Two Junior riders from Fort Ridgely Equestrian Center finishing up an at home (adult supervised) 50 mile ride in 90 degree heat and high humidity! Both ride in RP saddles! Way to go girls.💪
It’s a Win/Win for Diane Abraham, Dasha and their Flapless Dressage Saddle
“Our first freestyle at Second Level was also the first time I showed in our new flapless saddle, and we scored a 70.56%,” recalls Diane Abraham with a big smile in her voice. “Of course, I snapped on the thin flaps the day before the show, so we’d have time to get used to them, but the flaps are super thin so we didn’t really notice them. I took them off again right after the show.”
With snap-on flaps that turn the Flapless into a competition-legal saddle, and saddle pads with pockets that conceal RP’s unique weight distribution panels, Diane says that nobody looked twice at her saddle. If her score is anything to go by, they were likely too busy enjoying her freestyle.
No stranger to the show ring, Diane and Dasha won the USDF Region 7 Freestyle First Level Championship as well as placing fourth in the USDF Region 7 Adult Amateur Second Level Championship. They have trained at American Sporthorse in Watsonville for years.
“I’d seen Sandy Howard – and now Anne – ride in RP saddles, and I’d watched Carmi fit saddles there many times. I was always impressed with the care she takes to get the fit right,” Diane explains. When she purchased Dasha, now 7 years old, as a 17-hand 4-year-old with a sore back, Diane knew where to turn for the right saddle. Carmi fit Dasha with an RP, the sore back gradually disappeared, and the two Ds – Diane and Dasha – made a lot of progress as Dasha continued to grow and develop. More recently, Diane needed a saddle with a narrower twist.
“I was so impressed with the scientific testing Carmi did on the flapless saddle in Florida, and I’d seen the design, so I tried it,” she remembers. Once she tried it herself, it basically took one ride. “I love riding in it! You have such close contact with your horse, you feel like you’re right on the horse, not separated by a saddle. It’s easy to stretch your legs down and easy t
What could Flapless do for you? Veterinarian and Eventer Carrie Finno switched to a Flapless jumping saddle for her 18-year-old Preliminary Eventer "Kaiden", and the difference is clear!
Carrie says, "First time at Yves Sauvignon's trying the ReactorPanel flapless jump saddle on Kaiden...he felt like a different horse over fences! He was jumping so much straighter. Can't wait for our next lesson....stay tuned!"
Don Romeo is a Danish Warmblood who has scored into the 70's at Grand Prix Dressage. His owner, Betsy Tyler, had a major accident which prevented her from riding for a number of years, and has only recently taken over Romeo's reins. When it came time to ride again, Betsy - who has had five custom saddles - chose our new Tribute Flapless saddle. In it, her hips don't hurt, she feels closer to her horse, and is secure, even when riding out on the trails.
Betsy ordered her saddle with a custom cantle insert in navy blue - just the shade to match her custom boots!
In the video below, Romeo shows off his new saddle and his effortless canter half-pass.
We are thrilled for the upcoming release of our new flapless dressage saddles! With over a year in design and development, these saddles put the rider closer to the horse, free the riders' hips, make lateral work easier, and increase the effectiveness of light aids.
We've done a great deal of our field work in Florida, where we have access to a concentration of top horses and riders.
We are pleased to introduce Arlene White, owner of the Animal Rehab Institute in Loxahatchee, Florida. As a physical therapist and rehabilitation specialist, Arlene has a profound understanding of the physiological needs for a fantastic saddle. She has ridden her Idocus horse Zydeco "Ziggy" in our flapless Tribute saddle for almost a year with phenomenal results. In this video, Arlene and Ziggy show off their two-tempi flying changes!
If you would like to test the new convertible flap version of our dressage saddles, let us know. We have test models in stock now! #horsesofinstagram #dressage #rprider #noflapnoproblem
