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So, yesterday I received the Alta Escuela saddle I had purchased from Ebay and took it for a ride. It came with breastcollar, girth, crupper, stirrups and leathers, overall about $1600 worth of tack new, which I got for just over half that. The saddle's obviously not 'new' but it might as well be-- the underside is totally clean, the topside has a little dirt (but that's not surprising for an all suede saddle) and the accessories are pretty clean. I'd expect the saddle was owned for a while but only used maybe a half a dozen times. It's marked with a "W", which I take as a "wide" tree, and based on how it fits my ham-withered horse, I think it's accurate.

Ok so how's it work?

Well, on tacking Petrus up, I was amazed at how well it fit him, right out of the box. Like it was made for him. And the cool thing is, with the design of the panels and tree, I think it would work on a variety of horses -- I didn't just 'luck out' and have the right horse for this saddle. Amazingly, the girth was exactly the right length and as narrow as it is, seemed to grip his underside well.

Since Petrus has never worn a crupper, he seemed to feel a little funny having something grabbing his tail, but he worked into it. I led him around a little before mounting so we wouldn't have any 'surprises' once mounted.

On mounting, the stirrups in their highest position looked a little low to me, but I thought I'd try it and punch additional holes later if needed. I used a block to mount and checked possible roll before stepping into the stirrup (nothing worse than having the saddle roll and the horse freaking, cantering and bucking with a saddle around his belly. ), then supported my weight on top while stepping up and swinging my leg over. It seemed a little "rocky" side to side, but not overly so. I put it down to the thickly flocked panels and that they still had some settling to do.

Here's the big kicker about this saddle:

The seat is totally different than my Indian copy SP saddles. Though the AE looks thick and high off the horse's back, it doesn't -feel- that way when you're mounted. You feel right down on the horse's back with your legs wrapped well. The seat is moulded better and is much smoother in contour, making it way more comfortable and feeling less bulky under your butt. Though I was riding longer than I do with the Indian SP, I didn't 'feel' like I had my feet dangling, and my feet weren't so far foward, but were more under me. It's really hard to describe the difference but I can't emphasize enough how much better this saddle is than the Indian ones -- it's made by people who know horses and saddle, not just done as a 'sort of' copy by people who don't know a saddle from a pair of shoes.

I believe the fit on the horse is 'night and day' better than the Indian ones, and the seat provided is better, allowing me more transmittal of seat aids, always a plus.

I thought this 'might' be a good thing when considering the bid on ebay for this one, but now that the money is spent and I've tried it I'm totally sold. I won't buy another Indian saddle and recommend against them for others. I don't think they will harm a horse, but don't think they're a wise purchase either. Don't get me wrong here, though, I won't ditch my Indian SP, I just won't enjoy riding it as much as the AE. The fit of the Spanish made AE is so much better, both for horse and rider, that it's absolutely worth the extra money spent.

I believe it's possible to get Spanish and Portuguese saddles directly from Europe, eliminating much of the stateside 'middleman profit'. I've corresponded with Carlos Simoes in Portugal and SP saddles direct from him go for about 5-600 USD, which isn't that much more than the Indian copies are going for these days. Generally I think any European made Espanol or Portuguese saddle is going to beat the Indian ones hands down. And you can occasionally find them on ebay, if you keep your eyes open. Try the other national ebays also.

Anyway, sorry for the length. I'll try to get some pictures up soon. Hope you find this edifying.

[ 04-16-2005: Message edited by: Chevalier ]

Animo Ruitersport Alta Escuela page

I should also note that on dismounting I wanted to see how stable the saddle was if I didn't use the mounting block and I was astonished. I reversed the mounting process, supporting my weight first with my hands on top, then put more and more weight in the stirrup eventually 'standing' in the one stirrup. No roll at all. Very cool. And the saddle itself seemed to be supporting me, not transferring lateral forces to the breastcollar and crupper, they were loose.

Thanks for the update on all of this. Of course, this is MY ideal for a cool saddle...
http://www.animoruitersport.nl/royalstyle.htm

It's a touch later than you're into, but dead on for late-16th/early-17th Centuries!

Cheers,

Gordon

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was looking at something similar a few months back but haven't had a chance (or the cash, to be honest) to go for it yet. Glad that you like it and think it's a worthy purchase; eliminates a few doubts from my point of view.

How difficult do you think it'll be to customise it, and what do you plan to do?

Alot of South and Central American dressage competitors ride in Ludomars and they are quite convinced they are better than anything Germany puts out.

Have fun, they are a comfy ride! Now, you just need an Andalusian to go with it!

[ 04-19-2005: Message edited by: Angelique ]

[ 04-19-2005: Message edited by: Angelique ]

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Cool saddle. But you're an Elizabethan now, aren't you . I wonder if that one was made for "Ever After". I seem to remember one like that in the film.

Mike,

I have no plans to modify this AE, and wouldn't want to, it's built too nicely to possibly mess it up. I'd rather scratch build a saddle. I do expect that this saddle will end up being my "civilian" saddle at reenactments until I scratch build one. Honestly, I've just been waiting for the opportunity to buy a good quality everyday riding/schooling saddle, as the only other ones I have are Indian made (a dressage saddle and two Sela Portuguesas), none of which are terribly comfortable or well fitting to the horses I've had. I don't like English or Western saddles, so having a _good_ Spanish saddle has been something I've looked forward to for a while, like 7 years, since I got my own horses again. When I have time to make medieval war and civilian saddles for Petrus, I won't ride in them daily, as they usually involve extra tack which takes a long time to put on the horse. I like the Ludomar because it goes on quick even with the accessories, which makes it easier to fit in a ride during my day.

Angelique,

quote:

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Angelique,

Yes, I'm very happy with the Ludomar, as you can probably tell. Interesting factoids about the SRS, etc. I've often thought that the German manufacturers relied more on their names, rather than a significantly higher quality level.

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In some cases you are very correct! Though, I have to say I LOVE my Keiffer Lech DL Profi and hate alot of other German saddles. The Schleese brand is nice though too.

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Yeah, I know it's more 17th Century, but still I like it! Man, what a pretty saddle though. It has the "bolsters" under the thigh that most of the Elizabethan authors speak of when discussing the proper saddle for a "Launtier", plus other aspects that I find totally appealing. One of these days... I still have to pay for that new wheellock carbine I ordered though...

Cheers,

Gordon

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