Are adjustable gullet saddles good?

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Scheherezade

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I'm wanting to buy a dressage and a jumping saddle. As it is mostly jumping I want to do, I'm going to get a decent jump saddle which will last, but just a run-of-the-mill dressage.

My saddler is coming out on Saturday to fit a dressage, as I told him I was going to buy a second hand bates caprilli jump. But are they any good? My friend has one and loves it. My horse is only young, and constantly changing, this will be our fourth saddle in just over a year, hence why I'd rather have an adjustable gullet.
 
hi ive had so much trouble finding saddles to fit my cobs i have 3 now all at £900 a piece so i change them when they change shape through the seasons but i was looking in rideaway and saw the kent and masters adjustable leather saddle and wondered about that have a look www.rideaway.co.uk has anyone had one and what do they think if you have a youngster i would deffo go down this line and save a lot of time and money ive also heard that the new leather Thorowgood leather saddles are good but they do only black and i want brown i wouldn't touch a Wintec as its all to do with the gullets and the wintec bow in at the ends causing problems the Thorowgoods are straight at sides all the way down, good luck let me know what you think of the kent and masters !!
 
i love my wintec dressage, it's very comfy, fits well and is cheap!! it also means i can fit it to my new horse (when I get one), saddles are like all things, some fit and some don't so it's a good idea that you're getting your saddler out to check
 
oooh the bates caprilli is like my dream saddle at the moment!
I have a crappy Wintec 2000 but the adjustable gullet system is really handy, saddle has fit my two previous horses a 14.1 cobby type pony and a 15.3hh TB and all we needed to do was change the gullet inbetween.
 
I have a Bates Caprilli - it came with my mare and I have to say it's like riding your best friend. It looks after your bum and your horse. I honesty never thought I'd love saddle so much - I've done endurance rides, hunted and show jumping etc and it's been fantastic for everything. I've never had to have it adjused but my friend bought a brand new one and has had it changed a few times and to 2 different horses.

I'd say a definate go for it!! Love it!!
 
Great
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Thanks for your responses! They're going for new on equestrianclearance for 685 which sounds like a bit of a bargain to me!
 
I just bought my boy a Wintec VSD Saddle second hand off ebay so I hope so lol. I got it for a decent price and will fit the relevant gullet to suit his shape etc.
Your Horse - Wintec VSD Review

I don't really know what we'll both be doing as we are both learning about each other still (had him 3 months). This saddle seemed ideal to let us have a go in all areas as well as being adaptable to his ever changing shape
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Anybody else got one of these?
 
Wintecs and Bates (the leather version) only suit TB types and really do not fit cobs well. Thorowgoods fit cobs better and have both FISH (a shim system) and changeable gullet.

Adjusting the front means nothing if the panels and tree do not suit your horse. The point of being able to adjust the front is to take into account muscle development but the saddle must fundamentally fit the horse.
 
Thanks,

As saddler is coming tomorrow I'l get him to come back out when I do get one to check it. I'm guessing they hold their value quite well so if I need to sell it on then there's no bother. He has a fairly flat back, so the cair might not suit him, so I suppose I can either put a sheepskin pad under, or get it flocked.

I was going to get a wintec dressage but I just don't like synthetics
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they feel so stiff, plus the squeaky sound they make when I wear long boots is so iritating! So I decided to get a cheap leather one off my saddler.

Thanks for letting me talk to myself! My friends think I'm barking.
 
I'd really recommend the thorowgood saddles. The T6 looks exactly like leather and doesnt move. Can't remember her user name but the girl that owns pickles has a T6 dressage and has posted pics of it before and it looks fab. Kent and Masters and Fairfax are both leather versions of thorowgood saddles, but are far more adjustable. The fairfax has a series of shims that can adjust the back as well as the gullet at the front and the panels can be altered too - as can the panels on the T6. A better long term buy imo
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He has a fairly flat back, so the cair might not suit him, so I suppose I can either put a sheepskin pad under, or get it flocked.



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no - the tree and panels wont fit a lfat backed horse and Cair is worse. Putting a sheepksin underneath will just try to disguise the problem but will create pressure points as the tree rocks back and forth on your horse's back.
 
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Adjusting the front means nothing if the panels and tree do not suit your horse. The point of being able to adjust the front is to take into account muscle development but the saddle must fundamentally fit the horse.

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YES! I agree. At long last someone else knows this! Just changing the gullet isnt the be all and end all that most people think it is.

Thorowgood would be a better option than wintec, provided you choose the model most suited to your horses type.
 
What about the collegiate flocked changeable ones?

My saddler will be out every 3-6months to check my dressage saddle, so it will be getting assessed etc. Edit: He's coming out in the next couple of hours, so I'll ask him which he prefers. I just can't make decisions! I'm torn between a £390 new Collegiate, brand new caprilli for £680, or used momentum for £475.
 
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