Wintec saddle (I hate it!)

RubysGold

RubysGold

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Bit of a moan :)

Since getting my wintec saddle a couple of years ago, Ive always said that the stirrup bars are far too short :/ My other saddle has lovely long bars with a bit that tips upwards to avoid the leather coming off. Whereas my wintec has short bars only the width of the leather :/

I went riding at the weekend. I headed out of the yard just as two horse riders appeared from the livery yard along the road, I've spoke to one of them many a time and shes always said Im welcome to join her. So I tagged along

Half way round they said they wanted to canter. I told them, Jimmy isn't fit enough to canter but that they could canter and I would trot and catch them up. (Good practice for fun rides) So we all set off. Jimmy was confused, could feel him ready and waiting for me to ask canter, but he was respecting me and sticking to trot because I asked him to.....
And then I felt my stirrup snap!!!!

Naturally, I clung on with my legs and off he went in canter. I shouted for the others to stop, which they did, and as soon as Jimmy caught up, he stopped and stood nicely for me. I was a bit shaken up, I can do no stirrups when its planned but that wasn't nice in the circumstances we were in! Turns out, my stirrup didn't snap, it came off the bar at the top!

I'm now going to be really paranoid whenever I ride :/ Last year I went jumping/dressaging/camp etc, if that had happened then, I could have been hurt
Need a new saddle!
 
That doesn't sound like fun!

Are your stirrup leathers especially thin and leave a lot of movement under the bar? Could a saddler fit a longer bar? Perhaps if you contact Wintec they could advise a solution. A new saddle is definitely not the cheap option!
 
Happens all the time on the 'new' style wintecs, I actually prefer the old style ones. We have about 20 a work and I have had it happen plenty of times.
You can't really fit a longer bar, the easiest solution is to get thinner stirrups leathers (narrower) ones which fit on the bar a bit better. Also make sure before you get on that the stirrups are 'on' properly.
I had one fall off on a ride, and luckily the rider was well balanced and stayed on, but I was very mad with Wintec!
 
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Wintecs are c*p aren't they? I have a GP one my boy came with and I hate it, it's so uncomfortable and forces your leg into an unnatural position because of where the stirrup bars are.

I've never had my leather come off though, but until I can afford a new saddle I moan about it anyway ;)
 
I've had a wintec 2000 for 11 yrs and this has never happened? Sounds a bit odd. Maybe call wintec and ask them to replace if your still worried. The saddles come with a 10 yr guarantee
 
Blimey I've always had a problems changing my stirrups in my Wintec as the bars were so close fitting. The only time my leather came off was one time I got hung up on someones elses tack during a game of horseball.

BTW you should NEVER ride with the stirrup bar flipped into the "up" position (for those stirrup bars with the option) - it is for transport only.
 
kerrieberry2 said:
I've had a wintec 2000 for 11 yrs and this has never happened? Sounds a bit odd. Maybe call wintec and ask them to replace if your still worried. The saddles come with a 10 yr guarantee
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The old wintecs are of a different design and it doesn't happen with the old style wintecs, just the new ones, made in the last 5 years or so. It is the design of the saddle, and we have about 25 wintecs at work, 15 will be 'new style' and it happens fairly often.

Casey76 said:
Blimey I've always had a problems changing my stirrups in my Wintec as the bars were so close fitting. The only time my leather came off was one time I got hung up on someones elses tack during a game of horseball.

BTW you should NEVER ride with the stirrup bar flipped into the "up" position (for those stirrup bars with the option) - it is for transport only.
Click to expand...

You can't flip the stirrups bar up on a wintec, there is not flip position.
On racing saddles you have the stirrup bars up (different design again though).
 
dominobrown said:
The old wintecs are of a different design and it doesn't happen with the old style wintecs, just the new ones, made in the last 5 years or so. It is the design of the saddle, and we have about 25 wintecs at work, 15 will be 'new style' and it happens fairly often.



You can't flip the stirrups bar up on a wintec, there is not flip position.
On racing saddles you have the stirrup bars up (different design again though).
Click to expand...

Hi, sorry that bit was in response to the OP "Since getting my wintec saddle a couple of years ago, Ive always said that the stirrup bars are far too short :/ My other saddle has lovely long bars with a bit that tips upwards to avoid the leather coming off. Whereas my wintec has short bars only the width of the leather :/
"
 
I play horseball in my wintec CC Jump saddle and have never had this problem and im hanging off underneath most the time! I I bet I move my angles much more than standard riding.

I have had my webbers wear through tho where I left them on the same hole and where they were so tight under the bar, Luckily that was just getting on!
 
Casey76 said:
Blimey I've always had a problems changing my stirrups in my Wintec as the bars were so close fitting. The only time my leather came off was one time I got hung up on someones elses tack during a game of horseball.

BTW you should NEVER ride with the stirrup bar flipped into the "up" position (for those stirrup bars with the option) - it is for transport only.
Click to expand...

Actually if you oil it regularly and monitor it, you can use them, though ultimately it is better not to. And OP, I wonder if your saddle is tipping back, this would make the problem worse.
 
dominobrown said:
The old wintecs are of a different design and it doesn't happen with the old style wintecs, just the new ones, made in the last 5 years or so. It is the design of the saddle, and we have about 25 wintecs at work, 15 will be 'new style' and it happens fairly often.
Click to expand...

Oh ok. I've just bought a new bates saddle for my horse that's going to be backed in 2 weeks. Do bates have the same issue?
 
Don't think so kerrieberry2, they are much better designed!
btw 'old wintecs' are getting harder to get hold of because they are better than the new ones!
We have one wintec cc at work, and it one of the nicest of the wintecs to ride in.
 
I have had a wintec 2000 for about 15 odd years, done everything in it & never had a problem with slipping leathers, these days i use heavyduty slimline wintec leathers but for years used ordinary leathers.
 
Goodness well done for staying on, nobody likes unexpected tack malfunction!

I have heard of a trick where you can wrap a thick elastic band around the end of the stirrup bar assuming there is space next to the leather, et voila it shouldn't come off again. Bit of a bodge I know :-)
 
Thanks for all responses :)

Im not sure whether Im relieved or not that Im not the only one that's found them to be rubbish!!
I use proper wintec stirrup leathers so they shouldn't come off.

Casey76, thanks for letting me know, I had no idea you weren't meant to put the bar up on other saddles. Oops!

Will try the elastic band trick. I only bought the wintec as a "cheap" breaking in saddle. I had wanted a second hand one but saddle fitter didn't have one. Have always planned on buying a nice new saddle when hes stopped growing but last year saddle fitter said leave him till next (this) summer as he was bum high again
 
Sorry to bump an old post, but this is a common problem on some of the new style Wintecs, where the stirrup bars angle out from the material underneath so the stirrup leather can slip off way too easily. Wintec were correcting them for free at one point.

debsandpets said:
I though this too, although I have a wintec Australian stock saddle, but the stirrup bars are sods to get leathers on and off.
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I have a Wintec Aussie stock saddle too - have you noticed how much the stirrup bars point upwards? I'm not sure that the leathers would slide off in an emergency so I've just got some toe cages for use with that saddle!
 
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