Wintec Saddles

Tempi

Tempi

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Anyone got any views on them? Good or bad?

Also has anyone ridden in or tried the Wintec Pro Dressage with Contourbloc (Cair version) ??

Also any views on the Wintec 500 Jump (Cair again)?

The jump is for general use, ie breaking in horse next year. I have really long legs from hip to thigh so need something forwards cut and also with an adjustable gullet so as he changes shape i can change the width accordingly. Needs to be cheap aswell hence going for the Wintecs.
 
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I rode for many years in an old Wintec Pro dressage. It was a good saddle. I had the cair taken out and replaced with wool flocking though. I don't like cair in general, sorry :(

The old style ones were very minimal - no support at all! But the contourblocs would give more security (especially for backing!!!!)
 
I have the wintec pro dressage, but its about 6 years old so doesnt have the Contourbloc. I dont mind the wintecs although i am still on the look out for a nice leather one. My partner hates wintecs and would have a leather one anyday...
BUT
For what you described, it sounds like wintec would be the best option, theyre cheap, look ok, sturdy and flexible, and some people wouldnt be without them!! I dont mind my wintec and sometimes when you need flexibility theyre amazing. The contourbloc looks interesting too, a good addition.

To be honest for your needs esp with a youngster, id go for the wintec :)
 
I tried one on my youngster and it wasn't a bad fit at all. My saddler said the choice was that or a second hand Lovatt and Rickets leather Saddle - advantage of the wintec was adjustability, however advantage of the leather on a growing horse was that it held it's value. Second hand wintec go very cheap.
I went for the leather one I must admit, at same price I found it more comfortable.

My instructor however swears by the wintec dressage, won't use anything else. She is also tall and slim, and also has a bad back and finds the weight of the synthetics a huge bonus. Having ridden in hers it seemed nice. Can't really compare to my leather dressage saddle as horses entirely different shape so gave a very different feel anyway.

Ps tried wintecs in past on both by other horses and they didn't fit whatever width gullet -profile was just wrong. But the one it did fit was probably the most standard shaped of all three as a KWPN x ISH so 16.2 sports horse shape!
 
Everyone has different opinions on them but I really like them.

I have the Isabell and the NEW Isabell, absolutely LOVE them :D

My sister has a Wintec 500 GP that she used to back her 3yo, was only £150 on eBay, virtually brand new and it was fab!
 
I had one of the old Wintec Pro dressage saddles, and also have long thighs... I did love my wintec Pro :D Very comfortable and with the moveable knee rolls (not sure if they are moveable in the new ones...) it's a lot easier to get comfortable!

Also, is the Wintec 500 jump the one that is similar to the Bates Caprilli close contact jump saddle?? (can't remember off the top of my head) if so, I have the Bates and have always found it very comfortable and secure. Again, the moveable knee & thigh blocks really help! :)

Cair however.... well, that's personal preferance. Both of my saddles are Cair, but if I had a choice they'd be flocked.
 
HS - only problem is im not keen on flocked saddles after ive seen how many problems they can cause, but i guess the same can happen with cair.

I wont be looking at getting one until March/April time next year, but am keeping my eye out on ebay incase a cheap 500 pro comes up.

Ecrozier - im hoping my boy will be standard shaped (!) so hoping the jump saddle will be suitable for him.

Am not bothered about it loosing value as would keep hold of it for breaking future (!!) youngsters.

With regards to the dressage contourbloc one - that was just an idea and wondered what they were like. Bloss had my Wow dressage on but it dosent suit her, so thats going to be fitted to my other horse when the time comes. So am looking for ideas for dressage saddles for her, but dont need to buy for her for another year yet!! Just keeping my options open!! She will be harder to fit to as shes wide, flat, slightly downhill with no wither (dosent she sound lovely :D )
 
Echo that re weight - we used a very old synthetic for initial saddle on, leaning over etc. It had a hole in it!! But was idea as weighed almost nothing!
 
Hes had a small synthetic on already, but borrowed that from YO. Once i start proper backing next year i wanted something of my own if you see what i mean. So thought Wintec was a good place to start. He will eventually have my Wow fitted to him but thats ages away yet.

Can someone tell me how the 3 strap thing works? Does it need a special girth?! (yes im slightly stupid and dont understand it!!)
 
I have a wintec 500 Ill happily sell to you cheap - I personally hate it and it has been gathering dust for about 2 years in my tack room :rolleyes:
If I had a youngster I would certainly keep it for that purpose but I dont and am quite sure ill never use it again.
 
