would you choose New Thorowgood or (used) Kent&Masters

[rextherobber]

I have Throwogood T4.T6 and a T8, love them, they are so much lighter than my leather saddles and don't have to worry about the rain spoiling them. I'm not concerned about any disintegration inside as the saddler checks them over, reflocks etc exactly as with the leather saddles. I clean them with a synthetic saddle cleaner. If you have an ID they are great as mine seem to change shape very regularly! Hope you have loads of fun with your new pony.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Oooh interesting is that to do with care and cleaning? I ride my new pony in all weathers as she is Irish and not bothered and so young and no indoor facilities. Therefore synthetic sounds a good option.

I prefer them as they are generally more lightweight, often more flexible fitting with their changeable gullets etc and suit my horsey lifestyle better - I mainly ride out (in all weathers too) so rain, mud, sand, water (we do lots of river and pond splashing) and other dirt is much less issue. I have a synthetic - biothane - bridle & reins, a synthetic girth so if I could have a synthetic saddle too, I would!

As is it, pony has a leather saddle so I waterproof it and ride with a cover as much as possible

 

[bubsqueaks]

I had K&M but never again !
Just because you can change the head plate people think they fit properly but that doesn’t widen the channel to sit properly over the back - know so many sold by local saddlery that should never have been fitted.
Take a look at AH saddles which you can get second hand from Facebook page & their fab for natives tricky backs.

 

[SpotsandBays]

I’ve got both.
Bought a T4 secondhand from eBay for my youngster and I find it really comfortable. Have recently had it fitted to my other horse and he seems much happier in that than the Kent and Masters Compact.
I’m not sold on the Kent and masters. I have two currently. I bought the compact as advised by my fitter for one of mine. It fit him well but it was awful for me. I thought I was just unfit and riding terribly but no, turns out it was the saddle. Bought another K&M, jump this time (not the S series), and position wise I’m MUCH better in it, but it does feel a lot harder than the Compact model (possibly just because it’s a little older?). Honestly I still prefer the T4 comfort wise. Think I’m going to be looking at something else in the springtime and moving away from K&M

 

[Elno]

I've had TG T4s, T8s and a K&M.

My current horse really likes them, and goes really well in the cob version. Better than any other saddles I've tried honestly including some really expensive ones. I actually prefer the T4 to K&M. I really didn't like the leather quality of the K&M and the overall feel of the saddle so I sent it back. The T4 is in my opinion a better choice, especially since it's also so very light, which is a big plus when you are small and the horse very large like in my case. I had an issue with both the T4 and K&M slipping a bit in the beginning, but the fault lied in a too wide gullet bar, changed it to a narrower and the slippage stopped completely

 

[Fjord]

I don't think the seat of the K&M is particularly soft, but I do like mine. I also had a T8 which I liked too, I think it really depends on both horse and rider. There's lots of plus points for the synthetic, it's lighter and easy to clean, so I think it's just personal preference. Leather looks a bit smarter I think, but if you don't show then that's not really an issue.

So my answer is, I don't know, it depends.

 

[Dontforgetaboutme]

One of my K&M faded badly to a grey/greenish black. Was comfortable & changing gullet worked well as she got fat pockets on her withers in summer so had to go up and down a size or 2 throughout the year. I have a newer one which leather & tanning seems to be better. It doesn’t need much in the way of cleaning, a wipe down if gets muddy & I dry it with a towel if gets rained on. I do occasionally feed it with oz’s saddle conditioner

 

[GypsGal1718]

To be honest everybody will say do this or that about either one so just go for what fits the horse best and is your favourite.

 

[UKa]

Have opted for the Thorowgood. It looks smart new and given the current weather conditions I am quite glad . It fits the pony like a glove, suited my budget it’s lightweight and for local competitions it’s going to be just fine.