Looking at english saddles

@Acadianartist ...please continue that vegan thing a second more...
So vegans don't use leather products either?
Forget the saddle thing..but shoes...no leather shoes does she wear?
What does she ride in since quality boots are leather not man-made as are regular shoes, dress shoes, leather coats and handbags?
I can and do use certain items "synthetic'...but riding boots?
What does she do??

@Dooda4ever ...
Hands down if you have the possibility of leather saddle used in good or better condition go for it.
The quality of the products do not compare...
A older leather saddle already used might last you another 10 - 15 years with care...
A synthetic...with same kind of daily use no where near and it will look beat..they just do.
Your leather saddle will take a lot more use and indeed abuse than any synthetic will.
Older leather saddles are made from better hide than new saddles, have older now retired craftsmanship in them and often the products not seen like the tree is made nicer and with better quality parts than saddles today they have cheaped down to make more profit...
Nope to Wintec, they not fit well many horses forget human honestly is what I've found personally.
Look for used in brands you recognize and sit in it since different models fit you differently is true...ride in it if possible and make notes if you have several to try at one time...it does get hard to keep it straight when you sit in many, try many...
🐴.....

horselovinguy said:

@Acadianartist ...please continue that vegan thing a second more...
So vegans don't use leather products either?
Forget the saddle thing..but shoes...no leather shoes does she wear?
What does she ride in since quality boots are leather not man-made as are regular shoes, dress shoes, leather coats and handbags?
I can and do use certain items "synthetic'...but riding boots?
What does she do??

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This is very off-topic, so apologies to the OP, but since you ask...

Yes, as a vegan, she tries to avoid using any animal products (though unlike some vegans, she has decided honey is ok if locally purchased). She has some leather still, mostly things purchased before she became vegan. But she actively seeks alternatives as much as possible. No leather coats, no suede vests, handbag is faux leather. They actually make tons of fashion accessories with faux leather. I wear vegan leather boots myself, though not riding boots. My winter riding boots are entirely synthetic, but that's not intentional, just warmer She doesn't really wear dress shoes. But our horses' bridles are mostly leather (except my beta-biothane bridle).

Overall, if she can thrift, she finds it more acceptable so saddles are always used, which is what we were doing anyway. She's not going to throw away old items that have leather and replace them with new ones because that would be more harmful than just continuing to wear the old ones.

There are some good synthetic riding boots now too! You'd be surprised!

I think it is worth mentioning that Wintec does make a decent dressage saddle in the Isabelle Werth line: Wintec Isabell

Named for the World dressage champion Isabelle Werth, this saddle is considered good quality by many equestrians I know, though I have not tried one. The price tag is higher than their other models though.

Here's the issue: in my experience, these interchangeable gullet saddles don't really fit all horses because all that changes is the gullet. There is so much more to saddle fit and I have never found that Wintecs fit my horses no matter which gullet I put in. Maybe mine have very curvy backs, but there was always bridging. Also, the CAIR system is not favored by many equestrians. The air cushion can be hard on the horses' backs. Some people like these saddles enough to have the CAIR system replaced with wool flocking, but that's an additional 250$ or more.

DollyandAya said:

I recently bought a Wintec Lite saddle. I've only ridden in it once, apart from testing it, but my mare seems to really like it and it's comfortable for me. I've heard a lot of bad things about the CAIR system, such as the panels being rock hard, but so far it's been fine. Of course, that's just been my experience - maybe my mare is easier to fit than most horses, and I'm not very picky about how a saddle fits me.
As far as synthetic vs leather - leather is better quality, and with good care, should last a very long time. Synthetic saddles are cheaper, much less slippery (sometimes too much so) and much easier to care for. I have both synthetic and leather saddles and I like them both - although newly washed jodhpurs on a nice, shiney leather saddle makes for a very slippery ride!

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You must be referring to the equisuede material some synthetics are made with. I agree, that is preferable to the hard synthetic smooth saddles.

The equisuede looks like this and can be quite comfortable (less stiff) and grippy:



But many Wintecs (as well as Thorowgoods) are more like this, hard and slippery:



Both saddles pictured are Wintecs.

I have had many Wintecs over the years. I currently own two and my partner is looking at one for his horse. I would buy a Wintec again without hesitation and when I eventually upgrade (when finances allow fancier saddles) I will be keeping my Wintecs for use when the weather is terrible or at the beach or on young horses - anything that might damage a fancy leather saddle.

IF they're the right overall shape for your horse and for you, they can be fantastic saddles. I like that mine are extremely low maintenance (literally just hose it off if dirty/dusty) and they fit me and my horse well. I cannot stand the Isabell Werth, when I was in my mid to late teens I loved it but when I hit 20 my body developed more and all of a sudden I came to hate the one I owned. They fit a very specific shape of human and I'm just not that shape anymore.
I hate the all purpose range. All of them. But I'm not really a fan of all purpose saddles in general - they don't sit you correctly for flatwork, and they don't sit you correctly for jumping, and whichever thing you're doing, they get in the way. Fine at low levels when being correct doesn't matter as much and this is their main use ime (I mostly see younger/less experienced riders using them, or people who have a one-saddle budget and want to do a bit of everything at low levels) but it quickly becomes a problem as your riding progresses.

I LOVE my Wintec Pro contourbloc dressage, it's next to impossible to fall out of so it's my go-to with a young horse (or if I expect my educated mare to be silly).
For jumping I really can't complain about my Wintec 500 CC. I would have preferred the softer, more flexible equisuede on the Pro jump models, but they don't fit my horse.

