Air filled saddles??recommend a dressage saddle!help!!!

[hannah87]

Hi, i am looking into buying a synthetic dressage saddle for my mare...(cant afford a leather one!) I have noticed there seems to be alot with either the air filled panels or flocked as a choice and was wondering what most people would go for? I have no experience of the air filled ones?
Any opinions on these would be great? was planning on trying a variety of both ,
also if anyone could reccomend a saddle that would be great!thanks

 

[Baileysno1]

I have a wintec Isabella with Cair panels, I really like it and will hopefully upgrade to the leather version at some point, its very supportive and comfy and its nice not to worry about the leather getting wet.

 

[miller]

Personally would go with flock - not keen on air saddles from a gerneral point of view and have not liked any I've ridden on

 

[Sneedy]

I too would go for flock. Although air saddles feel nice and squidgy off the horse, when you put rider weight on them they go rock hard (imagine a balloon, when you squeeze all the air to the end the end is rock hard - try it!!).

This is just my opinion tho, there are plenty that use them and seem to get on fine!!

 

[1275gta]

I have been told not to go for air as apparently they can cause damage to horses backs. I have no expereince with them so not sure if its true.

 

[Kallibear]

If the tree is a perfect fit, the cair panels work well as they don't go lumpy. If the tree ISN'T a perfect fit, they're awful.

In a flocked saddle you get bedding down, where parts of the panel that doesn't quiet match the horses back squish and flatten out as the flocking moves. This bedding down takes pressure and the parts that don't quite match cause pressure points until it moves. Ideally, once its bedded in, it matches the horses back pefectly and there is no more pressure points (in a well fitted saddle).

With cair however, it never beds down. The parts that don't quite match take pressure to deform (Flair is very soft and deforms with minimal pressure - Cair is much harder and requires some pressure to deform) then SPRING BACK again the second the rider shifts their weight. That pressure point is re applied over and over and over again, never getting less (like it would with flocking) - it leads to sore points eventually.

Cair is also noutorious for causing sore patches on their outside edge at the back - the wintec saddles (esp the 500 and 2000) have very cambred panels at the back, to suit a TB's sloping loins - on 'normal' flat horses those edges dig in. With flocking the edges eventually flatten out (still not great though) but cair never does.

 

[Tiffany]

I had a WOW flair filled saddle and would never have an air filled saddle again. They seem to need adjusting more often. In the end my needed doing every 6 weeks! I've now got an albion traditional flock and I love it

Each to their own though.