Saddle with Cair - advice please

[ellietaylor10]

Hi all,
I desperately need your words of wisdom ! I have recently bought a Bates Momentum with the Cair system. I wondered if anyone had experience with adjusting these? I put the saddle on my horse, it sits fine, but is too low, through the entire length of the saddle. Does anyone know if you can 'add' extra cair panels or similar? I look at the saddle and am convinced it would be too low on any horse ! I took it to my saddle fitter, and he was out, but the woman in the shop practically sent me away saying it could not be done :-/ Help !!

 

[OFG]

Hi. Can't help with the specifics of your post but you might want to put it in Stable Yard - this section is for stolen stuff . SY is for discussing tack problems etc

 

[NorthDevonTraveller]

Hi, you can't add extra panels, you need the saddle checked by a specialist Cair fitter. Qualified saddlers doen't necessarily know anything about air bags. For a list of fitters look on the WOW saddles website. Please do get your saddle checked properly, it is possible to ride on them with little or no air in and not realise Yep, that was me!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Something that was pointed out to me is that CAIR panels are difficult to adjust correctly in that as they are filled with air (well...... obviously!) - that when you're riding and you/the horse gets hot, we all know from science at school that hot air expands - and so do the panels. So what may be a good fit on say a warm/hot day, or after the horse has warmed up, may not fit when its below zero.

This is why these CAIR panels are such a nightmare, and IMO not enough research and thought went into the practicalities of difficulties such as temperature fluctuations.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Flair (Wow saddles) and Cair are not the same. Flair can be adjusted, Cair can't as the bags are sealed. Quite a few people end up having the Cair taken out and replaced with flocking.

I believe that the Momentum is a close contact saddle, so you would expect it to have shallow panels. What did the saddle fitter say when you bought it?

 

[Dragonqueen]

Cair CAN be adjusted! It is not Flair in any way shape or form.

You can raise and lower the panels by getting special inserts, however I would strongly advise you get a Bates saddle fitter to do this for you. The reason CAIR works so well is that unlike flock and air it keeps the pressure even so does not create pressure points on the horses back if you imagine two bags of air that are connected and press one down the other side goes up yes? CAIR DOES NOT it sits where it touches so gives a totally even pressure.

If you want to pm me I can give you details of a saddle fitter who can do it for you. Also visit the Bates website and read about how CAIR actually works. It has unfair slating because of the misconception that it cannot be altered....IT CAN and that it is like FLAIR...IT IS NOT.

Hope this helps!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

The cair bags are sealed. Adding inserts into the panels is not the same as altering the cair bags themselves.

I have know a fair few horses that got pressure points from cair saddles and a fair few that were really happy in them.

I don't see how the air in the bags (whatever system) can be a constant, even pressure as the rider's weight (air compresses after all) and movement will have a great effect on the air bags.