Any comments on synthetic saddles

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mandy4727

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As the subject suggests. I got a saddle for Calli when we backed her at 3 and a half in September. We gave her a break over Xmas and New 'year and with the bad weather, just started riding her again. Only twice a week. But has been a nightmare. fine in walk, but as to trot (which had just started to get really nice and going somewhere) we had tail swishing, head up and ears back. Got a physio out and there is nothing wrong with her back at all. Had a good look at the saddle (bad mum I now) over the weekend and because we see horse everyday, didn't realise how much she has changed shape. And it is too narrow for her, so what a good horse for behaving the way she has done with out decking the rider and letting us know in her own way. Tried her in a wider saddle and she was a different horse. I only bought the saddle in September and now need another one. As she is only 4 next month, realise she is going to be changing shape and getting muscle for a while yet. So don't really want to go down the expense of keep buying a leather saddle, plus can't afford it. so what do people think of synthetic ones, Just for riding in a couple of times a week for the next year to year and a half, bearing in mind she will be changing shape. Why to I always write essays on here?
 
I'm no expert but my understanding is that todays synthetic saddles are made on exactly the same tree system as a leather one but (obviously) synthetic material rather than leather is then used. A good synthetic saddle (unless you're in top competitions) looks as good as a leather one. The pluses are that they scrub clean with washing up liquid, are as light as a feather, usually have interchangeable gullet systems and don't need special protection in the rain. Another plus is that they tend to be lighter on the pocket as well but like most things, you get what you pay for so if you buy a really cheap one - like a really cheap leather saddle - it won't be of the quality of a more expensive one.

I love the Wintec range and would recommend them to anyone.
 
yeah,agree. For my own horse I have wintec with the gullet change and air flow system. i think its great, have had it 2 years and it was purely financial reasons that made me buy it at the time, but it looks pretty good, is really light and easy to clean
Im very pleased with mine.
 
It is much better to have a well fitting synthetic than a badly fitting leather saddle. I know loads of people like wintecs but i personally find they sit up at the back more often than not, because of the shape of the tree. This is even more likely on an undeveloped youngster. This concentrates the pressure on a smaller area and also causes a pivot point where the saddle rocks. The cair panels are also quite hard and inflexible IMO, whatever the marketing says.
I think Thorowgood saddles are much better designed and they now have changeable gullets too.
 
I use Thorowgood saddles on my young lad, we groke him using one and I liked it so much I got another two, I am using thorowgood T6 GP and Dressage saddles at the moment, the fit is very good they are comfy to ride in and I wont be changing anytime soon, For the price I am very impressed.
 
I have had two Wintec 2000 GPs, and a Wintec Pro dressage. They were the only ones I could afford, and they fitted both my horses. I don't like the dressage one now but it did its job when I bought it - secure, and shallow enough seat to do tiny tiny jumps.
My current horse is a happy hack and I just use the 2000 on her (sold the first 2000 with my pony). It fits her incredibly well and I can mostly just stick a different gullet plate in when I need to and it will still fit. Obviously I get my saddler out periodically to check it, but it's mostly been fine.
Treat it as any other saddle - if it fits horse and rider then great, if not, look elsewhere.
Oh and I agree with teddyt about cair - it's a really stupid idea as they fill most of the panels full (air doesn't compress so this makes it solid as concrete!)
 
It really depends on your horse's shape - wintecs suit TB types and thorowgoods usually suit something with a broader back.

With youngsters, they change shape almost monthly. My CB did not stop groing until he was 6 (bought at 4) and he was constantly getting croup high, then fat then croup high then fat. I fitted him with a Saddle Company saddle (leather but has an adjustable tree) and I must have adjusted it about 15 times in those 2 years.

My other horse changes shape through being out of work 3 or 4 times a year. Again, he has a Saddle Company saddle.

The best thing to do is to get a good local fitter who stocks both the wintec and thorowgood range and get them out to fit your horse. Outside of those two brands, I really dont rate the other synthetics.
 
I have a wide fitting Kincade GP synthetic saddle for my Rosie. I bought it off ebay for £60. It was only 4 months old as the owners horse had to be PTS. It fits Rosie perfectly. Looks like leather, really smart and easy to clean. Do prefer leather saddles, but saving up for a made to measure one for my big girl.
 
