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Synthetic saddle suggestions? PLus first saddle help

4K views 23 replies 11 participants last post by  DuckDodgers 
#1 ·
This is kind of a two parter.

Next year I'll be going to Meredith Manor. I'm still very much a newbie to riding. I've never had my own horse so I've never bought my own tack! You need to bring everything to the school. Saddle(s) included. So I need to get one (at least one :P )

I have a couple of large tack shops/consignment shops I've been told to visit that will help me more then just try to sell sell sell. Plus I've been looking up how to fit yourself with a saddle, but I'm still pretty confused when it comes to picking one out! Most of the lesson saddles I've been in have been more uncomfortable then comfortable. There are a couple I prefer, so I can tell when they feel wrong, but I'm not sure what to look for in "right" :oops: OMG does that make any sense? I'm going to be living in this thing so I'm worried.

Second thing is I majorly prefer synthetic saddles. I prefer not to use leather. Just my beliefs. So can anyone recommend a good synth saddle? Or maker? I already know many of them are hard as rocks and very slippery LOL I flew right out of that thing! They can't all be like that though.
 
#5 ·
I love my Wintec Isabell dressage saddle. It's super comfortable and the gullet system fits a wide variety of horses. It has the equisuede which I find very nice, and if you look in the right places you can find them used for relatively inexpensive. There's also the wintec pro dressage, which also has the equisuede. My old trainer had one that I rode in on quite a few occasions, but I definitely prefer the Isabell.

If you're not familiar with the saddles then I might suggest trying to find someone with one you can borrow to try out. If not you can probably find a supplier with demo saddles you can have shipped before you commit to one blindly.
 
#6 ·
Thorowgood are better quality and more comfortable than Wintecs. They also seem to fit horses better in my experience. I bought a used Thorowgood Maxam over 10 years ago and still love it, have used it on every horse I've leased/owned. My boyfriend recently bought an AP saddle from them (blanking on the model) and it's the most comfortable thing I've ever sat in. Their newer saddles come with the adjustable gullet system like Wintec, which can help with fit.

The other day I rode in one of my trainers leather saddles and I couldn't believe how much less comfortable it was. After the lesson I had a sore butt. Guess I've gone soft :lol:
 
#7 ·
I wouldn't say that all leather saddles are more uncomfortable than the soft synthetic types. I LOVE the feel of my Collegiate CC with knee rolls, but I inherited an older Jeffries cc and Sommer dressage saddle (both plain flap, not padded at all) and those things are hard as ROCKS. The dressage saddle isn't so bad, but that close contact was awful! The lack of padding in the flaps didn't have much to do with it, but the seats were just... awful.
 
#9 ·
I'm a bit confused...Are you buying your own horse and taking it or will you work with a school horse?
If it's your horse then it makes perfect sense to have all your own tack. If you are working with an instructor, they can help you fit a saddle to both you and your horse. If it's a school horse I guess I'd consider a Wintec with the changeable gullet system making it adjustable to a variety of horses.
 
#12 ·
It is a bit odd how the school works. No, I'm not getting my own horse. I'll be riding various school horses. You need to bring EVERYTHING with you however. Saddle to manure pick and everything in between. I'm not sure how they go about pairing your tack with their horses :? I'm sure they have a method.

Thank you everyone for the recommendations!! I guess I didn't delve far enough into Wintec. I've only seen one saddle made by them (the one I flew out of haha) It was very no frills. I don't know the model though! I will definitely look all of these up!
 
#10 ·
For saddles, I like the Wintec synthetic for English above all else. I race Standardbreds in one (yes you can do that under saddle!), and I also do extensive trail riding in one logging significant mountain and river mileage over the course of just a few days when I go camping with my one horse. I don't like how the Thorowgoods fit at all (just my personal experience) and I do like that the Wintecs are adjustable and seem to work well with the Cair for my horse with back issues.

For other tack, I like pretty much anything made of beta/biothane. I hate nylon as it doesn't break if a horse gets tangled in it, and to me that's dangerous especially when doing a lot of riding - you never know when an accident can happen! I've used a bunch of different brands, like Walsh (very good, but very expensive), Zilco (love it, less $ than Walsh, but hard to find as it's all made in NZ and I am in the States), and used several off brands that were cheaper, but didn't wear as well. I'm ordering from Two Horse Tack to try out their stuff because I've heard great things, and need to replace my older worn out tack. I want to try either their solid colored or their day-glo (since we do trail ride along the roads as well as at night). They have a few others as well, but those are the two I'm most interested in and they are super affordable. Two Horse Tack - ENGLISH BRIDLES if you get a chance to order before me, let me know what you think!
 
#15 ·
I'd go a Wintec dressage, affordable, adjustable and durable. Not the best saddle in the world, but not bad either. I still have mine (had it over 10 years) still looks brand new, don't ride in it much anymore though. Mine is that sort of slippery equileather stuff though, but I prefer the new equisuede stuff, so consider that when looking at models.

Wintec Isabel can really "lock" you in, which isn't always a good thing, just something to consider.
 
#16 ·
Yes, that really slippery material is what I'm desperately trying to avoid. I'm still really working on my seat and my leg muscles. I don't need any help falling out of the saddle lol Is that what they call the synthetic "sticky seat" material? Equisuede?
 
#17 ·
Yes, the "sticky seat" material is the equisuede. I don't have a complaint in the world about that material. It's comfy, easy to clean with a damp rag, and has the grip factor. It wouldn't be the difference between riding out a situation and falling IMO, but you have that added security. I may be wrong, but of the dressage saddles that Wintec makes only the Isabell and the Pro Dressage have the equisuede. I wouldn't consider the others anyway. Oh, and I've come flying out of mine on a few occasions too. No saddle can prevent everything :wink:

There is no way that you can compare the much older wintec models to the newer ones. So much has changed between the models over the years that they aren't even the same product. I've ridden in one that was pre gullet system with a kind of canvasy type material. WAY different from my saddle!
 
#21 ·
ok , query #2 - I'm loving the look and reviews of the Wintec Isabel! But it is a bit pricier then the Wintec Pro dressage saddle. Do you guys think the Isabel is definitely worth the extra $? I'm looking at used saddles as well obviously! I'm not seeing much in my desired seat size though. Pretty much everything used I come across is 17.5 - 18. The smaller seat sizes seem to be more scarce for the wintecs.
 
#22 ·
My opinion on the isabell vs pro...

I happened to be at a saddlery that had both the Isabell and the pro(new), so I tried them out. I found that the pro puts you in a much more "forward" position where as the Isabell puts you slightly farther back. Which one you like is all really defined by your personal preference, but I think the Isabell is definitely better then the pro and puts you in a more "professional" position.

I have a dressage 500 that I currently own, and I actually think it's pretty good even though it's at the "bottom" of wintec's dressage saddles. I'm really hoping to get an isabell with contour blocks in the future! Hopefully this helped :)
 
#24 ·
I definitely think that the Isabell is worth the extra money spent vs the pro. Quality-wise they are probably comparable, but it's a completely different saddle. I do absolutely think that it's worth the money.

That said, some people hate the Isabell and the position it puts you in. If at all possible I would suggest trying out the models, but I can't say which saddle you would like best. I will say that everyone that has ridden in my saddle (with the exception of a h/j friend of mine that never rides in a dressage saddle) has loved mine, but I personally think that it's worth the extra money. I regularly see them in varying conditions available on tack trader pages, so have a look there!
 
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