I use either one at the beach but the 500 is a better choice because it's fully synthetic (the Pro dressage has leather girth billets). They are completely waterproof and surprisingly durable.

As others have mentioned, they are NOT a "one saddle fits all" solution. The easy change gullet/fit system is really handy but the tree does have to be at least close to the right shape for your horse overall for the fit system to do its job.

Yes there are better saddles out there and if you have the budget to buy a Wintec brand new then you're better off buying a good quality secondhand leather saddle, but if you only have a couple of hundred bucks, a secondhand Wintec is going to be the best for your budget.

Dooda4ever said:

It will be for jumper/hunter. I also ride often.

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Then go leather....

Do you own your horse?

In all honesty, saddles fit is a fussy thing for a horse and buying and thinking you will ride often in it on many horses might be a big disappointment for you.
If the saddle not fit the horse well, then for the horses sake and back soundness it should not be used.
Till you have your own horse, save your money so when you do get one you can purchase a quality saddle to ride that will fit that animal well and you too.
Right now, your instructor should be counseling you that not all saddles fit all horses ....and Wintec is known to be a not good fit for many.

Save your money. As you ride in different saddles you will also find what you like and what you not for when you do go saddle shopping in earnest and for your horse.
🐴....

I'm another Wintec (500) fan. And an All Purpose fan. Mine is flocked. Not squeaky. No saddle will fit every horse. I have several friends who bought and sold saddles for literally years before they found the right fit for their horse. If you get another horse, the process starts all over again.

It all depends on your goals. I don't show. I don't jump over 30". I live where it is hot and humid in the summer and everyone with a leather saddle battles the mold and mildew on the leather.

The 500 has improved the panels, not using the stiffer "equi-leather" on them. Combined with the flocking, a great improvement over previous models. My mare likes the fit very much. Changing out the gullet takes me less than 5 minutes. I like the adjustable blocks and knee rolls. The channel is wide and I have encountered no bridging on my mare.

You could take 10 women who wear a size 8 dress and that dress would fit differently on each of them. Different shapes, etc. The same with saddles.

If this is an entry level purchase then you have to consider your budget. If you are considering a synthetic you will need a thick skin for the comments that may be made to you, so that is something to think about.

what bothers one person does not bother another. In the end, the saddle MUST fit your horse first and foremost, then your own likes and dislikees folow.

Leather to leather, synthetic to synthetic is what I've always heard but in my experience and just being around all different combinations I've found that there are no issues with leather stirrup leathers and a synthetic saddle. The saddles don't mess up the leathers and the leathers put no more wear on the saddle than synthetic does over time. The opposite isn't true with synthetic stirrup leathers and leather saddles. Synthetic leathers can eat up a saddle flap.

Ridden in both, still have a Wintec Isabelle. If it fits the rider and the horse it's no different comfort wise than leather. I found the same with the hunter/jumper Wintec I rode for practice sessions in college for IHSA. That saddle owner still has and uses that saddle.. Both saddles are well past the 10 year life expectancy you hear passed around for synthetic. Yes, they have wear spots. Repairs to the flap are visible. They are no longer saddles you'd take into the ring but as for the tree and seat holding up - they've held up just fine.

Care is much easier on synthetic than leather. A lot less time consuming. They're much lighter than leather and that makes a difference when you're lifting and putting a saddle over a horse's back. Cost wise they're much less expensive new. That is because of the material not the quality of the saddle. There are junk synthetic out there just like there are junk leather out there. Quality is in the brand. Wintec is a good brand that has put quite a bit into technical innovations. Not a junk saddle. Not liking it due to fit is one thing, thinking it's a bad saddle because it runs different size wise makes no sense. There is no true standard size or seat. All brands have variation. That's why you research and try before you buy.

A good leather saddle, especially a well cared for older saddle will literally last generations. I have a couple that are in their third generation of use. I've know women with saddles much older. Fit is important. Does it fit you and goes it fit the horse. No matter the material, if you or your horse aren't comfortable it doesn't matter how expensive or inexpensive nor what material is used.

As to synthetic being too hot for a horse, if it's hot enough for the material to make a difference in whether it is too hot for the horse then I'd venture to say it's too hot to ride.

Look around and see what's available. Set a budget. Do your research. Ride in as many different saddles as possible or at the very least sit in them. Get a feel for what twist works better and how they differ brand to brand. Same for size. My child and I both have different seat sizes in different brands. While a 17 may work great in one brand an 18 is what is needed in another. The bigger consignment stores that have little turn over in staff often have experts that can narrow your search down. For a first saddle purchase that's the route I'd suggest. Jamie at Pelham is a marvel. Unless you know brand and size for both you and the horse I'd stay away from FB, etsy, ebay and the like. Possibility of being scammed is high and buying something you'd need to resell if you don't know in advance what fits or not.

I know absolutely nothing about English saddles so don't know whether the brand is good, bad or indifferent, nor do I know what style it is but there is Courbette Classic leather English saddle listed on the Indianapolis, IN craigslist for $75.00. Looks to be in decent shape. I often see very inexpensive English saddles on there and around here used are cheap because English isn't all that popular in this area. All that to say if you look at areas where the same is true close to where you live, you might find something you can use without breaking the bank. And just in case you live within a reasonable distance of Indy here is the link. Again, I know nothing about the saddle or the seller, just happened to be perusing Craigslist and saw it.

Courbette classic horse saddle - farm & garden - by owner - sale (craigslist.org)