WHY BUY RP SADDLES?: Customize Your RP

SEAT SIZES

All ReactorPanel saddles are available in 17", 17.5", 18", and 18.5" seats. Tell us if you need a 16.5" or 19" seat, and we'll do our best to accommodate you. Our seat sizes run true to size or on the small side, due to our slightly cut back tree head (pommel). In a deeper seated saddle, you are more likely to want your accustomed seat size—or perhaps .5" larger. In a flat-seated saddle, you should order your size customary size, or perhaps .5" smaller. If you are ordering an Endurance saddle, we recommend that you order .5" larger than usual, unless you have a very slim thigh and ride with a very straight leg.

Click here to view seat/saddle profiles.

STIRRUP BAR

Stirrup bar placement is critical for the rider to have proper balance over the ball of the foot while maintaining alignment from the shoulder through the hip to the heel. Stirrup bars are placed based on the discipline for which the saddle was designed. If the standard stirrup bar set doesn't work for your body type, it's simple—and free of charge—to custom-position the stirrup bar. Another option is the adjustable stirrup bar, which offers a choice of five positions.

LEATHER OPTIONS

ReactorPanel saddles are made from the finest European leathers.

SOLID LEATHERS

The hides used for most of the saddle--including the flaps, sweat flaps, and skirts--are 4mm thick and blemish-free. The leathers we use are hand-selected from the most prominent leather suppliers in the UK and Europe.



SEAT/PAD LEATHERS

Seats and knee pads are made of softer, thinner leather, and there are four leather choices:

• Schrumpf is the standard choice for most ReactorPanel saddles. This is an extremely durable, slightly crinkly leather that is not slick.
• Doeskin is buttery soft, requiring no break-in period. It provides a slightly sticky seat. Although quite durable, doeskin shows scuffs, scratches, and friction wear easily. If you want a suede seat or knee pads, Doeskin would typically be the choice.
• French calf is smooth, luxurious, pliable leather. It breaks in quite rapidly, but some riders find it to be slippery, especially initially.
• Buffalo is extremely tough leather with distinctive texture. It is known for its durability, but color choice is limited.

LEATHER COLORS


Saddle leathers come in several colors, shown above. (Due to photographic reproduction techniques, the variety of color palettes on the Web, and our small dye lots, there probably will be differences between these color samples and the color/s of the saddle you receive.) Some riders prefer to match solid leather colors with seat and pad leather colors to create a one-color look; others choose a contrasting, two-tone color combination. Below are several examples of matching and contrasting color combinations:



BILLETS

Uniquely, ReactorPanel saddles have four billets on each side (except for the Jumping saddles, which have three). There are two objectives in girthing: comfort for the horse and stability of the saddle. The wide range of billets on our saddles gives each rider the most options to ensure successful girthing. The billets are stitched to nylon webbing, so removing extra billets is a quick and simple process.

Billets on any saddle can be short (designed to work with long girths), long (designed for dressage girths), or medium, which is our special length recommended for distance riding. Medium billets permit buckling the girth at the bottom of the sweat flap. This girth arrangement keeps the buckle on the sweat flap, protecting the horse but removing bulk from beneath the rider's leg.