[Beau]

Okay so I rode Duffy again, and got a better video. I think he went good today. I kept him on a pretty loose rein. This is the first time I've ridden in an english saddle in five years though, so my position's not fantastic, lol. But anyway, here you go, still see a dressage horse? Lol.

Walk


Trot






Canter

[Beau]

Just bumping this up .

[juniormylove]

wow he's gorgeous! I absolutely LOVE his color!

i'm hopeless at critiquing though, so i'll leave that to someone else.

[countryacres]

I think he looks good. I like the arabs with more bone to them!!!

[Beau]

Thanks, me too. He's a big boy for a full bred Arab, 15.3 hh, I sticked him today.

And thanks junior, he's just a bay going grey, so his color is neat right now, but eventually he'll be totally grey.

[taliacristianna]

Seeing a dressage prospect even more now! He has an absolutely lovely looking trot.

You're TRYING to have a really nice position but that saddle doesn't fit you well at all. It puts you in a total chair seat. Dropping your stirrups down a hole or two might help in the meantime.

I think both of you have a ton of potential. I really hope you do at least try taking some dressage lessons w/a respectable trainer. I think you'll be pleased!

And if it doesn't work out, just send that gorgeous horse to me....

[Adaansmom]

He's really beautiful! Carries himself well as far as I can tell. I'm certainly no expert LOL but he looks like a dressage horse to me!

[Beau]

I'm really not trying to ride in any position at all, lol. That's the biggest english saddle I could find, unfortunately I don't have much choice when it comes to saddles, I will try dropping my stirrups though, or maybe try the other english saddle.

And thanks guys, I think he looks so much better english, and he goes better too. Now I just have to get used to it again.

[taliacristianna]

Originally Posted by Beau

I'm really not trying to ride in any position at all, lol. That's the biggest english saddle I could find, unfortunately I don't have much choice when it comes to saddles, I will try dropping my stirrups though, or maybe try the other english saddle.

And thanks guys, I think he looks so much better english, and he goes better too. Now I just have to get used to it again.

You'll notice a huge difference once you're in a saddle that fits you and your horse well. Remember that it is just as important that it fits your gelding as it is that it fits you. English saddles don't have as much leeway when it comes to fitting the horse like western saddles do.

Judging by your boy's build you are going to need something with a W or XW+ tree. Arabs are notoriously wide through the barrel. If you're looking to buy something and have a specific price range I have some recommendations. My mare is built very much like an arab and I went through h#ll trying to find a saddle that fit her!

As for seat size for you, a pretty good way to guestimate the size seat you need is to measure from your hip bone to the center of your knee. (The length of your upper leg bone.) The length in inches tends to correlate w/the size seat you need. (18" leg bone = 18" seat size.) Of course, you may have to go up a size if you buy a saddle with a really deep seat.

[Beau]

Thanks talia, I really don't think he'll be that hard to fit for a saddle, he's got a pretty average build, not like some of the builds you see on arabs. So I'm not too worried. Plus it will be about a year before I can buy him one, so I've got lots of time to look, lol.