I am having trouble deciding on a saddle. l ride hunter, in the range of 3 feet to 3'6. My horse fits most medium saddles, so its not him im worrying about its me. l have long legs, (im 5'7) and a shorter torso. l normally fit a size 17, but the flaps seem to short on most saddles. At the tack store yesterday l was looking at saddles, and trying a few out. My top favourites were almost all pessoas. l liked the GenX, the pessoa legacy xL, and the hrd pro, or eurocup. l also didnt mind the Courbette Alpina. Something that really bothers me about saddles is when the colour near the where the leathers are rubs off within months of buying. Are the saddles l like good quality? and are there any you recommend?

in my experience with those saddles, l think they are both good quality, and are very comfortable. l got a used courbette close contact saddle a few years ago and it is still in great shape. and i've loved every pessoa i've ridden in.

l am not sure why so many people like the Pessoas! The newer ones, r truly horrible.

HRDs r ok, but if u have the money for a Pessoa, why not get a used higher quality saddle?

Some brands l like-

Prestige [[ l am 5'6'' & have long legs, the 18'' fits me just fine ]]
Stubben [[ they're nice if u get one used, but r a little overpriced if u plan on getting one new ]]
Beval
Barnsby
County
Devoucoux
Jaguar
Amerigo [[ along with the Vega & Equipe saddles that they also make ]]

Well l hope this helps & have fun saddle shopping!

Equipe Selleria made my saddle and it is like sitting on a pillow.. l had a Pessoa that not only was poorly made, but was like sitting on a brick.

The Pessoas are made in Argentina, whereas the Courbettes are made in Germany.

European tanned and dyed leather is more likely to hold it colour around the stirrup leathers, they've been tanning leather for centuries, NOT just a few decades for saddles.

http://stubbennorthamerica.com/stuJumping.html
http://kiefferusa.com/CloseContact.htm
http://passier.com/

Those are a couple of more links to various European Saddlers.

l had a pony pessoa and it hurt my horses back. l highly reccomend Amerigo saddles! l do eventing, so it is good for xc and stadium. It can be custom fit for your legs, and they are super durable and comfy.

l have the same saddle-fitting problems as you!! l am 5'11'' & ALL LEGS. l kid u not. You may want to try going to a 17.5 instead of a 17, the flaps seem to be longer on those saddles. Also, l would reccommend getting a saddle with wool flocking, like a County or a Black Country.. l know they r a little more expensive, but TOTALLY worth it. They r flocked with wool instead of foam, & the wool is beter because u can ALWAYS reflock the saddle to fit ur horse. Also, the foam used in brands like Pessoa harden over time, & CANNOt be reflocked or restuffed. Saddles such as County & Black Country r literally top of the line, SUPERB leather quality, so l doubt u would have much discoloration problems as long as u keep the saddle cleaned regularly. Hope this helps!!!