synthetic saddles

[iluvpin]

hi all,

was just wondering if i could have some opinions on synthetic saddles, do you like/dislike them? and why.

also what make of synthetic saddle do you think is best.

thank you for any replys

lozzie an pinxx

[Afellpony]

I have one of the most basic Thoroughgood saddles you can possibly get. I bought it for Falcon when I first got him and it still fits him really well. It has been altered once by a professional saddler. I have it checked regularly.

[showjumper-zoe]

One of my saddles is a wintec 500, I like it because it's just like a leather saddle but it's easier to care for. But I only bought it as my old saddle needed re flocking over christmas time (so no-one could do it for at least 1 month!) and i didn't like it really so i bought a new one (the wintec) and fitted it myself and the backman checked it and its a perfect fit for her so I havn't got a leather one. But I am after a black country saddle as Beau just got one and it's lovely.

I find the wintecs good to jump (BSJA as thats my favourite discipline) in as well and the knee blocks are changeable.

[jovi_y2k2]

i have 2 wintec saddles and i love them! i've used my GP on 4 different horses so was very thankful that it was adjustable, then i got the dressage version too. very comfy, light, easy to care for i just wipe clean or blast it with the hosepipe, I have the cair and the flocked version and wouldn't really say one was better than the other, the flocked version fits my current horse better and needed less adjustment.

[showjumper-zoe]

I must say I prefer the flocked Wintecs as I've had both.

[CurlyWurlyRach]

i have a wintec 2000 and i like it. good to jump in and hard to fall out of cos of the equisuade.

[showjumper-zoe]

i have a wintec 2000 and i like it. good to jump in and hard to fall out of cos of the equisuade.

Echo had that one as well but the equi suede on the seat of the wintec 2000 went funny in the rain lol

[iluvpin]

hey

thank you for the replys, i am very pleased with the replys as i have just got a new saddle for pin and it is a wintec saddle the 500 version in think, so am glad to see wintec mentioned so many times here. hopefully will have the saddle on Thrusday/Friday.

thank you again

lozzie an pinxx

[poohsmate]

im not keen on synthetic anymore, i had one of the first thorogood adjustable gullets years ago and got on with it really well, OH hated it with a vengeance... and it had a squeak!! which we could not get rid of.
if i had to choose i would go for a Thorogood against a Wintec which IMO are C--p

[Iron Maiden]

f i had to choose i would go for a Thorogood against a Wintec which IMO are C--p

Well the one thing we always get from our dear Poohsmate is honesty :D

The first saddle I bought was a synthetic, it was unusual - a GFS that looked exactly like leather. It was fine at first but I ride a lot & it showed signs of wear quite quickly, I regretted buying it in the end - for the money (it was not cheap!) I'd have been better off getting a decent nearly new leather saddle or saving up for a bit longer & getting something really nice. I also had a Wintec on loan & even with an extra wide gullet it was too narrow for P, who is not that wide. It also seemed a bit banana shaped. It's all a matter of what suits you and your horse though. My advice would be have a look at what else is out there, try before you buy & whatever saddle you get, make sure it's fitted by someone who knows what they are doing. Good luck!

[CurlyWurlyRach]

i think wintecs are a poor fit on really wide horses as they have a curve but on certain narrower ones they work fine.

[welshiewhiskers]

I have a wintec with cair and adjustable gullet system which came with my new horse!! it seems to be good but i have to say that i prefer leather saddles which my other horses have.
the saddle is however quite comfy!

[eml]

We use the basic thorowgood maxam in GP or dressage on all school horses and ponies they will fit. We have one wintec acquired second hand which suits the horse it is on but I dislike the rider position it gives as although the saddle is level the seat seems tipped forward.

[keep the faith]

I bought a wintec 500gp for Lady when i first got her because she was so underweight and lacking in topline. To allow it to be adjusted as she improved. I liked it but didn't love it and when she reached the shape i wanted her to be i promptly got a leather one fitted and sold the wintec on ebay. Like poohsmate says it squeaked like hell and really annoyed me. lol. I Must say though i miss just being able to give the saddle a wipe over and it was clean. lol

[mayS]

Here the biggest maker of synthetics is Wintec.

I like their saddles. I own a Wintec AP and am very happy with it.

And it doesn't mold or crack, doesn't need cleaning, and doesn't need oil. What's not to love?

[eventerbabe]

i have 2 synthetics, a wintec GP which isn't used just now and a thorowgood cob dressage saddle. I do prefer the thorowgood saddles. I just feel they are better made. Had one of the first thorowgood synthetics when i first got toby and loved it. My dressage saddle is fab, no cleaning, no worrying about it getting wrecked in the rain and most importanntly it's a super fit on my cob.

I haven't ridden in the wintec, it was bought for mum and our pony. But mum loves it. Says it's very comfy. And the flair flocking was certainly to our pony's liking.

Can't fault either saddle :)

[Dinsarsio]

I have a wintec and a thorowgood griffin saddle.I prefer the wintec,very comfortable and fits a range of shapes and sizes.My sister has 2 wintecs and swears by them too.

