Wintec Saddle Help!

[Chels&&Cleo]

:DThis is going to be sooo confusing hehe x so good luck reading this x

im buying a new saddle for my horse cleo with a seat size 16.5 and size wide..

on the wintec saddle 500 and 250 they come with interchangable trees i dont understand this, what does the change of the tree do?


Please Help :confused:

Also any recomendations of any saddles?

Chels xxxx

[Joyscarer]

All it is is an angled bar that goes under the pommel to adjust how wide the front bit of the saddle is. The tree itself isn't changed it is just that bar.

All it took as far as I can remember from when I did mine is undoing 4 screws then slotting the new gullet in and doing the screws back up again. It was easy peasy even for me. :D

Just to warn you, I am having the saddle fitter out on Monday because I don't think that changng the gullet on Joy's saddle is enough of an adjustment to make it fit her changing shape at the back. Having an adjustable gullet system doesn't necessarilly make it suitable for all horses. :)

[Grace O'Malley]

It's not the whole tree that's adjustable, just the "gullet" -- and it's exactly as Joyscarer described it: a bent metal piece that adjusts the width at the front of the saddle. They're easy to change, and the instructions that come with will show you what you need to know.

I agree with her too, that you'll still need to be concerned about overall fit, even with the gullet adjustment.

[KateWooten]

there are 2 main problems with the wintec's fit. it is quite 'banana' shaped from front to back, so it can cause pressure points right under your butt on a flat backed horse. Secondly, if you look at the panels from behind, they slope quite steeply down from where the horse's spine would be. this means that the panels will frequently not lie on your horse's back muscles but will just meet his back at the panel's outer edge.

treat the wintec as just another saddle in your saddle fitter's repetoire. it may fit your horse, but it probably won't. this brand of saddle has caused sore backs and resistance behaviours in a few horses on this board !

[Grace O'Malley]

this brand of saddle has caused sore backs and resistance behaviours in a few horses on this board !

And there are just as many of us who have not had problems with ours and are very happy (look at any thread on Wintecs, there are lots of happy hands up). Which just goes to show that it's all about whether or not it fits your horse--just as it is with any other brand.

[vjoy23]

I had a wintec and had to change from a medium gullet (which I think they come fitted with) to a wide after a matter of weeks of having Katie as her shape changed so suddenly with being young.
After changing the gullet it no longer fit and was lifting at the back, she had only very slight withers and still does.
Look around, wintecs maybe cheap but for not alot more you can get a second hand saddle which may fit better.
I opted for a Stuben jumping saddle which is a 32 and plenty wide enough for my big cob and was reasonably priced and in nearly new condition for £400 (bargain).
Me personally I wouldn't have a wintec again, the squeaking drove me mad too lol :D

[Chels&&Cleo]

Thankyou for all your help :) Its Helped Me Soooo Much! :D

When i emailed the saddler about the saddle they said that they could change the medium fit that it already comes with to a large or extra large would a large be a wide?

if that makes sence?

Thanks

Chels xxxxxxx

[puzzles]

yup, that makes pefect sense!
Good luck hun.
:-)

[amandal]

I have a Wintec 500 (think that's the one), it's the best fit for Ziz but I always make sure the saddler comes and makes any adjustments so she can check it fits all of Ziz and me properly.

[KateWooten]

When i emailed the saddler about the saddle they said that they could change the medium fit that it already comes with to a large or extra large would a large be a wide?


hmmmm ... now im confused ... how are you measuring the fit of this saddle on your horse ?

[Pink's lady]

Horrible saddles. Lovely to look at, comfy to ride, dead easy to keep clean, lightweigth and cheap in but don't seem to fit any horse particlalry well.

I have seen SOOO many wintecs badly fitted:( Saddlers that retail wintecs are usually willing to 'make' them fit any horse. Saddlers who don't retail them think they are appaling and won't touch them with a barge pole.

Consequently there are a lot of horses wearing wintec saddles that don't really fit but have been told by their saddler that they do. Most horses put up with it though:(

Like Kate said the tree is very curved. Set at a medium or narrower the tree is OK and will fit a slightly curved back. Anything wider and the tree becomes banana shaped and rocks horribly, even more so on flat backed horses.

The panels at the back are also cambred so the outside edge digs in. On narrow horses who are narrow backed all long that's fine - the angle of the panels match the back. However on flat or wide horses they don't. With flocked WIntec it can be altered a bit to help. With Cair saddles there is nothing you can do.

It's a shame really as the idea is a good one and no differnt from a Saddle company saddle - only the front width can be changed on a SC saddle. HOWEVER a Saddle company saddle has a well designed tree and the panels are serge so will mould to a perfect shape.

If your pony is wide and short backed, have a look at wintec WIDE cob saddles. They are similar to the 500 (the 250 is the cheapest version and you get what you pay for ;)) but the tree is flatter and the panels flatter too and tend to be a good fit on horses from wide to x-wide.

[Silvia]

I don't know how you can make such sweeping statements, Pinks Lady. Of course - no saddle fits every horse. But there are many horses and riders out there who are perfectly happy with their Wintecs. Me being one of them.

