FAQs
The Total Contact Saddle will fit any horse of any size or age, from Shetlands to Shires and everyone in between. Many customers choose the Total Contact Saddle when their horse is hard to fit, and it’s especially popular for horses who change shape – those whose weight fluctuates seasonally, those who are still growing, flat backed horses and short backed and older horses. Both the long girth strap and short girth strap fits all size horses, it’s purely your preference if you want to use a normal girth or a dressage girth. For more information, read our user guide.
You can do any riding you’d do in any other saddle! We have riders use their TCS for anything and everything from pleasure hacking to endurance rides, jumping and dressage to cross country. It’s a very gentle saddle that’s brilliant when first bringing your horse into riding, and provides beautiful connection and bond between you and your horse – no matter what kind of riding you like to do together.
The simple answer is that no it doesn't. To ensure that the Total Contact Saddle is completely safe for your horses’ spine, the TCS has been professionally pressure tested. Results show that there is less strain on your horse than would be experienced in any other saddle. The only pressure we ask you to be mindful of is your seatbones, if you have sharp seatbones please adjust the padding you use so your horse does not feel them.
The saddle has also been seen by a wide range of 'back practitioners' and specialists including osteopaths, equine physio, McTImoney practitioners, Bowen and others. Many are now clients, and recommend the saddle to their own clients with confidence.
If you have a high-withered horse, we would recommend using your Total Contact Saddle in conjunction with our specially designed Saddle Seat pad
We have designed the Premium Saddle Seat and the Saddle Seat Pad to be used with your Total Contact Saddle to offer the optimal base padding solution for you and your horse. However, the Total Contact Saddle is designed to fit any horse as long as the padding is adapted to each horse, and your horse may require further padding. For detailed information on padding, please read our user guide.
No! With the correct padding, your Total Contact Saddle should not slide.
We’d always recommend mounting from a block, regardless of what saddle you might be riding in. However, many customers mount their horses from the ground when riding with their Total Contact Saddle. Mounting from the ground isn’t quite as easy with a TCS as there’s no pommel or cantle to hold on to, but it’s certainly possible! For more information on riding in your TCS, please read our user guide.
It's purely down to your preference what type of girth you
like to use. The shorter billet (Girth straps) is intended for those
that wish to use a longer/standard length of girth and the longer billet for those that wish to use a short/dressage style of girth, longer would also be the choice if you wanted to use a cinch but you may need a converter for the cinch to fit the buckles. The body on both the saddles are the same size. The only caveat is, if you don't have the flexibility to bend down and adjust a short under girth then you might want the short billet! Other than that both saddles fit all horses and humans.
The Premium saddle is made from the very highest quality saddle leather using the Butt leather from the hide, it is a bit thicker than the Classic and comes highly oiled. The Classic saddle uses a very high quality leather from the same hide and comes lightly oiled. Both saddles are finished in a textured print. The Synthetic is thinner, very light and very durable, perfect for riding in the sea or water.
The stirrup bars are set much lower on the Total Contact Saddle than a regular tree'd saddle or saddle pads with stirrup attachments. You will find that your regular length of stirrup is likely to be 4-5 holes too low because of this. You can use regular leathers with buckles that you might have already but many TCS owners find dressage leathers or T bars / Webbers work well with the TCS. They are flatter and therefore less bulk under the thigh. We find riders 5`' to 5"6" in height generally find the 22" -24" leathers are the best length for them (but this does depend on your inside leg) and how long you ride. . T bar leathers – you can see them here. For more information on choosing the right length stirrup leathers, please read our user guide.
Clients compete in a wide range of activities in their TCS! Do check the rules before you enter, just to be sure that you are allowed to compete in a treeless saddle.
Total Contact Saddles is not currently offering trials. However, if you purchase a new saddle you will have 14 days to return it if you decide you do not like it. Please note saddles must be returned in perfect saleable condition.
We’d be only too pleased to help. Please send your questions directly to melanie@total-contact.co.uk. (Please check your spam as sometimes the reply email gets sent there!)
