WINTEC 500 VSD WITH CAIR - FEEDBACK PLEASE

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DressageDiva1962

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Can anyone give me any feedback on this saddle....

Stability and comfort ??
is it suitable for cross country/hunter trials at a low level ( up to 2ft6") ??

for use on a m/w cob - saddle has a wide fitting gullet.

Hoping to trial and purchase and just wanted some opinions.

Thank you.
 
IMO, if you can get hold of one, get flock, the cair's really quite hard and can't be adjusted :) Have got this exact saddle for my 4yo and my saddler said on no uncertain terms that I need a prolite under it to cushion it (it's only temporary for me, until he stops changing shape) or the cair can be taken out and replaced with flocking if that's not working.

They fit some shapes, but really, really don't fit others IME, so I would get somebody to fit it for you just to check if you haven't already :) Other than that, it's a comfy enough saddle, and it's nice and lightweight, I quite like it :D

J&C
 
Personally I would say "Wintec, bargepole, touch, don't" in the same sentence! BUT I know that for some people & horses they are fine!

I've had two separate incidents with horses who've both had very sore backs from a Wintec. The problem is that people think all you have to do is change the gullet and hey presto it will fit, but you also have to consider the pommel to cantel alignment and whether you've got bowing and space under the saddle.

Also ...... IMO there's a danger in CAIR panels, in that when they get hot under the horse/rider, they may expand and change the shape of the saddle fitting; also (I was told this by a master saddler) there's a danger that over time, the plastic surrounding the air panel gets fatigue from expanding and settling again, and the plastic ceases to stretch, which basically means the CAIR won't be working anyway.

Also I've heard a theory that because the saddle is made of plastic, there's a danger of static electricity being caused through friction & the horse is basically getting static electric shocks!!! Not good IMO.

So personally, I'd avoid the damn things like the plague. You can't beat a good, properly made & correctly fitted leather saddle IMO. I had mega problems fitting my flat-backed cob; tried every saddler in the area and still nothing would fit, so at the risk of "advertising" I'll recommend these people for a saddle: www.thepainfreehorse.co.uk
 
That’s really interesting myjodsr2blinkingtight (can we have a shorter nick name for you please lol :D) anyway as I was going to say, I’ve never had a wintec saddle but tried 2, both with cair and I thought they were bloody awful, so hard (as in on the horses back) I could put up with a hard seat but not the other way round.

Also I've heard when talking my back lady (we were talking about saddles in general) that it tends to be a lot of the wintec saddles that cause sore backs, but I guess you can’t really assume it’s just the make, the fitting comes into it as well, but it was an observation she’s found which does make you wonder if it depends on if they were the cair or flocked ones, apparently the newer models are much better in more ways than one, my friend has a wintec (latest one) on her TB and although she wasn’t keen at first as she usually uses her lovely dressage saddle, she did say her horse goes well in it, I did ride in a while back and I actually quite liked it to ride in compaired to what I've heard.
 
Tree too curved for most horses and the panels are really sloped at the back so the outside edge digs in.

The fit some narrow, nonflat horses (TB types usually) but terrible on wider, flatter types.
 
I have one for my pony and it fits her really well. It also very comfortable which surprised me as I have ridden in Wintec's in the past which have felt really hard to sit on! It would definitely be fine for low level cross country/hunter trials.
 
I used to like the Winterc more than I do now, having used older ones on a variety of horses, no comparison with a good leather saddle.
I bought a modern one of Ebay, as new , a 2000 I think with cair, it fits fine, but the equiseuede has a cut on the cantle, (the inside "tree" is has a very sharp edge), also a puncture in one of the panels, I don't know how either of these things happened, just glad I only paid half price for it. so I would not but a new one at full price. Re fit, my horse is easy to fit.
From the riders point of view, it will never have the lived in feel of a leather one, but again it is difficult to get a good one. I would not but a Wintec t to event or jump , as I don't feel close enough, or can mould it to my riding style.
 