Please bear in mind that although a lot of interchangeable gullet based synthetic saddle makers make the claim that their saddles will fit anything this is simply a misnomer. Take my last horse with high withers. You'd automatically think "go narrow". However his actual saddle fit was medium wide whcih caused the saddle to come down onto his withers. The only way to raise the pommel off the wither would have been to go narrower, but this would have caused him discomfort through his shoulders and back. So instead I used a front riser pad, which did its job for a time, and raised the saddle off his withers. However over a period of months it also caused more problems than it fixed by causing the saddle to tilt so all the weight was pushed to the back of the saddle which made him very sore.
 
I dont like them.
When the plastic splits, you cant mend them like you can a leather saddle.
I dont think you can get them to fit as well as you can a leather saddle.
Horses for courses I guess.

I'd rather save up and get a leather saddle (and I have done so in the past)

I used to think they were a marvellous idea, until pony came with one on trial. Horrible trying to do up the girth straps, very uncomfortable, didn't feel secure on it and so on. So he did without a saddle for a few weeks after we bought him until I could afford a lovely leather saddle for him.
 
I love synthetic saddles and have used nothing else for the past 14 years. I've had 5 or 6 different Thorowgoods, for a narrow high-withered TB and two wide Arabs, and backed my youngster with a Maxam Cob GP extra-wide as it was cheap so wouldn't matter if he trashed it, very lightweight - and it fitted him so well he wore it for the next 2 years.

My endurance saddles have done 4500 competitive kilometres between them, plus all the training kms, and still look good. They've never rubbed or caused pressure bumps; I have them checked every six months and adjusted if necessary. It doesn't matter if they get wet, and cleaning takes only a few minutes.
 
I recently bought a Thorowgood T6 Dressage saddle and I think it's amazing value for money, £450. Someone at the yard thought it was leather! It's great that most of it is interchangable, which is perfect for my boy (high withered ISH). I've also got a Saddle Company GP, which was made to template and cost about £500, it's serge back and leather on the seat and panel flaps, but synthetic on the inside. They are both extremely light, which is a bonus. I have had several expensive leather saddles in the past, which are now gathering dust due to changing shape and different horse!
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I got one in September when I got my horse. He was 4 at the time and the saddler recommended synthetic over leather as he would change shape so much.

I wasn't convinced as I have always hated synthetic saddles but grudgingly conceded that it was better than keep shelling out for expensive leather saddles as he changed shape.

However I am a total convert. I have the Thorowgood T4 and I absolutely love it! It is so light to carry, really easy to clean and soooooo comfy. It also has the benefit of a suede-effect seat which helps to stick me to the saddle a bit better - useful with a youngster I've found!!!

A few people at my yard have the T6 which I think is the range above mine and is leather look and very smart.
 
Don't knock them till you have tried them, I now have two GP & dressage as my leather one no longer fits mi high witherd boy.

I would be hard pushed to go back to leather now they are so comfy to ride on and they are so much lighter on the horses back.

I would highly recommend Thorowgood
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I have 2 wintec 2000's and my wintec isabell has just been delivered this morning.

Love them - they are light, easy to clean - and absolutely no boring leather cleaning on the saddle!
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The couple of comments about the girth straps - I have found the same thing with the lower level (read cheaper) wintecs - but the 2000 has lovely straps, which are perfect to use. Th cheaper wintecs do have horrid plastic straps which I personally don't like, and find difficult to do up.

Essentially - if either the Wintec or Thorowgood saddle will fit your horse - your on to a winner. The interchangeable gullets won't make them fit every single horse - but they are very handy for a horse that is changng shape - as yours probably will. My wintec saddle looks as though it was made for my mare - and the gullets have been very handy as she changes shape over the seasons.
 
I have a t4 hi wither GP for my young WB. I have had him for 12 months and had the saddle changed 3 times. IMO they are fab. There is no way I could afford to keep changing saddles at this rate.

They are dead comfortable to sit on too.
 
As to girth straps - you get leather straps called girth extenders - buy these for both sides & attach your girth to the leather straps rather than battling with the plastic.

You will need a smaller girth, but honestly far far better than coping with the cracks which quickly will appear.
 
I just bought a throwgood hoping it will be good. I have friends who have cheaper ones and have paid the saddler to put leather girth straps on. Don't think it costed much
 
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