which saddle to get

I

ISHdaft

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I've been riding in a wintec GP saddle the past few years as when i got my horse it was all i could really afford at the time.

Now i have a bit of spare money im wanting to get a new one (not synthetic) i always wanted a Bates but i was just wondering what everyones opinions were and which are best ect.

Thanks in advance for any help x
 
ISHdaft said:
I've been riding in a wintec GP saddle the past few years as when i got my horse it was all i could really afford at the time.

Now i have a bit of spare money im wanting to get a new one (not synthetic) i always wanted a Bates but i was just wondering what everyones opinions were and which are best ect.

Thanks in advance for any help x
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It really depends on your horse, and what fits them best. If you're looking for second hand do you have a good saddle fitter with a good selection they could bring to try? Same applies with new saddles, it's a suck it and see, you won't know until you've tried a few, ridden in some styles etc to know what suite you and your horse.


Personally I don't like bates saddles, yet some people love them.

I know I'd like an Albion k2 jump for my mare, but I also know that I don't really have a cat in hells chance of getting it to fit her... And may have to settle for the go version.
 
ISHdaft said:
I've been riding in a wintec GP saddle the past few years as when i got my horse it was all i could really afford at the time.

Now i have a bit of spare money im wanting to get a new one (not synthetic) i always wanted a Bates but i was just wondering what everyones opinions were and which are best ect.

Thanks in advance for any help x
Click to expand...

i have an ideal vsd. Love it, but the main reason i have it is because it fits my horse, and me. So, go for the one that fits!
 
You do really have to go for the saddle that firstly fits the horse best, then you. That may be a Bates, it may not. Have you got a good saddle fitter you can work with?
 
Firstly don't set your heart on a particular saddle because that saddle may not suit or fit your horse. You need to be open minded, decide what you want the saddle for & then start looking.

Bates saddles are made from nice leather, they are very soft & comfortable to ride in but don't be fooled into believing their publicity that it fits any horse because of the changeable gullet. The gullet is not the only thing that needs to fit a horse. I've seen a Bates 'fit' at the withers but it's not been level along the back & has been bouncing at the back. I'm talking from personal dealings, I've had a Bates GP, Close Contact & a Dressage saddle. They fitted one horse we had but the two since have not used the Bates as they couldn't be made to fit no matter how many changes of gullet we did. I've since sold them.

The one horse now has a Harry Dabbs, he has high withers & this fits beautifully. The other horse has a massive jump, competes at a high level so for safety, security & a great fit we bought a Devoucoux, a lot of money but a good investment. You don't have to spend a fortune though, just get a saddle that fits the horse well & that also fits you, does the job you want it to do & have no precanceived ideas.

Good Luck in your search.
 
Toby_Zaphod said:
Firstly don't set your heart on a particular saddle because that saddle may not suit or fit your horse. You need to be open minded, decide what you want the saddle for & then start looking.

Bates saddles are made from nice leather, they are very soft & comfortable to ride in but don't be fooled into believing their publicity that it fits any horse because of the changeable gullet. The gullet is not the only thing that needs to fit a horse. I've seen a Bates 'fit' at the withers but it's not been level along the back & has been bouncing at the back. I'm talking from personal dealings, I've had a Bates GP, Close Contact & a Dressage saddle. They fitted one horse we had but the two since have not used the Bates as they couldn't be made to fit no matter how many changes of gullet we did. I've since sold them.
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The classic scenario - a narrow gullet makes the saddle sit down at the back, a wide gullet (relatively narrower and wider) means the saddle might be in balance but it rocks. The tree is ALL. In this instance, and it's not uncommon with most synthetic trees (when they are webbed they tend to curve up more than wood, no matter how flat they start out), the tree is too cuvred for the horse and will ift at the back in rising trot especially. You can get this rocking, or a side to side pivot, from trees that are too narrow or upright in the bars. You can often tell when too narrow as the gullet width from the middle of the saddle back will reflect it, but it's not always easy to spot, and them being too upright is even harder to spot, you need to know the shape of the tree.
 
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