks. I declared this one "fine" which was high praise from me at this point! |
Finally the fitter put me - 5'1 112 lb child-sized femurs me - into an 18" seat, just to give me enough room between the blocks and the cantle. But then that caused other weird biomechanics issues, like my heel being shoved way out behind me.
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| Perfection, 18" |
And then the trial saddles came.
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| Left: Black Perfection Straight Flap. Right: Brown 17" Connection |
In fact, the Connection is the first Dressage saddle I've sat in that didn't actively make it more difficult to ride.
And.
Just that.
Was enough to make the whole County fitting worth it.
I know it's still early in Jen's Saddle Fitter Parade and that this sounds ridiculous, but since I've never in my life sat in a Dressage saddle that made riding easier for me, I had been starting to think maybe I was incompatible with Dressage saddles. It made me question my own judgment.
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| One of the things I loved most about all the Counties: you sit SO close to the horse in the center of the seat. |
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| Compare that to the same angle on the CWD |
I'm not running out and signing over a check for the Connection tomorrow, but it's on the short list (with modifications), and at the very least, it helped me further form an opinion about what I'm looking for. I now have a benchmark.
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| Really hates saddle fitting, poor dude |
Short List Contender #2: County Connection
Likes
- How close it put me to the horse's back - it felt GREAT under my butt
- The knee blocks were supportive without being in my way at my preferred stirrup length
- I didn't have to work to keep my leg underneath me, even in the posting trot
- It sat nicely on Connor's back with no pressure points. Not perfect, but it's not so far off that we couldn't get there.
- As much as I liked the way it felt under my butt, I didn't like the way it felt between my legs. I could never get that "snugged in at the top of the thigh" feeling in it.
- It didn't have enough flat space for me in the seat, which made me feel like the cantle was all up in my business. If we were able to carve out a tiny bit more out of the back of the knee roll, I feel like it would resolve this issue.
- Not a monoflap, so it wasn't as easy to get both my thigh and lower leg on him at the same time
Other Notes
- The Connection has a pretty decent-sized block, but I didn't notice it at all (unless you count its effect on the cantle, but let's set that aside for now). It's nice to know that there are blocks out there that are biomechanically helpful, or at the very least, not harmful.
- The Connection has a looooooooooooooong stirrup bar, which as a rider with unusual proportions I prefer, because I can use rubber bands to adjust the leather placement if necessary. May not be optimal for the horse though.
- We barely talked about the horse's fit during the saddle fitting, which I found odd. It may just be that we were determining what I liked before we talked about the horse, especially since clearly the fit was close enough on all of them, we could get there.
- Solidified my desire to find a demo saddle I like. I'm terrified by the idea of ordering something without getting a chance to ride in my exact saddle.
Upcoming Fittings:
Week of Nov 4: Stubben
Week of Nov 11: Eq Saddle Science, Patrick Saddlery
Week of Nov 18: Custom
Confirmed but not yet scheduled: Fine Used Saddles/WOW Saddles
I will have difficulty with making the move from saddleseat to hunter/dressage saddles, as the Virginia area I'm retiring to has nada s.s.; you sit so close to the horse with s.s. and there's nothing but your balance, position, and cores keeping you riding (well maybe a non-slick saddle leather!) I hear you about high cantles and rigid thigh blocks.
ReplyDeleteIF and its a big IF, I have to do the saddle buying again, Tad Coffins will be on my list to trial; way nuts expensive but may be more what I'm used to...very interested in your trails and tribulations...Anna
Yeah, it's a tough place to be in for sure. I definitely want more than a saddleseat saddle gives you, but less than is popular in the Dressage world today. I don't think you'll have as much trouble with hunter saddles as you would Dressage, they tend to be much less dependent on deep seats and big blocks as say an XC or Dressage saddle is typically.
DeleteThat connection looks an awful lot like my old one (only chestnut brown), haha. That saddle was good to me, if not to Pig.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember that one, but I believe you.
DeleteI don't like the saddles that pin you in place either. I do love my Kent and Masters. It has a nice cob size so it doesn't go too far back on Carmen and the thigh blocks are velcro and removable. I only notice them when I'm going down hill on a hack.
ReplyDeleteVelcro thigh blocks are great, especially since you may want to change things up depending on a different horse's conformation or your own riding education. I've always wanted to try a K&M but there's no way to get a fitter here for them that I'm aware of.
DeleteY'all probably didn't talk about saddle fit on him because those fit him preeeeetty close and besides picking out the right tree, the fitting will happen with the wool later anyway.
