Bates wide saddle

kerrieberry2

kerrieberry2

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has anyone got this?

what do you think of it?

just found out the saddle I was going to use for my baby has a broken tree, so was talking to the wintec and bates reps in Robinsons yesterday, they suggested the Wintec 500 wide as he's already in a wide gullet at 3 and has big shoulders, but I didn't like it, the only other wide saddle they do is the Bates all purpose, so wonder what you guys think of it! £900+ is a lot of money for me to be spending on a saddle but from what they were saying it does sound like it could be adjusted a lot, so would be a saddle for life!

I'm on about the new model with Flair?
 
No idea as I got the Wintec wide as is the same as the Bates just synthetic and a lot cheaper as, for my youngster's first saddle I didn't want to spend a fortune but wanted an adjustable one until he stopped growing. However, he has now decided he is freaking out (violently) with having a saddle on. I do not know whether this saddle is the issue or not. However, I got the Cair filled one and have since heard many people are not fans of Cair so I am deliberating over whether to get it flocked or indeed to give it up as a bad job and try something else!

Get someone to fit it to your horse - they don't fit every horse's shape.
 
oh yes I will get the saddle fitter out, but kinda want an idea of what i'd like before they come out!

I do quite like the look of the new throwogood saddles but I just like the sound of the new flair saddle as you can adjust the amount of air in them and it sounds better than the cair that they currently do, as it apparently moves with the horse as he develops new muscles etc!

but maybe they just talked a good talk! suppose the flair is so new, only time will tell!

my old saddle was a wintec 2000 with a wide gullet, which fitted him well! but I know the old 500s were not a very nice fit on him and were not very comfy, so think that's kind of put me off the newer model!

how old is yours?
 
I got mine new a couple of months ago. I have a Kent & Masters for my other horse and quite like that but that's a cob one so a bit straighter cut and I wanted a bit more knee roll for my youngster so I got a Thorogood T8 and a Wintec Wide to try - the T8 just didn't sit right at all but I felt the Wintec did. I have not had anyone fit it though but my instructor is very in to saddles and said it was plenty wide enough and suggested padding it out whilst he was developing. She likes to have saddles that are too wide by a margin though and prefers to pad out as opposed to getting saddles that 'fit'.

I find the Wintec fine (although the synthetic girths straps are very irritating and hard work!) but I am now wondering if it's right for my horse. Instructor is not a fan of the Cair/any air systems though and says I'd be better getting a normal flocked saddle as the air in the Cair moves around and she doesn't think that's a good thing.

I spoke to our local saddler who is a saddle fitter and he said what the instructor said is "rubbish" and that's the whole point of the air. He is a traditional saddler too so not trying to sell any particular make of saddle.

However, this just leaves me a very confused person!!!
 
I have just bought one and absolutely love it. My knabstrupper youngster has big shoulders, hardly any wither and a broad flat back and this was the only one that fitted properly. I too was hesitant to pay that much for a saddle for a youngster but my saddle fitter assured me that it will last her for years as is very adjustable. It not only fits my mare perfectly, it is also extremely comfortable to ride in. Hope this helps.
 
I know what you mean about the different opinions for flock and air! its a massive mind field but the ladies from Bates/Wintec were very good, they got me standing on the air pads that they have inside the saddles, which helped convince me!

Thanks Hollywood, that's great feed back! I was also considering getting an albion in a few years but if I spend £900+ on a bates, I know it will be more adjustable and more easily adjustable than an albion, so maybe it would be worth it!

I have an old wintec 2000 for my mare, it costs less than 300, I've had it 11 years and its still in great condition, so if a 900 saddle lasts as well as that, i'd be very happy!
 
I have had it a couple of months now and I love it. I was worried about spending that amount of money ( we call it the million dollar saddle and it lives in my house!) but for the fit it was well worth it. My last saddle was flocked and tbh honest I cant really tell any difference between that and the cair in the one I have now apart from the new one is much lighter to carry around! Get a good saddler to fit it as there is a lot of adjustments they can do to make it perfect.
 
kinnygirl1 said:
I have had it a couple of months now and I love it. I was worried about spending that amount of money ( we call it the million dollar saddle and it lives in my house!) but for the fit it was well worth it. My last saddle was flocked and tbh honest I cant really tell any difference between that and the cair in the one I have now apart from the new one is much lighter to carry around! Get a good saddler to fit it as there is a lot of adjustments they can do to make it perfect.
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Brilliant, thanks guys! I will defo get a good saddle fitter, not taking any risks with my boy! he's good a rearing up, so don't want him to be uncomfortable and to react with a rear! so he is having a physio out next month to check his back! was going to try and back him at the end of the summer but now i'm saddleless I will be waiting until he's 4, next year, which I see a bless in disguise! so I will make sure he's all good for when I get on him, hehe!

Like you, mine will be kept at home, couldn't leave it up to chance hehe!
 
I have a Bates Wide. It was the only saddle we could find that actually fitted my Section D. The tree is very adjustable, very easily. The saddler has made it narrower, wider, narrower, added schim things at the front, then at the back, etc. etc.

It is just fantastic, that it can be changed so often. My horse is always changing shape and it is very easy to keep up with him (I am on a big yard and the saddler probably visits at least once a month - so I get him to just check mine whilst he is there).

I love the Cair system. It doesn't get lumpy or hard like flocking and is extremely even over the horse's back.

My only problem is my last saddle was an Albion, which was like sitting in an armchair - it was so comfortable. I don't find the Bates Wide that comfortable (so I have a sheepskin seat saver on it). However, my comfort is secondary to the horse's.
 
WetandMuddy said:
I have a Bates Wide. It was the only saddle we could find that actually fitted my Section D. The tree is very adjustable, very easily. The saddler has made it narrower, wider, narrower, added schim things at the front, then at the back, etc. etc.

It is just fantastic, that it can be changed so often. My horse is always changing shape and it is very easy to keep up with him (I am on a big yard and the saddler probably visits at least once a month - so I get him to just check mine whilst he is there).

I love the Cair system. It doesn't get lumpy or hard like flocking and is extremely even over the horse's back.

My only problem is my last saddle was an Albion, which was like sitting in an armchair - it was so comfortable. I don't find the Bates Wide that comfortable (so I have a sheepskin seat saver on it). However, my comfort is secondary to the horse's.
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brilliant, great feed back, I've never been lucky enough to site on an albion, so im sure to me, it will be more comfy than the wintec 2000 :) I sat on it for a while in Robinsons yesterday and it did feel really nice! so just hope it will fit the boy!

Fingers x'd
 
OP - what sort of horse do you have? The only reason I ask is because I have a Bates on my high withered TB and it's perfect - the best fitting saddle I've ever had. I was also very very sceptical about the cair. I point blank refused it at first. And then I tried it and realised that actually it feels absolutely no different to ride in and there are no lumps and bumps in it for the horse. My physio said that it's one of the best fitting saddles she's seen on a horse.

However I got a Wintec wide for my native - exactly the same as Bates, just synthetic. Oh my word! Never again. It didn't matter what gullet I put in, what inserts went in, it just didn't fit properly. It rocked around on top and I felt extremely unsafe!

So I think it depends on what type of horse you have when it comes to Bates/Wintec saddles. I wouldn't get one for a true roly poly native....I think the Thorowgood cob saddles are probably more suitable for those.

Good luck with your saddle search!
 
He's a conny x tb! but quite big in the shoulder already, he was 3 last month and the gullet I had a few months ago was wide, but think he could do with x wide already as he's bulked up a lot since we moved yards

Him today

 
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