The Hidalgo Sattel Relvas Porto impression pad testing is completed.
The facts...
- Relvas Porto with 17" dressage panels
- rider is myself (approximately 5'2 and 140 lbs). Horse is Uno.
- walk, trot, canter
- EDIX merino dressage pad
- felt inlays and felt shims to balance the saddle
- Top of the picture is front of the saddle, left panel is left side of saddle, right panel is right side of saddle.
The second picture shows the impression pad when we rode with it between the saddle and the saddle pad. This is the best way I can measure the weight distribution capabilities of the saddle itself. This shows excellent spinal clearance and overall quite even weight distribution along the panels. As we've seen with many of the saddles with movable panels, there's some concentration of pressure at the edges of the panels, but it's primarily the lower edge of the panel here, not parallel to the spine. Slightly more pressure at the front of the panels than at the back, but that is typical for Uno with how much he lifts his back during work.
The third picture is the impression pad after a ride with it between the horse and the saddle pad, which gives us an idea of how the saddle and saddle pad are working together. This shows really lovely weight distribution and demonstrates how well the 8 pocket pad distributes the weight from the panels over an even larger area and balances out the tendency for more weight at the front of the saddle due to his movement. There's a little bit of asymmetry on Uno's and my harder diagonal (his right front and left hind) that I attribute to us being in the process of coming back into work for the year
I have fallen in love with the Relvas Porto it's been my go to this spring with EDIX pads set up for each horse. It is the best saddle I've found for my body conformation. I look forward to testing the spanish panels separately!
I am using Cassy Saddle Impression Pads.
Comments