ReplyDeleteThe picture comparing the closeness to the horse between CWD and county is really cool. I never realized that before!
Yeah, Counties don't seem to have a lot of different tree shape options, but what they do have has always seemed to work for him. Which is surprising given the number of brands that straight up do not work for him in terms of tree shape.
DeleteThe closeness of the CWD was so disappointing since the jump saddle isn't like that at all! But I'm learning that that really matters to me.
I’m kind of sketched out by County after a friend had a disasterous ordering experience (demo was fine, custom that arrived was totally different) so I support the find a demo you love route. I’m not sure my local county fitter has enough training for me to truly trust her judgement, either. A lot of her saddles fit wide and sit low in front or cantle high. I have a Stubben Aramis out on trial right now and I hope you get to try one. I might be a *hair* taller than you but ride with similar bend in my knee and I looove how much flat space I have in the seat, and how my leg falls so naturally. I just have to fight my bad habits and muscle memory, not the saddle.
ReplyDeleteI've also had barnmates have disastrous County ordering experiences, although that was with our old local fitter so the new one deserves the opportunity to prove herself without bias. Stubben comes on Wednesday. I've never seen a Stubben tree that was the right shape for Connor, but here's hoping.
DeleteHave you looked at Frank Baines?
ReplyDeleteI'd be open to trying them if they had a local fitter, but they don't.
DeleteIs there not someone that will bring a variety of brands? I use someone that doesn't rep for anyone, she works at a tack shop, is a trained fitter and will bring a huge selection so you can see what works for you.
DeleteUnfortunately no, our semi-local fitters are all brand-specific. There are one or two that come around twice a year that are from the East Coast and FL that represent a handful of brands, but if you're not able to get your schedule synced up with theirs you're out of luck. Saddle fitting in this part of the country is very, very frustrating.
DeleteI had a County Connection for Bridget...same reason you described, it was the only one I tried where my knee could be a bit forward (Wide pony - it'll never hang vertical!) and I felt like there was enough freedom to move. Mine had a short, forward flap and velcro blocks if you can try that.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you got Velcro blocks! I could be persuaded by that.
DeleteTBH, I was less than impressed with the actual way they put the velcro on...I wish I saved a picture, they were strips of velcro rather than a nice panel and while it was functionally good, it looked cheap considering the cost of the saddle.
DeleteHa! Yeah I can't imagine what it cost new, this demo was $4,000. For that price, I'd expect more than some strips of Velcro.
DeleteI love my Connection, and I hated every single other County I sat in. Those giant exposed knee blocks are the absolute worst!
ReplyDeleteOkay you're making me feel significantly less crazy, lol. I hated every single saddle at the fitting SO much and then I was totally caught off guard by not hating the Connection.
DeleteI haven't a clue how some riders have such a vertical thigh for dressage. And some saddles try to force you into that I think. Counties have always put me into a chair seat for some reason. I have tried the Perfection, the Warmblood and Connection I think? I don't think they work for my anatomy. but do seem like nice saddles! You have a busy month of saddle trying-out! Really hoping something works for ya!
ReplyDeleteAnd you and I have very different anatomy! I hope so too. I have high hopes for next week's fittings.
DeleteI'm curious what your thoughts will be on ALL of these saddles - since changing my own knee angle, I'm a bit worried my saddle no longer fits me, specifically the thigh blocks in relation to where my knee sits.
ReplyDeleteExactly why I'm writing in such detail about this process, although you should definitely not take my word on any of this. Definitely work with whatever fitters you've got out there, it's such a personal decision and it's so much easier to work with someone local than remote.
DeleteThis post is perfect timing for me, as I'm about to have a County rep out for dressage saddles. I have pretty much the opposite dimensions as you do, but have also never found a dressage saddle that I actually felt comfortable in. Glad in the end, the fitting was worth it!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it helped! It was definitely worth it, it just took its sweet time developing into "Worth It" haha. The rep got pretty good at figuring out what I want afterward, so it may just be that she didn't bring the right saddles with her to the fitting. I guess my word of advice would be to over-share on what you're looking for ahead of time.
DeleteI cannot wait to hear about your stubben fitting. I've had a good bit of experience with their fitters and the newer saddles. So interested to see how the party line comes across in Indiana!
ReplyDeleteIt's tomorrow! I'll probably write about it next week, I've been giving these fittings some time to marinate in my brain before writing about them. I don't know a ton of people riding in Stubbens here, so I'm very curious!
DeleteOne of the people at the barn has a saddle with a bigger thigh block and it looks miserable. My saddle is somewhere in between but doesn’t set where my leg is and I really appreciate that.
ReplyDelete