The NEXUS GPD
The Nexus GPD Style is built on the low cantle version of the BALANCE Nexus tree also used for the GPJ and Jump styles.
The design of this style came about through the wishes of a friend (she also worked at BALANCE HQ for many years) Kate and her horses were often the first place we went to with 'new' ideas in saddle design because they could be relied upon to provide very honest and reliable feedback.
Kate had ridden in both a Nexus Jump saddle and a Nexus Dressage Saddle for some years with good results, but she realized that there were features in both styles that worked better for her, depending on which horse she was riding. She asked if she could have a straighter cut saddle built on the Nexus jump tree, with its flatter seat, lower cantle, and flocked panels.
We agreed to have this saddle made for her as we could see the merit of combining some of the different features, and that it was a style of saddle that would be worth adding to our range, in order to increase the choice we could provide for horses and riders.
When the first one was made, we could see that it was another good option for riders who school and compete in dressage.
Some riders are quite restricted by straighter cut 'dressage' saddles that have the stirrup bars set a long way back, because to ride in this kind of saddle encourages and even forces, the rider to adopt a straight leg position. Some riders find this to their liking, but many others find it creates instability and strain in their lower back muscles. For them, it is important for us to be able to offer a dressage type style, that supports their riding style and allows them to be effective, balanced and comfortable.
Standard Specifications:
- A range of BALANCE tree Widths: J1,J2,J3, J4 . These widths are required by healthy, well developed and correctly trained horses.
- Wool flocked panels or foam panel, dependent on the horse's preference. All foam panels are covered in Nubuck leather as standard. Nubuck is made from sanding top-grain leather, which is the most common type of leather used to make high-quality leather products. This produces a soft napped surface. Naps are short protein fibres on the leather's surface that help produce the velvet-like finish. Foam panels are very smooth and flat and this combination can be challenging for some riders to keep laterally stable, so the Nubuck hide provides more grip between the saddle and the pads underneath.
- The leathers used are of the highest quality, with all welts, facings etc. made with leathers that are the best colour match for the saddle. Other options are available. Please see below.
- Three well spaced girth straps (billets).
- Regular, fixed stirrup bar.
- 5 seat lengths A, B, C, D and E
- Flap length on A = 17" (43 cm); B & C = 17½" (44.5 cm); D = 18" (45.75 cm). This is approximate and is measured from the top of the stirrup bar to the bottom of the flap at it's longest point. The saddle can be ordered with a different flap length, but it is very unusual for this to be necessary.
- Adjustable/removable knee blocks
Choosing the colours in your saddle.
Many riders prefer to stay with classic colours of, all-over black or brown, but other options are available to customise your saddle if that is what you prefer. As this saddle is made for BALANCE by Frank Baines Saddlery, it makes sense for you to use their own, innovative and award winning 'Build Your Baines' app, that can be found on their website : https://www.frankbaines.com/bmb/
You won't see any BALANCE saddle models on their yet, but you can use the example of their Elegance saddle as a reference as it is very similar in its construction to the BALANCE range of saddles. This will show you the options for leathers and colours that you can choose.
Please be aware that some of the leathers, coloured welts and facings that you will see, will add to the basic price of the saddle as shown on this page.
Please note that this style of BALANCE saddle has a cantle that is too low to include a cantle insert, cantle welt or crystals.
