bates saddle vs henri de rivel

[ajones]

hi
can anyone who have got the close contact bates saddle or henri de rivel Pigmalion / compertition saddle let me know what you think of them trying to find a new saddle for a wide fitting irish draft. my last saddle was an exselle evo cross country and just couldn't get comfy riding in it .
just need a jumping saddle 18in but must have thigh blocks !! any suggestions

 

[morgan4eva]

I had a HdR Pigmalion which was good but the big problem with it was that as it is "flocked" with latex it cannot be altered to fit properly and also the latex flattens and can get quite solid and hard over time. Nice saddle for rider though and good value for money - cant beat an Albion legend tho!

 

[KatB]

HDR is horrible leather and really dont rate the quality. Was also quite "pinchy" through the shoulder. I like my bates saddle, but try one first as not all horses like the cair. Definitely better than the HDR though!!

 

[Madcow]

My husband has a HdR event saddle that he uses on his ex-racehorse, it isn't the Pigmalion but have found that the leather quality is excellent. The only thing I would say is have the fit checked by a qualified saddle fitter as the saddle we have is medium and is more like a narrow for width. The event model also has excellent sized blocks for knee and thigh so might be worth considering, although him indoors says it has quite a "hard" seat and he doesn't hack out in it through choice (serves him right for having a skinny bottom!)