Experiences with Wintec adjustable gullet saddles

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1Lucie

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I am contemplating buying one of the above. My horse currently has an albion gp (old one) but he is changing shape left right and centre from gaining weight (intential) and muscle. Instead of having to buy new saddles every few months i wondered if this maybe an option! He is a chunky irish draught cross.

Opinions? Are certain models better than others?
 
I've got a wintec and find it quite nice, my boy was fat when I got him so I needed something that I could change easily, it's definitely good for that!
 
Wintecs are quite comfy but don't suit very round cobs, who seem to be happier in a Thorowgood cob or cobplus.

On the plus side, there's loads of second hand Wintecs on ebay for under £200 and tons of second hand gullets too.

I should warn you that the gullets are a bit trickier to change than Wintec admit - rather than the 'few minutes in the tack room' they suggest I found it was more like a good 15 minutes wrestling with it on the kitchen floor...
 
I had one for my mare - never again! She is an IDxCob and quite chunky and it was fitted by a 'master saddler' but after only a few weeks and him coming out numerous times it was still not fitting right and was hurting her. Never using him or Wintec's ever again. She has a Thorowgood T6 Cob GP saddle now and its fab :)
 
I have the wintec wide on my round flat backed Dales. I have had 3 different saddlers all say it's a good fit. My mare gains and loses weight at the drop of a hat so the option of altering the gullet is useful.
I find changing the gullet fiddly rather than difficult takes me about 5 mins.
 
I had a wintec wide forum cob who was v fat when I got him. He started off in an xxxw and he eventually got down to a xw and I upgraded to a bates (leather wintec) once he was pretty stable with his weight.

It was great for us and easy to sell on eBay due to their adjustability. I found the bates much more comfy but the wintec was fine really.
 
I have 4 of them:

Isabell Werth Dressage saddle - Comfy deep seat very good

Bates Innova (Extended blocs) Excellent for big striding animals, mine is used on my huge 18hh Dressage horse - disadvantages: if you have larger thighs you can feel a bit constricted. I had to lose weight to fit into it comfortably but they are nice saddles.

Wintec G.P ok but I prefer Albion and Stubben as not deep enough for me.

Wintec pony saddle - v. good for changing shapes.

Overall I think they are very useful saddles as they adapt to alot of shape changes. Very easy Maintenance especially when out in bad weather but wouldnt do a days hunting in it as not comfy enough.
 
I've just bought a Wintec Wide for my youngster. I dont' have the money to keep spending on different saddles as she changes shape and the "New" wintec which has just come out, also has pads which can go into the seat at either the front, middle or back to lift as necessary, in different sizes. I only rode in it for the first time yesterday and was astounded how comfy it was - but I think I need a wider gullet in.
 
Have happily ridden my Arab in a Wintec VSD for years. Would prefer a better saddle but it does the job and horse seems comfortable, which is the main thing.
 
I spoke to a saddler about them and he said the range of gullets is too wide he said a change either side of medium might be ok but any wider and you are unbalancing the whole saddle, there is more to fit that just adjusting the gullet.

I prefer a wider saddle (such as albion / ideal) with big pannels so padding can be adjusted to suit, those with changing horses can use combinations of pads in conjunction with a good saddle fitter.
 
I love the Wintecs.....last summer (Southern Hemisphere) my 2 had blue and red gullets, I have just re-measured both of them for this summer and they both need white (xtra wide!)
 
check out gfs... they have released a brand new range which is all leather and fully adjustable, the tree is a better shape for flat backed horses too. They sell brand new for 500 quid! You should be able to pick up a second hand one cheaper :)
 
sbloom said:
From a saddle fitter colleague from across the pond, and I totally agree with her:

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

I actually think the analysis of the kink in the gullet is flawed as the lower section sets the angle, there really is no point pressure at the kink point. Given that they are probably the biggest selling gullet saddle with millions of happy customers it seems very implausible.

I have a New Wintec which my very sensitive TB finds more comfortable than my beautiful Ideal and L&R dressage saddle (both professionally fitted and now sold)

I have a Wintec Wide for my haflinger but would love a New one.
 
