Anyone got anything good to say about 'Cair'?

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TED2010

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Just wondering if anyone is a fan of Cair in saddles? I really want to get a Wintec Isabelle Werth Dressage saddle but can only find ones with Cair - seems to be hardly any flocked ones available. I have been warned off getting one with Cair by a few people but saddler i spoke to recently says he sells a lot and the bags are guaranteed for 5 years. I have found a new one for around £500 on equestrian clearance but they only have the ones with Cair left (probably a telling sign!) Have heard a few horror stories of them giving horses bad backs but thought the whole idea of it was that it was good for horses back, even weight distribution etc. Never had synthetic or used Cair so any thoughts or experiences much appreciated! Should I hold out and keep hoping a flocked one will come up? If anyone is selling one (17.5 or 18"), please let me know! Thanks :)
 
I recently bought a wintec with Cair as it was the only thing the saddler had that fitted my horse. I fully expected to dislike it after all I'd heard (and not being a fan of synthetic saddles) but so far it's ok. I'd have a flocked one by preference (no danger of it going 'pop'!) but so far my horse is going well in it. It also feels much better to sit on than I expected.
 
I had 2 Cair saddles, they were lovely. Both sold now as the horses they fitted have sadly passed on, and I now have 2 I don't ride and one who was treated to a leather saddle as I want to show him.

I had one for around 10 years I think... it never went "pop".

Rumours are often enough to put someone off something. But just because one person doesn't like something, doesn't always mean that their opinion is right for everyone :) Give it a go if you really want one - they hold their resale value pretty well. Or - ask Eq. Clearance if you can return it if it doesn't fit. Then at least you can try it :)
 
sychnant said:
I had 2 Cair saddles, they were lovely. Both sold now as the horses they fitted have sadly passed on, and I now have 2 I don't ride and one who was treated to a leather saddle as I want to show him.

I had one for around 10 years I think... it never went "pop".

Rumours are often enough to put someone off something. But just because one person doesn't like something, doesn't always mean that their opinion is right for everyone :) Give it a go if you really want one - they hold their resale value pretty well. Or - ask Eq. Clearance if you can return it if it doesn't fit. Then at least you can try it :)
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Thanks, Thats why I posted really, there are so many saddles sold with Cair, I figured they can't be all bad and people will alway have the odd bad experiences with things, and people have very different opinions too! Surely they wouldn't keep making them if they are that problematic? It just put me off that a few people said stear clear. I might see if they will let me return it if it doesn't fit, Thank you!:o
 
If you can find one that isn't pumped up so it's like a block of concrete, then I don't see a huge problem using one as long as it fits. My issue with them is when they're pumped up too much and are too solid. Air doesn't compress like flocking!
 
lindsayH said:
I recently bought a wintec with Cair as it was the only thing the saddler had that fitted my horse. I fully expected to dislike it after all I'd heard (and not being a fan of synthetic saddles) but so far it's ok. I'd have a flocked one by preference (no danger of it going 'pop'!) but so far my horse is going well in it. It also feels much better to sit on than I expected.
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^^ This! I prefer my Wintec with Cair to my flocked Wintec. :)
 
So interesting to get others opinions! A saddler I just spoke to said he thinks some saddlers warn people off the Wintecs because they don't get any work out of the Cair system and people can adjust the gullets to fit the changing shape of the horse. He said they were the largest stockests of Wintec in the South and have had very few problems with Cair or disatisfied customers. (I know he is trying to sell me a saddle!):)
 
I can only speak as I find, I have had two Wintec Cair (CC) saddles and they were excellent. Lasted for years, no problems at all, easy to maintain, nice and lightweight. Used on hunters so they were on for long periods of time.

Personally, I would recommend them.
 
I've heard alot of stories about cair saddles too, but i needed a gp saddle quick when i bought my horse without one and all i could find was a close contact with cair. I must say i really liked it, it wasnt rock solid, nor too spongy, and i never had any problems with it.
I then bought a flocked wintec 500, and it was so heavy, i really didnt like it. So i upgraded to a wintec isabella with cair, and once again i really love it, its definitely a keeper!
 
There seems to be a lot of 'love or hate' it type stuff about cair at the moment. My saddler said the current trend is for people to have the Cair stripped out of their saddles to be replaced by flocking.
I go by how my horses feel, and mine are just as happy with cair as with flock. The biggest problem I have is that my flocked saddles need reflocking, where as the cair look after themselves. My saddler said they sometimes 'go' at the seams on a cair bag, especially if they are subjected to dramatic temperature changes. You can add flocking on some cair saddles to adjust fit too.
 
