Anyone ride a Connemara in a Wintec saddle?

orbvalley

orbvalley

Well-Known Member
Jan 15, 2008
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France, South
Just been reading that my wintec CAIR500 GP saddle might not fit my new Connemara due to their width?
Mines currently being backed but not ready to try the saddle for size yet so was wondering if any of you have any experience of this?
She currently stands at 140cm but is only 3years old.
My saddle is relatively new:rolleyes:
All opinions welcome...........
 
No way of telling yet!! We have TBS who have grown from 16.5 to 17.5 medium to medium wide over the course of a few months betwen 3 and 4, a connie in a narrow and a connie who needed a wide. Be prepared to swap saddles lots for any horse as they mature.
 
I don't think i get it:oops: I have a 17.5" saddle which was bought to fit my bum which I thought would always fit me (unless it gets bigger!!), the gullet is interchangeable & I thought this was to fit the horse to?
 
The changable gullet gives flexibility but doesnt guarantee fit as it only allows adjustment of the front angle. There is still the degree of curve from front to back to consider, and length depends on the length of their back and the length of your thigh. Its a minefield! My mare is 12 bit due to increased work changed shape, I tried 9 saddles before settling on an adjustable gullet thorowgood a. Couple of months ago, 4 weeks ago she fitted a wide gullet but had to go to the next size up last week as she changed again.
 
I personally feel that the shape of the Wintec/Bates trees are not good on most Connies - they need a tree that is flatter across where the stirrup bars and bottom of the seat is, the "rails", which in the Wintec trees are rather upright. When they go wrong on most horses it's always there.
 
Sorry I have just realised you are in France where it is customary to fit the rider first. My daughter went on a course to ENE at Saumur and was puzzled to be fitted to saddles for each discipline before the horses were allocated. In the UK the saddle is fitted to each horse sometimes the rider having to compromise ( eg tall rider on small horse will have to compromise in shorter saddle)
 
Aaahhh! So thats where i'm getting confused!! Many thanks eml, i thought i was going loopy for a mo. I was relaying the info to my oh earlier who proceeded to have a small hissy fit. The connie is already way over budget for us and follows 2 unexpected early retirements of our horses. What with the livery, purchase and prospect of numerous saddles he finally cracked
its still all very bizarre, after all we're only a small ocean apart⁉
 
A small sea but in horse terms a large ocean. My daughter went to Saumur as her year abroad while studying French and was amazed how fundemental were the differences, in the UK we balance horse between leg and hand , in France she discovered horses were used to leg or hand but not the two together, saddle fitting was to the rider, we assuned that was because all the horses were Selle Francais and a similar shape but have learned otherwise since. Horses were stabled 24/7 on a totally grain diet. Just so different!!!
 
I'm in the south so not sure if its the same as Saumur/Northern France but did they also tell her to ride with all 4 fingers inside the reins? This is one thing that I just find impossible to do without constantly thinking about it. As soon as I think of something else my little finger slips out & back to the English style!
Stabled 24/7 and on grain can't be any fun. Often here there's minimal turn out in tiny paddocks that barely have any grass. It took us a fair while to find decent grass livery down here as its so arid.Our 2 were consequently ecstatic when we moved them to full grass 24/7.
 
I ride like they do in northern France? I didn't know that. It depends on my reins to be honest.
 
I'll be interested to see what @joosie says, she works at a yard in Normandy. The impression I have got of French riding is that is is generally more regimented than English, with horses stabled, rider saddle fit placed before horse comfort, many grades of exams, and most people practising a discipline rather than just hacking out - I believe many people there never hack out. I get the feeling that French riders browsing this forum would think we were a bunch of loony horse-hugging hippies!
 
PS I have a Connie (that's him trying to brain me in my avatar) and a 17.5" would be way too long for his short back. He just scrapes into a Kent & Masters GO Cob 17" XW and if I had the money I'd buy him a 16.5" as I am short.
 
In France and Germany ( I only have knowledge of those but I suspect most of continental Europe) you need to get certificates to ride at any competition from local show to National level ( Galops in France I cannot remember the German equivalent but it is based on a book available in English translation as 'The Principles of Riding'. A friend was horrified on arriving in Germany to discover she would only be allowed to ride in the livery yard school until she had passed a test permitting her to ride out, something she had been doing all her life in the UK!!
 
We do have many grades of exams to take before you can compete (unless you compete within an RS of course). 7 "Galops" to get through which inc dressage, jumping and cross + theory. I'm only up to number 5 and that will stall for a long while now whilst I get my youngster trained up. All children that I know take these exams as part of the sport/hobby, even if they only pass 1 or 2 in the fist few years then stop.
I don't know what I'm going to do if my 17.5" is too long. Go on a diet I guess:eek:
eml you really are a mind of information aren't you! I didn't know there was an english translation of the Galops. I'll have to check it out. I'd still have to take the exams in French though:rolleyes:
 
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