Stirrups too far forward on many English saddles

[keithr@nocdc.bc.ca (Ann Hatfield)]

I agree with you, Kimberley, after having gone through the great saddle
hunt 'merely' to find an English saddle that fits both me and the horse.
Found a beautiful Crosby  event saddle for instance that I literally could
not post in!  Couldn't get up and balanced.  It was not me-another saddle I
tried the next day was completely different.  And, no it wasn't that the
Crosby sat 'dowhill' on the horse's back, it was the stirrup location in
relation to the angle my leg drops down-I couldn't do anything but sit
'chairseat' in it.

I've been thinking about rider's hip angles and how we all sit differently
from one another and probably sit differently through the season as we
become stretched and loose ourselves.  On some of the old military-style
saddles, I seem to recall that the girth could be moved forward or back
somewhat as it was suspended from two points.  Why not have a stirrup 'bar'
that is a strap system with about 1-2 inches of adjustment.  It would have
a little give and the whole thing could go at least as nicely under a small
flap as do the rigid stirrup bars of the current English saddles.  (And
some of them have miserable lumps under your thighs as anyone who has
ridden a number of English saddles can attest to!)  If it was a quick
adjust system we could then adjust the stirrups forward for any long
downhill stretches, way back for the long uphills and back to  our usual
for the flat or mixed bits.

My perfect saddle would be treeless, have lots of attachment points but
look as "English" as possible so as to (try to) get away with it in shows.
And adjustable stirrups, of course!

Ann