Adjustable saddles

Kayfm

Kayfm

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Im looking at getting a new dressage saddle. What are the adjustable gullet saddles like, ive seen the Bates adjustable saddle that looks nice. Are they easy to fit/adjust. It would just make life easier than keeping having to return a saddle to the supplier if it does not fit.
 
personally i don't like them. I think it invites too many amateurs to mess around with their horses' saddles and I've seen one horse with a very bad back because his owner though that any problems could be solved by swapping the gullets.
 
I think they're a great idea - so long as a professional is always consulted for any changes the same as for a leather saddle. i've just bought a Wintec VSD with the changeable gullet and Cair system - and was very lucky that when my saddle fitter came out only a tiny amendment was needed on my current horse (who is a loan) and now i have a saddle that fits her well, but also more importantly for me as she is a loan horse, is far more likely to fit my future horses.

I believe that changing the gullets is easy - but i would let my saddler do it for me if it needed changing to make sure it fits properly.
 
i have got the bates dressage saddle, and i thinks its the most comfortable saddle i have ever sat on. and as my horse was 4 when i got him ive found the changeable gullet system useful, tho i have only changed the gullet when my saddler has advised me to. but apart from changing the gullet once to a slightly wider one as horsey has got more muscle my saddler said it fits him well
 
Thanks Debbie, I think I will look at a Bates
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They are a good idea, however they will still not fit every horse out there. The only adjustable bit is the width at the front of the saddle, the back of the saddle/tree remains the same. I tried one on my mare last year, the front was altered to fit her, but the back, the angle of the panels was all wrong.

Don't forget, a saddle with a wooden tree can be altered by a good saddler.
 
Wooden trees aren't designed to have the width altered. It can be done but wooden trees aren't designed with this in mind and there is a risk of the tree breaking. The flocking can be altered to change width but over/under flocking causes their own problems.

Saddles that have plastic injection moulded trees are adjustable. Off the top of my head that's keiffers and saddle company but I'm sure there are more.

Bates are a similar fit to wintec so that might give you an idea of fit if you've used a wintec before. Bates also have the Cair system and there are varying views on air flocking systems. It's the same with everything, some horses like it and some don't. Some people find it hard to get/keep a good fit and some people have commented that the panels are too hard and cause pressure points. The Cair system was developed in Australia and the difference in temps does have an effect on it (ie very hard in the cold).

I reckon your best bet would be to get a saddler to bring out lots of different options for you to try. Happy Shopping
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Adjustable saddles are ok but as someone else says, the only bit that changes is the width at the front. The middle and back of tree will always stay the same. They suit some horses, not others. I have a Wintec GP for pootling about hacking and little jumping (I don't do much jumping and nothing big) on my horse and it's ok. I can't get excited about it like I do my dressage saddle.

Talking about my dressage saddle.. I have a Harry Dabbs Elegant DR saddle. When I was looking, one of the big selling points by my saddler was that when he changed shape (which he has a lot, has hock spavins and couldn't work properly when I first got it. THey're now sorted and he's really muscled up), it would be reasonably easy to alter the tree. She came out to look at it 3 weeks ago, remeasured him and sent it back to Dabbs as he'd changed shape a lot. They altered the tree, changed some of the flocking and she came back to refit today. I wouldn't b e sending it back every 3 months to have it changed but as a one off, it was great. My saddler actually said today that most saddles can be altered, within reason. My previous saddler sent my old Ideal back for a brand new tree as horse changed shape so much. It cost me £70 to have the Dabbs altered, inc two visits from saddler.

I'd be inclined to look for a second hand leather instead of an adjustable saddle and have it altered later if needed.
 
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Wooden trees aren't designed to have the width altered. It can be done but wooden trees aren't designed with this in mind and there is a risk of the tree breaking. The flocking can be altered to change width but over/under flocking causes their own problems.

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Yes, but as you say it can be done, and I personally would rather buy a 'normal' saddle with wooden tree that fitted perfectly, and then perhaps have the tree altered slightly if said horse changed shape to the point it was that or get another saddle, than fuss around with some of the newer inventions which imo are not that great and certainly don't suit every horse.

Of course I am not suggesting a wooden tree could be altered from, say, a narrow fit to extra wide!!
 
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Wooden trees aren't designed to have the width altered. It can be done but wooden trees aren't designed with this in mind and there is a risk of the tree breaking. The flocking can be altered to change width but over/under flocking causes their own problems.

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Yes, but as you say it can be done, and I personally would rather buy a 'normal' saddle with wooden tree that fitted perfectly, and then perhaps have the tree altered slightly if said horse changed shape to the point it was that or get another saddle, than fuss around with some of the newer inventions which imo are not that great and certainly don't suit every horse.

Of course I am not suggesting a wooden tree could be altered from, say, a narrow fit to extra wide!!

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Yeah, I agree with what you are saying. Wooden trees can be adjusted but aren't designed to be and each adjustment can/will weaken the tree. If you buy a saddle designed with tree adjustment in mind (ie a plastic tree) then you can adjust the tree with no detriment to the saddle.

I'm also not a fan of adjustable gullets (wintec/bates/thorowgood) for the same reasons that you have mentioned
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When a saddler comes out to you with a van full of saddles they can only sell you what fits best on the day whereas if you buy a fully adjustable saddle it can be adjusted on the spot to precisely fit your horse. Does that make any sense? I think we are saying the same thing but just coming at it from different angles
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My saddler always told me to get a spring tree, these arnt designed to be adjusted like the thorowgood etc, but they can be adjusted, better then a solid wooden tree x unless ive got completely confused and made a tit out of myself lol x
 
my dressage saddle is an adjustable wintec one and it fits my mare perfectly. I bought it because she is only a loan so if I get another one I can just change the gullet. If you are unsure get your saddler to come out with lots of different saddles and let her/him cast their expert eye!
 
"Of course I am not suggesting a wooden tree could be altered from, say, a narrow fit to extra wide!! "

No, but a WOW can. And is adjustable front to back and side to side as well. Not everyone likes them but you can't beat them for adjustability! £500-£1000 off eBay and fitters all around the country if you need them.

Or go for Free'n'easy/Reactorpanel which are different in styole altogether but also very versatile in what they will fit.

I'd go for a gullet you can change every time, provided the rest of the saddle suits your horse. Most horses change one gullet plate size in winter/summer and are stuck with a non-adjustable saddle.

Yes, you can change a fixed tree, but they have to heat it and bend it and that weakens it and can only be done if it's a good quality tree, and a limited number of times.
 
i love wintec saddles, but cannot stress enough that they don't fit every horse. i'm desperate for my wintec 2000 to fit Raff, but it just doesn't. It's too banana shaped and rocks around, regardless of gullet change... Bates are also lovely saddles... but are a very similar shape to wintecs (made by same company).

you'd be best off getting saddler out that stocks bates/wintecs etc and seeing what they say.... x
 
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