bates jumping saddle

[tikino]

opinions please

 

[Clippy]

I was in love with my Albion K2 jumping saddle and was convinced I couldn't feel comfortable on anything else. However, my shape-shifting horse forced me into a changable gulleted saddle and I tried the Bates.

It's really comfortable, I feel secure riding in it, not easy to change the gullet but I can manage it with a bit of cursing and I think the quality is great.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Bates saddles are good quality & well made however they are sold as a saddle that will fit any horse, just change the gullet. Unfortunately this is not always the case & I know of several people, me included who had a Bates saddle that did not fit & will never fit a particular horse. You may be alright & find that with the right gullet in the saddle it may fit your horse but it also may not.

 

[Attie]

I have a bates next generation plus and it's a great saddle . I've been bringing my mare back into lots of work and it's been ideal being able to change the gullet down a width as she's changed shape. I do x country in mine and it's excellent. I do agree with others though that even a changeable gullet won't guarantee a fit on all horses. But i'm lucky that mine are easy to fit a saddle to.

 

[sbloom]

Bates saddles are good quality & well made however they are sold as a saddle that will fit any horse, just change the gullet. Unfortunately this is not always the case & I know of several people, me included who had a Bates saddle that did not fit & will never fit a particular horse. You may be alright & find that with the right gullet in the saddle it may fit your horse but it also may not.

Agreed, and a saddle fitting friend of mine expresses the concerns I have with the shape of the headplate:

http://saddlefitter.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/changeable-gullets-details.html