I believe thay have made it this shape to give a higher pommel ie a deeper seat. Kitt is an extremely experienced saddle fitter, even more so than I, and we have both noticed the issue with pressure along the top edge of the panel. Normally this indicates a too-wide tree when the headplate is a more even shape but putting in a narrower headplate does not improve the contact of the panels.

Press on the pommel of your saddle and try running your hand under from gullet to the points - you will find that the top edge of the panel exerts more pressure than the points even in the "correct" width headplate.

Yes, many horses go well in the saddles, but it doesn't mean Kitt or I will start to recommend them when someone is starting from scratch and is buying a saddle. as I posted on another thread this morning, we want our horses to be at least straight from the wither, perhaps even convex on a well muscled horse, we don't want them to be the shape of that headplate...
 
sbloom said:
Press on the pommel of your saddle and try running your hand under from gullet to the points - you will find that the top edge of the panel exerts more pressure than the points even in the "correct" width headplate.

...
Click to expand...

But the weight of a rider does not fall on the top of the pommel.
 
A tree is designed to spread the weight of the rider across the whole tree - pressing on the pommel very roughly replicates the amount of weight that will be on the pommel. It is a technique that is very useful and is my first step in ascertaining appropriate tree width. Once a rider is on board you will not commonly be able to feel what the horse feels - you may not even be able to get your hand under the front, depending on the model of saddle and shape of horse, so this is our best way of replicating what the horse feels.

Come out with me saddle fitting and I'll show you :D
 
sbloom said:
A tree is designed to spread the weight of the rider across the whole tree - pressing on the pommel very roughly replicates the amount of weight that will be on the pommel. It is a technique that is very useful and is my first step in ascertaining appropriate tree width. Once a rider is on board you will not commonly be able to feel what the horse feels - you may not even be able to get your hand under the front, depending on the model of saddle and shape of horse, so this is our best way of replicating what the horse feels.

Come out with me saddle fitting and I'll show you :D
Click to expand...

Sorry, but as most pressure comes from the stirrup points which are behind the gullet bar, and yes of course the tree is designed to spread the load, pushing on the pommel which does not take weight cannot immitate weight bearing situations and so it is flawed.

Always happy to learn from fitters, but I'll stick to the ones I believe talk sense. :)
 
Not sure who you have been listening to but if a saddle fits well the weight is spread across the whole tree and panel. If the weight was all on the bars we'd all have very sore horses.

And you know what, that kink in the headplate means the bars can be too close set for many horses, and is commonly where horses do get sore if they get sore in a Wintec.

So glad I spent the time to explain to someone so open minded, and so polite!!
 
Well i spent an hour today trying to undo the screws to change my gullet, i couldnt get it, YOs husband couldnt get it either. So im now stuck with a gullet thats too big therefore a saddle that doesnt fit my horse.
 
sbloom said:
Not sure who you have been listening to but if a saddle fits well the weight is spread across the whole tree and panel. If the weight was all on the bars we'd all have very sore horses.

And you know what, that kink in the headplate means the bars can be too close set for many horses, and is commonly where horses do get sore if they get sore in a Wintec.

So glad I spent the time to explain to someone so open minded, and so polite!!
Click to expand...

Had a wintec for my HanxTb and she became sore at exactly that spot, did not get on with it at all, could never get it to fit properly despite the fitter changing gullets several times and saying all was fine.
Knew it wasn't as mare made it quite obvious! :D:
And can't stand the way synthetic saddles never really mould to the horse like a well fitted leather saddle does.
 
Clava said:
Sorry, but as most pressure comes from the stirrup points which are behind the gullet bar, and yes of course the tree is designed to spread the load, pushing on the pommel which does not take weight cannot immitate weight bearing situations and so it is flawed.

Always happy to learn from fitters, but I'll stick to the ones I believe talk sense. :)
Click to expand...

So why then, do horses with badly fitting saddles have white hair in front of the stirrup bars - normally near or around the whither area - which is the closest point to the pommel?
 
Had wintec's for years, all my horses have them now, even the very round ones, no problems whatsoever with them. If the plate needs to be changed (rarely) I do it then the saddler checks the saddle is still sitting right.
 
I have the new Wintec wide and love it. Ive found going from a xxw to an xw is very difficult, but going from xw to xxw is easy!

I wouldnt change mine for the word!

I have found with the couple I have had, they come up bigger in seat size than stated. xx
 
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