Glad I came across this thread as I have just ordered a wintec isabell with cair and am waiting for it to arrive. I too had read some worrying things about cair, but decided to go ahead anyway, figuring that if there really was a problem they would have stopped making them by now.
 
I have a Wintec 2000 with CAIR and I absolutely love it! I bought it second hand 6 years ago and I've had no trouble with it at all. I hadn't heard that the CAIR panels could "pop" and don't know anyone with a Wintec who has had that problem.
 
I have one horse who loves cair and just goes so so well in her cair saddle.
And one who developed a hatred for it after about 6 months! ... I had the cair removed, the saddle flocked and refitted by a master saddler and now he loves the same saddle :)
 
Wagtail said:
Glad I came across this thread as I have just ordered a wintec isabell with cair and am waiting for it to arrive. I too had read some worrying things about cair, but decided to go ahead anyway, figuring that if there really was a problem they would have stopped making them by now.
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This was my thinking too! Glad i have had some positive responses, I feel much more confident about ordering now! Thank you all :)
 
No problems with the cair AS LONG as they are fitted properly.

Before you but the old style Isabella try the new ..... They have wider gullet etc so fit the horse better but they are sooooooo comfortable for the rider as well!!!! It is like riding in an secure armchair - heaven!
 
Enfys said:
I can only speak as I find, I have had two Wintec Cair (CC) saddles and they were excellent. Lasted for years, no problems at all, easy to maintain, nice and lightweight. Used on hunters so they were on for long periods of time.

Personally, I would recommend them.
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^^^what she said^^^^

I have heard that some can be pumped up too hard but both mine were just right and never went pop. I have heard of some people doing away with the air and having them flocked, but I personally love mine.

P.S. Efyns, I love your siggy.
 
You cant pump up cair. You can pump up flair.

The cair panels soften once warm. So initially they may feel hard but they soften quite quickly.

Cair and flair worked for my horse. I like both.

But there were other issues related to Bates saddles which I was not impressed with...

So did I like my Bates...yes!:)

Would I buy another...No!;)
 
I have a Wintec with Cair on my Sec D mare who hacks and a Bates with Cair on my constantly-changing-shape Warmblood who events. Absolutely LOVE both, have never had a problem at all with either, comfy to ride in and make a saddle lighter aswell. Would def recommend it! My saddler says the only problem with Cair is people think a saddle will just 'change shape' to fit any horse. He also agrees that some saddlers don't like Cair because its less work for them :)
 
The Flair system is much better than Cair, if you really want an air filled saddle.

I wouldn't use a Cair saddle with my own horses as although I have known some horses that get on very well with their Cair saddles, I've also known some with very sore backs (infront and behind the rider, so unusually placed pressure points). The horses that were fine weren't really ridden that much or it wasn't their only saddle, so I wouldn't risk it on what I've seen.

I have been told that the flock Wintecs don't have the greatest quality flocking (they are quite hard)... hmmm.... I think I'd rather have a Thorowgood. :p
 
I have a Cair close contact jumping saddle, so far it hasn't caused any problems however if I get a new horse it will be stripped and flocked :)
 
I have a bates cair saddle that i have had about 8 years now and its still fantastic. my horse always went very well in it would be very happy with cair in my saddle agian. i found if i rode a long and placed my hand underneath my hand was fine if it was under flocking it would go numb in a short time. This horse is no longer around but a friend of mine is loaning it at the momnet and loves it too.
However for my other horse I have a flocked saddle as my bates didn't fit her shape. and my latest edition is treeless as this is what she was backed in before i got her and this is what she likes.
I would be more than happy to have a cair saddle again not keen on flair saddles though
 
It's not them 'popping' that's the problem it's that on some horses they bounce, hence the sore backs.

I had mine gutted and flocked and no problem with the soreness after that; saddler said he had seen lots of sensitive backs with cair saddles..........
 
I'd always ended up thinking that compressed air is much harder than flock. Flock has more give and elasticity - whereas a hard pocket of air is completely unrelenting..

That's where I got to - then I got confused and went and had a cuppa instead! :D
 
I have a Bates with Cair and also a Wintec with Cair too. They are both Australian stock saddles and we play polocrosse in them, and hack out for anything upto 9 hours in them with no problems at all. They are really comfy, and the "cair" seems to work on both my horses.

I love them
 
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