[Pink's lady]

But there are many horses and riders out there who are perfectly happy with their Wintecs. Me being one of them.

You must be one of the lucky ones who's horse suits the wintec. But of the hundreds of Wintec saddles I've seem I'd have said about half of them were a poor fit. Assuming that's a fairly represtentative veiw, Wintec have sold millions of saddles (which they have - they're the biggest saddle company in the world) then that's a million saddles that don't fit and a million horses with sore backs:(

There are a huge number of saddles makes on the market and of course none of them fit every horse BUT wintec market their saddles as fitting any horse and the mojority of people beleive that. Sadly it's just not true. And even more sadly, if they redesigned the tree a little, it could be almost true:(

[Joyscarer]

There are a huge number of saddles makes on the market and of course none of them fit every horse BUT wintec market their saddles as fitting any horse and the mojority of people beleive that.(


That's exactly the attitude I was met with when I discussed Joy now ill fitting saddle with my more experienced friend.

I have gone against her advice and the saddle fitter is coming out on Monday. If the saddle can be altered to suit Joy then all's well and good.

The observations PL made about the sharp angle of the back panels on the Wintec is certainly is the case with my VSD cair on Joy now she has muscled out. It wasn't the case when I got it.

Horses change shape under the back or the saddle as well as the front so altering the front will not fix fitting issues at the back.

For those of you who have in the past been very happy with your Wintecs please don't forget about the fit at the back too. I wish I had gone with my instincts far sooner. I just wonder how much of Joy's teenager type attitude is due laterly to an ill fitting saddle.

[parsharainbow]

But of the hundreds of Wintec saddles I've seem I'd have said about half of them were a poor fit. :(

I bought mine from new and it wasn't even flocked evenly :eek:

[puzzles]

well, surely all saddle manufactorers (sp?) want to give the impression that their saddles will fit every - if only most - horses?
It's a shame that you have only had bad experiences with these saddles, and that bad saddle fitters can cause such a bad impression on the owner.
x

[Mareish]

I don't know how you can make such sweeping statements, Pinks Lady. Of course - no saddle fits every horse. But there are many horses and riders out there who are perfectly happy with their Wintecs. Me being one of them.

Me too, only had it since the beginning of the year as I am between saddles at the mo and it fits fine, Lily has not been so relaxed in ages.

Norm came to Bowen her and said it was a good fit too

[Mareish]

I bought mine from new and it wasn't even flocked evenly :eek:

And you tried to sell that to me :eek:

[CurlyWurlyRach]

I don't know how you can make such sweeping statements, Pinks Lady. Of course - no saddle fits every horse. But there are many horses and riders out there who are perfectly happy with their Wintecs. Me being one of them.

me too - i like mine but my horse is a TBx so shes not wide at all. My saddler tried this one on her and it fitted the best. so i bought it. if it had been a stubben that fitted best i would have bought that.
Its a great saddle (the 2000), easy to stay stuck to when horse starting throwing herself about, secure to jump in but not the easiest to get my leg under me in but that is improving with practise.
Im saving for a wintec 500 dressage saddle currently.

[LauraLou]

I have a wintec, got the saddler out on Tuesday (week today woohoo!) to come and check the fit for me. Blonde question - I assume you can flock a wintec to chnage the fit and not just adjust the gullet?

[Joyscarer]

I have a wintec, got the saddler out on Tuesday (week today woohoo!) to come and check the fit for me. Blonde question - I assume you can flock a wintec to chnage the fit and not just adjust the gullet?

Absolutely. I had mine done yesterday so a new saddle wasn't needed after all. :D

I have the VSD which only comes in the cair and even that will take some flocking.

I can't believe the changes having the saddle done has made. We now don't collapse in on the right rein and I feel more balanced and secure which has boosted my confidence already.

I would really recommend getting a saddler out to check your wintec on a regular basis.

The trouble is that the marketing led me to think that I could make all the changes needed and forgot about the need for the professional to come in. :o

Getting the saddler in was the best £40 I have spent in ages :D

[LauraLou]

Thanks JS! Am very excited/nervous about saddler coming out, had 9 mnths off work due to her being ill so hoping this is the first step on the road back to being in work!
Ha ha was just sitting there though thinking I assume you can reflock! :rolleyes::D I love my wintec though :D

[Joyscarer]

Thanks JS! Am very excited/nervous about saddler coming out, had 9 mnths off work due to her being ill so hoping this is the first step on the road back to being in work!


I hope it all goes well for you. I couldn't belive how nervous I was, I knew I'd have to try any changes out in the school I my confidence had taken such a knock I hadn't ridden her in there for months :o

I even cantered out on a hack today and wondered what all the fuss was about :o

I can't believe that something so simple as a saddle fit has made such a difference. I even thought of giving up at one stage.

It's mad isn't it because I have read so many times on NR about ill fitting saddle and STILL didn't take in the importance of it. Even when Joy wasn't showing discomfort the balance was all wrong through it and she must have been really struggling poor little mite :(