saddle search part 2: response on wither tracing!

Yesterday I got a response from Trumbull about my wither tracing! I'm very impressed with their speed! Here's what Edie said:

Just got your tracings, thank you very much. Your horse does look like a generous medium or medium wide according to your tracings. (I had told them that my horse's previous owner used a medium-wide Collegiate with him but that I didn't know if that's what he still needed.) I have a couple of thoughts that might work.

HDR pro Senior Event (all Purpose) saddle 17" seat mw tree for $600- This saddle is practically brand new.
Henri de Rivel Pro Sr Event 17″ MW | Trumbull Mountain Tack Shop

"Nice" (this is the brand name) All Purpose 17.5 Wide tree (may need a slightly thicker pad to make this work) $375. This saddle has a fairly generous flap in length so if you have a shortish leg, it may not be suitable for you, but it is a very comfortable saddle at a good price
Nice A/P 17.5″ W | Trumbull Mountain Tack Shop

Personally, I like the Wintecs, especially the older ones. The new ones with the Cair panels have not been as popular and have not worked so well in warmer climates. We have a used 17" Wintec 2000 in really nice shape that does NOT have the changeable tree plate for $250.
Wintec Original 2000 AP 17″ W | Trumbull Mountain Tack Shop

If none of these seem to be a possibility, I have a couple of Keiffer German made saddles that are here on consignment, priced at $750. We may be able to negotiate on the price a bit- These are consignment saddles and one owner is getting anxious to sell.
Kieffer Aachen 17″ M | Trumbull Mountain Tack Shop

Please give me a call if we can help!

I am going to ask for measurements (stirrup bar to bottom of flap) on those saddles. Yes, even the Wintec. I know lots of people dislike them, but until I've sat in one myself I'm not going to dismiss the brand entirely. (However I'm not going to bet the farm on me loving one either.)

I will probably tell her that it doesn't have to be a $500 or under saddle; I can do more if necessary, especially the longer I wait. (I am putting aside a little in the "saddle fund" every month, so the longer I wait the more I can afford.) Also it occurs to me that it'd be a good idea to try to sit in some saddles of those brands she mentioned (if I can find any locally) before I haul off and have them ship me one or more to try.

Anything else you guys can think of that I should do?

Another wintec lover :)
I personally love the wintec and the kieffer :)

Both look like awesome saddles...the second one I do not like. All I can say is make surre you sit in those saddles. I haven't owned but two english saddles so far. One was a courbette..very nice saddle but a wee but small for me so I was unbalanced in it.The wintec is a 17.5 and it has a comfy seat and is the perfect fit for me. I would also say both those saddles are very shock absorbent to the lower back.

That's going to be a bit of an undertaking since I'm in MI and they are in VT. I'd like to see if there are any saddles of those brands that are more local to me, and try sitting in them. At least that will give me an idea of whether it's worth it to have them ship me a saddle to try.

Ohhh that's true..my bad.


Well is there a consignment tack store?
Have you ever rode any any of those brands?
Do you know what size seat you need? Do you have long or short legs?

Yep there's a tack store 15-20 minutes from me that carries consignment saddles. They have some that have caught my interest, so I'll probably go look at them soon. (They are listed in my post titled "saddle search part 3" if you want to look at them: saddle search part 3: possible saddles - opinions please!)

There's another store ~45 minutes away that I will probably also visit at some point.

Aaand the local county 4-H tack sales are coming up on February 19 and March 21. That also presents possibilities.

I personally like the second to last one and the the crosby.

I have always liked rembrandt but never tried em out. What disicpline are you doing..I saw you had one jumping saddle..was it the ovation one?

The M. Toulouse Padjett?

Right now I mostly trail ride, but I do tinker around in the arena and do some jumping. However, since I might get back into shows (I was on the school's IHSA team when I was in college) or might get into eventing I want an A/P saddle so that I can do a variety of things. If I got into some discipline and really liked it I would probably get a different saddle, or an additional saddle. But I figure an A/P is a good place to start.

Sorry folks, I don't like wintec, so not going to suggest one. But from what I know kieffer is a nice saddle. Some people swear by HDR as well. I rode in one, and frankly it was pretty comfortable. But then some people really hate them.

Yep :)

A knowledgeable person on another forum told me that the HDRs (and Collegiates too) are hit and miss as far as the quality of the leather is concerned. Sometimes they are nice and supple, and other times they are hard and plastic-y. You never know what you're going to get until you sit in it.

Aaand, someone else told me that HDRs don't hold up well unless they've been cared for nicely. So if I got a used one that had been cared for I'd be OK, but if I got one that hadn't been loved very much then it might not last as long as other brands.