Isabelle Werth Dressage Saddle

[holeymoley]

Has anyone ridden in these? What are your thoughts? I have ridden in a new style Wintec and found it very sore(!) and I wondered if these are the same tree as Wintec or slightly different. I’ve had a google search and they seem to be a bit like marmite.

 

[canteron]

I bought one 15 years ago - and it’s still my go to saddle !! I have bought other saddles over that period but if it’s a new or unfit horse it seems to do ok until they get super fit.
So I’ve had great value from mine. Although lots of people don’t like the air panels, I think it’s gives them versatility and I have always found it a really comfortable saddle.

 

[holeymoley]

I bought one 15 years ago - and it’s still my go to saddle !! I have bought other saddles over that period but if it’s a new or unfit horse it seems to do ok until they get super fit.
So I’ve had great value from mine. Although lots of people don’t like the air panels, I think it’s gives them versatility and I have always found it a really comfortable saddle.

Thank you for your thoughts. The one that I found for a steal was the newer style but I faffed about so much that it’s now sold! Thinking about the older model now. My gelding isn’t very wide in the back so I think the newer model would be too wide behind. The newer one looked very deep in the saddle with big knee rolls which may be a bit restricting.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I can't ride in them to save my life. Too wide for me or something. Just doesn't work, but other people do just fine!

 

[TPO]

My mum has the new version and loved it. I cant remember what she was riding in before but she preferred the new Isabelle Werth.

She bought it brand new but then lost her horse 5mths later so its sat doing nothing waiting for me to try to sell it.

I rode in it once and liked it for the whole hour that I was on it.

It's got the new wintec fitting system and the saddler rated it but I know nothing about it really

 

[DabDab]

I have an old one that I used to use for backing. I find it really comfortable, despite reliably hating every other wintec I've ever sat on. It fits a huge variety of horses too.

 

[silv]

They used to be very popular over here, as you say like marmite. They seem to tip many people forward, I think it is due to the position of the stirrup bars, I had one and hated it for this reason (this was the older dressage model) some folk do like them though and say they are great.

 

[planete]

I was sold the older model by a saddler and found it extremely restricting. I hate feeling I am being held in a fixed position by the saddle.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My friends horse has one it's not a new one but I found it really comfortable for a synthetic much better than others I have ridden in, I generally don't like any synthetic saddle but was quite surprised how good the IW was.

 

[Fruitcake]

There’s quite a difference between the old and new models. I had an old Wintec Isabel Werth and absolutely loved it! OH has a new Bates version, which is a lovely saddle, but I find so uncomfortable and not at all like the old model. He, however, absolutely loves it!

I did a bit of research and it seems that, for some people (often women), the new version can be uncomfortable. OH got his for a bargain as the lady couldn’t get on with it. It had only been used a handful of times and was as new.

My advice would be to try one of each version first. They are nice saddles, with stirrup bars well placed, but don’t assume because you get on with one model, you’ll also like the other.

 

[eggs]

I have a couple of the older style IW - think about 15 years old - and really like them. Friend competed her mare up to Inter 1 in hers.

 

[holeymoley]

There’s quite a difference between the old and new models. I had an old Wintec Isabel Werth and absolutely loved it! OH has a new Bates version, which is a lovely saddle, but I find so uncomfortable and not at all like the old model. He, however, absolutely loves it!

I did a bit of research and it seems that, for some people (often women), the new version can be uncomfortable. OH got his for a bargain as the lady couldn’t get on with it. It had only been used a handful of times and was as new.

My advice would be to try one of each version first. They are nice saddles, with stirrup bars well placed, but don’t assume because you get on with one model, you’ll also like the other.

Thank you. Funnily enough i had a wintec 500 back not long ago when the first came out when my guy was a youngster. I found it quite comfy. I bought a new style wintec 500 through lockdown when my leather was needing the flocking adjusted and i found it really really sore. Thankfully the Isabel Werth one I’ve put an offer in for is the older style.

 

[holeymoley]

Sorry, another question!

So my horse can take a maximum of 17” saddle. I have tried a friend’s 17” new style wintec and it looked too long for my liking so ideally I need a 16.5”. However I wondered if the older tree or in fact the Werth saddle tree in general is different to the 500 trees? I’m sure I’ve read somewhere in my various searches that they are more compact? I’ve also contacted Wintec but no reply yet.

 

[TPO]

Sorry, another question!

So my horse can take a maximum of 17” saddle. I have tried a friend’s 17” new style wintec and it looked too long for my liking so ideally I need a 16.5”. However I wondered if the older tree or in fact the Werth saddle tree in general is different to the 500 trees? I’m sure I’ve read somewhere in my various searches that they are more compact? I’ve also contacted Wintec but no reply yet.

Are you in Scotland? I get easily confused.

If you are I have a 17" new style IW that you're welcome to try

Edited- ignore me, I missed that it was a new style you had tried

 

[Birker2020]

Has anyone ridden in these? What are your thoughts? I have ridden in a new style Wintec and found it very sore(!) and I wondered if these are the same tree as Wintec or slightly different. I’ve had a google search and they seem to be a bit like marmite.

I managed to exchange a partly worn Barnsby saddle I won in a competition with a brand new Isabel CAIR dressage saddle which was a lovely saddle. It made me sit very straight and had adjustable stirrup leathers, and flexibloc and Y girth system. Having taken my horse to elementary in a Jeffries Falcon saddle I found it was quite nice to have a dressage saddle to use. Trouble was it made me sit very straight (something I obviously wasn't doing in my event saddle) and it really made my back sore.

I only used it half a dozen times and then I was unable to ride my horse again in the school due to an old injury. Still have it, made a couple of half hearted attempts to sell it to no avail. Think I will keep hold of it now for my next horse whenever that might be. This is the one I have https://www.naylors.com/wintec-isabell-dressage-saddle-black

 

[iknowmyvalue]

I have a (very) old style one which I was given by someone who had given up horses. It’s one of the full leather ones. I love it. it’s the first dressage saddle I’ve owned which might bias me, but both horse and I seem to really get on with it. His GP saddle is a Bates so I knew the style was likely to suit him.