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I had this exact saddle and it crippled both me and my horse! Please don't touch them! I used to warm my saddle in the footwell of my car during the winter so at least it was slightly softer.
Try the thorps old ones if you want a cheaper synthetic changeable saddle.
 
I have one - it is appalling to jump in, the stirrup bar position is all wrong, the knee rolls are never right and the minute I could I changed it for a GP 2000. It always felt 'flat' and not deep seated and I would say it was not one thing or the other. I would certainly NOT jump in one given the choice. I never really saw the point in them tbh and only bought it because it was on the cheap as a package.

Both mine now have the GP2000 (one the 'old' model and one the 'new') and they suit both me and, more importantly them as the chance of getting a saddler fitter out here is NIL! I have no problem with Wintec 'hardness' because I live in a warm climate and the saddles always seem to be soft enough - but both mine wear real half sheep under them too.
 
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I've not had that particular saddle, but I do have a couple of the newer types, both 500 and 2000s, and I really do like them. The panels are very well designed to be nicely weightbearing, and not dig into the horse's backs at all.

I have the flock and the Cair, and I prefer the Cair.
 
xena_wales said:
I've not had that particular saddle, but I do have a couple of the newer types, both 500 and 2000s, and I really do like them. The panels are very well designed to be nicely weightbearing, and not dig into the horse's backs at all.

I have the flock and the Cair, and I prefer the Cair.
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The new design ones are very different from the older ones (new model came out last year, so be wary of buying a 'bargain' unless you are sure it is the newer one). I do know of somewhere that sells all new Wintecs and Bates saddles at excellent prices. PM me if anyone wants to know more.
 
Have had one since 2005, and have to say, very pleased given I'm a confirmed traditional Leather snob" and had previously ridden in and HATED everything about the 500GP.
The cair in mine has exactly the right amount of "give", never too hard even though it lives in my car 24/7 so gets every extreme in temperature. Suspect I'm lucky though given what other people have said.
Find the seat very "neutral", so have XC/SJ jumped to 2'9, dressage etc. but mostly I use it to hack, where the only disadvantage I've found is the seat fills with rain water and then soaks me through... that's not happened in a while though...
Had it on 3 horses, 2 came with bad backs, (one was saddle related), neither had recurrences in the Wintec; regularly ask "back lady" to confirm no saddle related problems and think she's got bored of saying "nooo"!
 
Kenzo said:
That’s really interesting myjodsr2blinkingtight (can we have a shorter nick name for you please lol :D) anyway as I was going to say, I’ve never had a wintec saddle but tried 2, both with cair and I thought they were bloody awful, so hard (as in on the horses back) I could put up with a hard seat but not the other way round.

Also I've heard when talking my back lady (we were talking about saddles in general) that it tends to be a lot of the wintec saddles that cause sore backs, but I guess you can’t really assume it’s just the make, the fitting comes into it as well, but it was an observation she’s found which does make you wonder if it depends on if they were the cair or flocked ones, apparently the newer models are much better in more ways than one, my friend has a wintec (latest one) on her TB and although she wasn’t keen at first as she usually uses her lovely dressage saddle, she did say her horse goes well in it, I did ride in a while back and I actually quite liked it to ride in compaired to what I've heard.
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I had no problems with wintec until I bought one with cair. The panels were like slabs of concrete. I had them taken out and replaced with flocking. Now the saddle is fine, just like my other flocked wintecs.
 
Thanks everyone for the feedback, very interesting views.

I have bought a wintec 500 VSD and although I'm finding it not as comfortable as my saddle company saddle I have to say my mare is like a different horse, so much more calm and relaxed and she dosent shoot 50ft in the air when I get on her anymore so thank you everyone for your useful comments.
 
I had a cair and it fits my horse really nicely.
I tried a flocked vsd and it didnt sit well, it was to solid.

So id go for cair, i have the close contact and its a nice saddle.
Maybe if the vsd id tried had cair it may have been a better fit.
 
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