reindeerlover
Well-Known Member
I have seen a really nice saddle with those new-fangled inflatable jobbies in it. Please can someone tell me if they work, what they're like and should I buy it?? 
Inflatable saddles?
- Thread starter reindeerlover
- Start date
Box_Of_Frogs
Well-Known Member
Do you mean the Cair panels? I think some love them and have wonderful stories about how good they are, but some hate them and have terrible stories about how awful they are. You pays your money and you takes your choice!
badgerdog
Well-Known Member
I know people who have them and they swear by them. I've no personal experience of them myself.
milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
Depends if it's Cair or Flair I think - the saddles with Cair that I've seen have been very hard and not well accepted by the horses they were on. My friend had a saddle with Flair which is much softer and adjustable and she said her horse was fab in it. I'm about to try one with Flair myself - hope I get the same reaction!
reindeerlover
Well-Known Member
Oh, cool thanks everyone. I think it's Flair (that seems to ring a bell). Do you inflate the panels yourself or does a saddler have to do it? I can imagine myself stopping XC and having to get the foot pump out if I get a puncture.....
milliepops
Wears headscarf aggressively
LMAO! Well ideally a saddler would do it so that it fitted your horse. Although I think you can buy DIY kits to do it yourself once you know what you are doing 
samcrob
Well-Known Member
I read in a mag last month that you can go on a one day course in Kent with the people who designed the saddle and learn how to adjust them etc etc - you even get a certificate at the end of it!!
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite
Well-Known Member
Mine's been ridden (at livery) in a Wintec saddle with CAIR and basically he's got a sore back and is out of work.
He'd been in a riding school for years before I had him with an ordinary leather saddle and was OK. So I think that speaks for itself.
I'm thinking of going treeless; anyone have any thoughts/advice?
He'd been in a riding school for years before I had him with an ordinary leather saddle and was OK. So I think that speaks for itself.
I'm thinking of going treeless; anyone have any thoughts/advice?
flyingfeet
Well-Known Member
More likely the saddle didn't fundamentally fit as the Bates / Wintec were built on banana shaped trees. I doubt the type of flocking made a blind bit of difference to the saddle (if indeed it was the saddle and not some heferlump bumping on your horses back....)
reindeerlover
Well-Known Member
Now, another thing I have noticed is that the typw of saddle is not normally sold with airbags- is this some kind of "hybrid" saddle? Is it possible to just get this system in any saddle? Also, is it possible to whip it out if it doesn't suit?
teddyt
Well-Known Member
The type of flocking can make a difference to pressure absorption- its been proven by pressure testing using the same horse, rider and saddle but changing the type of flock between each test.
Cair is a non adjustable sealed plastic bag with a piece of foam in it and a hard piece of foam on the outside of the air bag. It can tend to be hard and not to fluctuate with the horses muscle movement. The 'scientific research' done on cair was comparing it to totally different saddles, not the same saddle with different flocking. So its totally worthless research.
Flair is adjustable and has a softer rubber air bag. A piece of foam just makes sure the air goes to the corners of the air bag. Correctly adjusted (i.e. not over filled) it absorbs pressure very well, distributing it effectively- as proven by pressure testing. It can be adjusted yourself if you know what you are doing but if you adjust it wrongly you will obviously create uneven pressure and hence it will be bad for your horse, as with any saddle that isnt fitted properly.
Cair is a non adjustable sealed plastic bag with a piece of foam in it and a hard piece of foam on the outside of the air bag. It can tend to be hard and not to fluctuate with the horses muscle movement. The 'scientific research' done on cair was comparing it to totally different saddles, not the same saddle with different flocking. So its totally worthless research.
Flair is adjustable and has a softer rubber air bag. A piece of foam just makes sure the air goes to the corners of the air bag. Correctly adjusted (i.e. not over filled) it absorbs pressure very well, distributing it effectively- as proven by pressure testing. It can be adjusted yourself if you know what you are doing but if you adjust it wrongly you will obviously create uneven pressure and hence it will be bad for your horse, as with any saddle that isnt fitted properly.