I found the Wintec 500 jump nice and comfy to ride in, wouldn't touch cair with a very long bargepole, though - I found the panels were rock solid; wouldn't put them on my horse's back...
 
Farma said:
I have a wintec 500 Ill happily sell to you cheap - I personally hate it and it has been gathering dust for about 2 years in my tack room :rolleyes:
If I had a youngster I would certainly keep it for that purpose but I dont and am quite sure ill never use it again.
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Really? I would be after a black 17'5 the pro 500 jump - flocked by the sounds of things too! :)
 
nutkin said:
I found the Wintec 500 jump nice and comfy to ride in, wouldn't touch cair with a very long bargepole, though - I found the panels were rock solid; wouldn't put them on my horse's back...
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Ive not seen the cair version of the wintecs - i only know what my Wow is like and its so soft and giving. Obviousuly the wintecs are totally different!!
 
i ride in a wintec dressage... cost me £60 almost brand new :)

i am looking into buying a wintec jump or GP saddle next year....was going to buy her a ''proper'' saddle (leather) but dnt see the point in spending upto 2k on a saddle which does the same job as a wintec :)
 
Tempi said:
Ive not seen the cair version of the wintecs - i only know what my Wow is like and its so soft and giving. Obviousuly the wintecs are totally different!!
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Ah, that's flair rather than cair! It's clever naming, but the cair is quite different to flair - it's not air flocked, but this weird kind of foam that is really hard. Don't like it at all, as you can probably tell :p
 
Ah right! I knew my Wow was flair and had sort of assumed cair was the same thing!! Thank you for clearing that up, definitely think flocked is the right way to go then :)
 
Before you take all the 'reccommendations' on board you need to work out which model they're taking about. It's like saying 'all Ideals are fab and one will fit any horse' without taking into account the 10 different models they have, which are all very different shapes.

The old 500 version is a horrible saddle - tree far too curved for most backs and the outside edge of the panel at the back digs in. The Wintec 500 GP and the wintec 500 dressage are the same, just different flaps. The 2000 models are the same but different material.

The wintec 500 close contact is an entirely different saddle with a different tree and different panels. Fits better on the majority of horses as the tree's flatter, as are the panels.

The Isabella Werth saddle is a totally different saddle yet again and a much better design for the horse.

The Cob saddle is a much better saddle all round - sorted out the tree and panels problems. They'd be better marketing it as the saddle for general horses as it fits well on wide-ish horses but had the same 'curved tree' problem as the 500 at the very wide fittings (it's just part of the design - as the tree gets wider it curved more)

The pony 15" wintec 500 saddle is a similar design to the Cob saddle.

The NEW wintecs are different saddle yet again. Better, flatter tree and better, wider, flatter panels. But still don't fit well on many horses, esp with Cair.

Cair is ok if the saddle is a PERFECT fit. It's it not quite right they hurt - unlike flocking which beds to the horses shape and stays there, the Cair panels spring back to the orginal, incorrect, shape with every stride and takes extra pressure each time to deform them to the right shape.
 
Thank you Kallibear - thats very interesting.

I was aware that the older ones had different shaped trees etc. But as this saddle is litterally going to be going on my 2yr old and used to break him in next year i am not too bothered about the technicalities - aslong as it dosent cause him pain i am not fussed how it fits me as im only going to be riding in it a couple of times a week for about 2/3 months over next summer if that. I already have a ''grown up'' saddle for him once he hits 4 (my Wow which i will have made to fit him and adjusted accordingly). This saddle will just then be kept for breaking and backing youngsters :)

With regards to the dressage saddle, just wondered if any one had tried it. Not definitely getting one as got a year to wait before i need to get her a new saddle as she is in foal at the moment so not in work anymore.
 
Tempi said:
With regards to the dressage saddle, just wondered if any one had tried it. Not definitely getting one as got a year to wait before i need to get her a new saddle as she is in foal at the moment so not in work anymore.
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i have the dressage saddle - its fab - so comfy and my mare has massive shoulders so its sits nicely off them and she goes lovely in this... shes not so keen on the GP i had ages ago hence sellingit!

although now shes filling out i could get another GP but i have no idea which to get!....

look on ebay - mine was a total bargain at £60 and i could sell it tomorow for £200. its mint condition. :)
 
Do you have the contourbloc dressage one? As that would be the one i would be interested in if any, i need to have big blocks to support my thigh as my legs are so long they come over the front of saddles without blocks if that makes sense.
 
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