wintec saddle for new cob..any good?

[Trekker]

hi, just wondered how good wintec saddles are for cobby types..

The owner of a local tack shop says i just measure the horses withers with the wintec gullet guide..see which gullet size he is..and then the gullet is fitted..and then you're good to go...

Is it really that easy?? will it sit on his back ok?

 

[Kallibear]

Your tack shop owner should be shot for offering such crap advice! The width is only a small part of the fit.

Standard Wintecs aren't great on wide flat cobs. The tree is far too curved at wider widths and the panels at the back too sloped so the outside edge digs in.

The Wintec Cob saddle is is a better fit on most cobs but still not great on very wide flat cobs, and the panels come up really long (not great for typical short backed cob).

Get a proper saddle fitter out to try some saddles on. They're only about £30. Ask them about Thorowgood saddles as they are usually a good fit on cobs.

 

[Hedwards]

How cobby is your horse?

I have a wintec VSD for my mare, and i love it (she came on loan to me with absolutely nothing, so i didnt want to spend a lot on a saddle) i think i have the black gullet in mine at the moment, and a saddler checked it over and was really happy with the fit. once it had been on her a while and she was working properly he came back out and we changed the gullet (i really cant remember what colour the first one was - i want to say blue)

Completely agree with the above comment - the tackshop person should be shot for that advice!

here's a piccy if her so you can see her type and the saddle

 

[Meowy Catkin]

How cobby is your horse?

Build and type doesn't tell the whole story. My horse is not cobby at all (see pic) but she has low withers, a forwards girth groove, a flat back and is also very wide. She was very hard to fit a saddle to and a saddle really needs to be perfect and not just 'ok'.

Putting the correct gullet in a Wintec will not guarantee a good fit at all. Get a good saddler out, the last thing you want is your horse bucking you off because their back hurts due to an ill-fitting saddle.

 

[dotty1]

In my experience, Wintecs don't fit anything with big shoulders and/or low withers, even the white gullet does not seem very wide. I would think the Wintec wide would be more suitable. Saying that, a Thorowgood xxw still wasn't wide enough for my hippos.
I have a GFS xw and a Barnsby xxw which fit well and don't feel like they are dislocating my hips, which the Thorowgood one did.
If you are buying a new saddle the saddler should at least come and fit it for you.

 

[Hedwards]

Build and type doesn't tell the whole story. My horse is not cobby at all (see pic) but she has low withers, a forwards girth groove, a flat back and is also very wide. She was very hard to fit a saddle to and a saddle really needs to be perfect and not just 'ok'.

This is exactly what I was getting at, as you'll see from the photos my mate isn't particularly cobby which is why I have managed so well and easily with a winged, as others have suggested thorowgood may be a better option for a very cobby cob, build and type does sometimes dictate the 'make' of saddle you look at. Whatever a saddle fitter should definitely fit the saddle.

 

[stacie21]

i have a thorowgood cob gp 3d its really comfy for me and fits flat backed cob type love it loads

 

[FanyDuChamp]

Fany, who is a draft horse without visible withers, has an X-Wide Wintec. It fits her well and she is comfy in it. I actually rate Wintecs, the Cair ones, I think that used properly they are comfortable for horses, not necessarily for rider though.
FDC

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Fany, who is a draft horse without visible withers, has an X-Wide Wintec. It fits her well and she is comfy in it. I actually rate Wintecs, the Cair ones, I think that used properly they are comfortable for horses, not necessarily for rider though.
FDC

You do have to be careful with CAIR saddles, some horses really don't like them and they can cause pressure points behind the rider. FLAIR is a much better air panel system IMO.

 

[Kallibear]

Hedwards: is that a level photo? I wouldn't be happy with the fit of that saddle on your horse at all. The balance is awful and the pommel appears to be 3" higher than the cantle. All your weight is being concentrated into the back of the saddle, where it looks like the outside edges dig in :-(