Wintec GP saddles

C

charlie55

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 August 2008
Messages
2,290
Visit site
What do you think of them, any good? Need to get a cheapy for a couple of months and thought these might me ideal? Anyone?
 
I've had mine 4 years and really like it. I think it's light and comfortable, no worries about cleaning it and fits my horse fine.

However, they don't seem very popular on here. Think there is a general view that they fit TBs quite well, (like mine), but perhaps not other shapes and sizes.
 
I have 2 of the VSD version, they've fitted my 15hh welsh x tb, my 14.1hh welsh x arab, and my 16.3 id x tb. Very comfortable and i have shown, dressaged, jumped up to 3 foot, and done trec using them. (all with different gullets of course)

Unfortunately doesn't fit my new boy, who is a hippo shaped connie x welsh, although it may do when he has lost weight and fittened up. Not betting on it though, so have bought him his own saddle :D
 
Bloody horrible saddles. Ok for the narrow horse which doesn't need much lift at the front but otherwise a horrible fit, although many people think they look ok and therefore are fine :( Plus there are far too many 'saddle fitters' (and I say that in the more sarcastic tone possible) who will fit them to anything :mad: Lucky there is also a huge number of saddlers who won't touch them with a barge pole.

They are a) comfortable to ride in, if a bit too far forwards with the stirrup bars b) cheap and c) ligthweight and easy to look after. That's about it for the good points.

The tree is far too curved for most horses. At a medium narrow or below the tree is an ok curvature. As soon as you start putting wider gullets in it, the tree curved and rocks like a banana.

The balance is difficult to get right. They are prone to sitting too low at the front if the width is correct, and they rock up at the back. To fix that many saddlers put too-narrow gullet it. Balance and wither clearnace looks fine but it you were to take the gullet out and try it on the horse directly you'll find it too narrow.

The lift at the front isn't enough. The type of horse they are designed for (TB's) are often very hollow behind the withers but the front panels don't have enough depth and lift. Therefore a too-narrow gullet is often fitted to give wither clearance.

Finally, but most importably but often over looked - the panels at the back are too sloped for the average back. The material they're made off make them unmoulding and so the outside edge of the panels dig in. I have seen many horses with actual dents in the muscle on either side, just in front of the loins :(

It always amazes me how so many people can confidently say the saddle fits their 4 differnt horses, depsite the fact they are all very different shapes and sizes. The saddle can ONLY be adjusted at the front and so the other 3/4 have to suit the horse too.

If you want a cheap saddle, get a thorowogood instead. 3 different tree types for different back shapes, and they're an overall better design for the horse. The newer ones have changable gullets too. They also can't fit all horses but they're a much better saddle then the wintecs. You can get one on ebay for £300 of so, and sell it again for that later.

HOWEVER, having just slated them - the new wintecs are a bit better and they've sorted the sloping panel problem, and the banana tree to some extent too. However you'll struggle to get one second hand yet because they are very new.
 
NOOOOO dont do it :p does that sound dramatic enough lol i hate mine, doesnt provide enough wither clearance as said previous. Id go for a thorowgood if i was you, theres some on ebay atm :)
 
I also have one and really like it! Fits him really well - previously had a thorowgood but that actually wasn't such a great fit despite having been fitted.

Here's my boy modelling his ;)

4145393637a12447483207l1.jpg
 
I have just bought one for my welsh section d x hackney and i love it, very comfortable, lightweight, i have jumped, hacked, schooled. Its very versatile

I would recommend definitely

I was willing to pay £500 for a leather second hand saddle, but nothing would fit my horse, i bought mine brand new for £350

At the end of the day its personal preference and its whatever fits your horse the best and its the horse that has you and the saddle on its back, so I would choose whatever fits your horse the best tbh.

Thanks.
 
I borrowed one for four months when I first got my TB. Did the job, but I really didn't like it! He has hollows behind his withers, and I found that the wintec was pressing on his wither, cue lots of riser pads etc! I did try a narrower gullet to try and give more lift, but it was far too tight and pinched his shoulders! I now have a kent and masters jumping saddle, and a (wintec) isabell werth dressage saddle, both of which fit lovely! My saddler told me that in her opinion, the isabells were the only wintec saddles worth bothering with!

Many wintecs (not the isabells, they're fairly expensive!) go cheap on ebay, and I have been offered on two occasions a wintec for £50- IMO if you can afford, they're handy to have kicking around as a temporary 'will do for now' saddle, until you can get a proper saddle! :D xxx
 
floradora09 said:
I borrowed one for four months when I first got my TB. Did the job, but I really didn't like it! He has hollows behind his withers, and I found that the wintec was pressing on his wither, cue lots of riser pads etc! I did try a narrower gullet to try and give more lift, but it was far too tight and pinched his shoulders! I now have a kent and masters jumping saddle, and a (wintec) isabell werth dressage saddle, both of which fit lovely! My saddler told me that in her opinion, the isabells were the only wintec saddles worth bothering with!

Many wintecs (not the isabells, they're fairly expensive!) go cheap on ebay, and I have been offered on two occasions a wintec for £50- IMO if you can afford, they're handy to have kicking around as a temporary 'will do for now' saddle, until you can get a proper saddle! :D xxx
Click to expand...

£50, blimey, have they still got them lol x
 
I have a wintec gp and i hate it with a passion - i have taken to jumping in my dressage saddle to avoid riding in it - the position it puts your leg in is awful and it makes me feel totally unbalanced. Different strokes for different folks and all that but i detest them. The Isabell is lovely but that is it imo.
 
I've had two successive horses who had wintec's fitted, and both horses had sore backs. Apparently if a Wintec fits, a Thorowgood wont, and vice versa.

I wouldn't have a synthetic saddle as a gift: the danger is that people think that all you have to do is change the gullet and hey presto it fits, but there's more to fitting a saddle than this!

I think there are a lot of poor horses out there who're wearing agonising synthetic saddles and developing all sorts of bad habits, and its not their fault! :(
 
I have just bought the VSD version as recommended by a physio because of the gullet change system and I LOVE IT! really comfy and easy to look after. Depends what your aim is long term but for hacking, schooling etc I think they are really good, and horsey is happy too :) But they are not a gauranteed fit just because of the gullet change system, I have tried them on horses before and they weren't suitable.
 
Last edited:
I think there are a lot of poor horses out there who're wearing agonising synthetic saddles
Click to expand...

Nothing at all wrong with synthetic saddles. It's just the material they're made of. The only reason synthetics are often poor fits are a) they're cheap and therefore commonly used, often on horses they don't suit and b) there's only a couple of versions avalible, so there's going to be plenty of horses they don't fit.

I know PLENTY of real leather saddles i wouldn't let near my horses and some are very well thought off brands too! ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top