[showjumper-zoe]

I think wintecs actually look nice, as you do see some horrible looking synthestics that look like a lump of plastic. lol

[clurly_wurly]

I have a Wintec 2000 for my cob as I was having trouble finding a saddle wide enough to fit her, and with the wintec, I am able to change the width of the gullet as my horse changes shape. I will admit, that it probably isnt a perfect fit on her, but was the best fit out of all the saddles I could afford. I think it is good value for money and it is comfortable.

[Silvia]

I have a Wintec Isabell. My horse seems happy with it and I like it - very comfy, deep seat and set back stirrup bars.

[horse__obsessed]

the only synthetic saddles i would ever use are wintecs (my pony has a wintec 500 which i love) and thorogoods but only the T6s and maybe T4s

I've had enough of cheapy synthetic saddles at riding schools

[Konch]

i used to think synthetic were 2nd class, but many years ago they were really. Only nowadays have things improved and the thought of lugging a leather saddle about is something i dont really want to go back to. I got a Wintec 500 cair but contemplating the 2000

[iluvpin]

hey

thank you for all the replys.

i did have a saddle fitter out and he said the wintec was best on her, the other reason i have gone for a synthetic saddle is the fact that it is a lot lighter for pin to be carrying which at her age(23) is better, and also the fact that the width can be altered which is good as pin will no doubt change shape.

thank you again for the replys
lozzie an pinxx

[mayoguinness]

I like them:)

[xxxkristinaxxx]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but when i had a wintec saddle i noticed that the girth straps started to crack/split over time just from doing up the girth.

[joshes mum]

Ive had my wintec 500 for 3 years now and its still as good as new.:)

[Joyscarer]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but when i had a wintec saddle i noticed that the girth straps started to crack/split over time just from doing up the girth.

Joy's old Wintec 500 did that :mad:

[jovi_y2k2]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but when i had a wintec saddle i noticed that the girth straps started to crack/split over time just from doing up the girth.

they did that on my GP saddle, i've had them replaced with leather ones, but the straps on my dressage saddle are still good as new

[puzzles]

i adore Wintec, Wintec Isabell Dressage and Close contact Jumping/event being my favourites. Thorowgood are also very good.

[Pink's lady]

Mabe a bit late now but I have a large collection of synthetic saddles:o (*has think..........* - 7 altogether:o)

I'm not remotely interested in the material or looks of the saddle, as long as it's a good fit for the horse. Sadly most synthetic saddles leave a lot to be desired in terms of design.

It always makes me cringe when people recommend a saddle on the basis that 'it's dead comfy to ride in and keep clean' :o That should be the very last consideration - does the saddle fit the horses? Is it well designed? That is much more important! They are off the peg saddles, so a good design is essential to ensure they fit the majority of horses.

The wintec 500/2000 are a crap fit for most horses (although most retailers will 'make' it fit your horse :mad: ).

The tree is banana shaped and far too curved for the normal horse (the tree's 'normal' at a narrow but, due to it's design, gets more curved the wider it goes) and the balance is rubbish too - sits too low at the front. Most saddlers therefore fit a too-narrow gullet in to lift the front and reduce the curve.

The panels at the back are quite tilted and the outside edge of the panels dig into the horses back on most horses.

The wintec WIDE (cob saddle) is much better. The tree is flatter (although at the wider settings it's still very curved) and th panels are flatter. When set at a wide/x-wide (red or white gulet) rather than a xx-xxxx wide (the purple gullets) it's a nice saddle which should suit most horses. I would never use mine on a traditional flat backed table-top cob (what they are marketed for) but it's lovely fit on 'normal' horses.

The thorowgood's have a much better tree - which is well balanced and not curved.

The panels aren't cambred BUT they are really narrow - my Griffin is only 3" across:eek: and the gullet is far too narrow too (3cm :eek: ). It gives a very small surface area, creating a pressure point at the back

HOWEVER, the 18" Xtra saddles (I don't think they still make them though:() are much wider across the seat and consequently the panels and gullet are wider too. My maxam is a very comfortable saddle for the horse (dead uncomfy for the rider though:eek: )

The flocking in thorowgood is absolute crap too:( They use long-strand synthetic flock which balls quickly and goes horribly lumpy.

Over all I would choose a wintec WIDE unless it's a high withered TB'y back, in which case a thorowgood saddle would be better, making sure the panels at the back are plenty wide enough and having the saddle reflocked properly. But I evntually gave up and bought a WOW saddle and two eather moffet saddles:rolleyes:

[showjumper-zoe]

Not sure if this has been mentioned but when i had a wintec saddle i noticed that the girth straps started to crack/split over time just from doing up the girth.

Yeah they do after a few years but just get them replaced with leather ones.

[suneanarab]

i had a wintec 500 for odin as a general saddle, unfortunatly we both hated it! for him (being an arab with a fantastic shoulder) it was too forward cut and hit his shoulder and i think the shape wasn't quite right against his back either. for me it made me sore.

but i have put up with that when other horses have the same saddle and liked it.

i now have a wintec pro dressage with cair. i got it after riding andalusians on one. it's very comfy and odin loves it too. i use it quite alot on other horses who also love it.

i think it's the same as any other saddle, you have to find the right one for the horse. on the point that someone made about the wintec not being good on wide horses, again i think this depends on the shape of the saddle and the horse. odin is an extra wide and the wintec fits him wonderfully well.