Same old story here. I rode open jumpers, evented Prelim, played polo, rode sidesaddle, saddle seat you name it.
Then I got older. Then they thought I had Cancer. So I ended up sliced almost in half (core scar tissue no end). I was lucky It was caught early enough that even though it was grapefruit size it was only precancerous. Then I end up primary caregiver of my Mother in her end of life needs all the while working full time.
Well I suck now as a rider!
So I was looking at these suede like wintecs. I think if I get on and it holds me a bit in the right position hopefully with my ground based fitness program I can work on gaining the right muscles back. I have a shark fin withered TB and a medium withered quarter horse. Should i get a Thorowgood for Ms Shark Fin and a wintec 2000 for Ms Quarter Horse? There is also a delux all purpose that looks interesting
I might just be a trail rider or who knows maybe I will compete again.
I won’t just go out and buy I just would like a few opinions to point me in the right direction for my initial search.
I might ride in this saddle for a long time or I may just be using these saddles to get going again.
Thanks!
A lot of people love 'em, but I don’t care for Wintecs. Hopefully you can “trial” some saddles and figure out what you like. For ‘stickiness’ I love the grippy buffalo hide they are now using on saddles. I also have a pair of boots (Ariats) that have the grippy leather on the inside of the calf.
I also find in my old age that I prefer a saddle with some support in the form of knee rolls & thigh blocks. they don’t have to be huge, but they do make a difference in terms of how secure I feel in the saddle. And I love a wider twist as well. How I ever rode in that flat little pancake narrow twist hard as a rock prix de nations knock off I’ll never know. 
My foray into more comfortable saddles began with Countys. Had a County Profit and a County Stabilizer. Both excellent saddles that were comfortable enough for long trail rides / field hunting. Next saddle that I loved was a Black Country Maelstrom. Also a lovely, well made saddle, definitely more of a x-c saddle than a show hunter saddle. Sadly, all of the above were sold as horses were sold / not leased anymore. Currently riding in a saddle designed for trail riding, a Lovatt & Ricketts Rubicon. Love it, very comfortable and secure saddle. Very well made.
I have a Custom Saddlery dressage saddle made out of buffalo hide. It also has knee rolls and a bit of thigh block. I feel very, very secure in that saddle. With half chaps on I am stuck like glue. I’m 58, so not at all the daredevil I used to be:). I’m glad you are able to get back to riding after so many issues. Good for you.
I got back into shape on a shark-withered, round-barreled Arab using a Stuebben VSD. We were pleasure riders, so just dabbled in basic-level everything, but the saddle was comfortable and secure for whatever we were doing, for however many hours we were doing it.
I have a Wintec Pro Jump and while it is a) very comfortable and b) pretty sticky, it does not put you in a correct position at all, and in fact works against you in that way. I found it very nice for hacking and long rides, but it was a hinderance to my jumping lessons (despite being a jump saddle) and I felt very wobbly in my lower leg in it, as it seemed to tip me forward.
The key to secure feeling for me is knee/thigh blocks on a well balanced saddle and the wide track stirrups with cheesegrater pads. Makes such a difference!
As for sticky and reasonably priced, I was a big fan of the Thornhill Pro Trainer Le Monde II that I tried. Sticky leather, nice sized blocks, seemed to put me in a good position. It just was not right for my mare though, but I was a fan!
I ended up with a Passier Marcus Ehning, which is not sticky leather but very well balanced and a gorgeous saddle (and even used was more than I wanted to pay, but it fits dang hard to fit mare like it was made for her…) and I find it quite nice, particularly now that I’ve put the wide stirrups on.
I doubt my saddle situation will be attractive to you, but, just in case . . . I use a Barefoot London treeless dressage saddle on my shark-fin, old Standardbred. We walk on trails, so, it doesn’t face many challenges :lol:. It came with a suede seat cover that helps me stay centered, and I use caged E-Z ride stirrups, which have a very wide base that is comfy on my feet. Not sure where you live, but, you can sit in a lot of saddles at trade events like Equine Affaire.
I would say go out and buy the best saddle for your horse(s) and for you–whatever fits and feels balanced. The balance of the saddle on the horse and how you fit into it is going to make way more difference to how well you’ll ride in it.
Then, regardless of the saddle, add a seat-saver that gives you some stick if you need it. Acavello makes a terrific gel seat saver which Dover used to stock, but that I recently bought from a British tack store because I couldn’t find it in the U.S. (And with the relatively strong dollar, it wasn’t outrageously expensive). There are others on the market, including sheepskin pads that will increase the stickiness of the seat.
Good luck.
I had a Wintec 2000 and a Wintec Dressage for my high-withered arab. They were OK, but not the most secure, especially for sideways teleportation events. I had a lot of luck using an independent local saddle fitter. They were able to come out with lots of different saddles. I was convinced I wanted a western-style endurance saddle. After trying out so many that day, my favorite secure final choice was a dressage saddle, deep seat and long leg for security.
So use what feels the most secure to you and fits your horse. And good luck, it’s tough to come back but definitely worth it!
My husband calls my full seat breeches tacky butt breeches. I find they help a lot. I find many of the older Courbettes and Stubbens the leather is slick but most newer more modern saddles don’t ever get that slick feeling. So full seat breeches may give you a more secure feel too
I have a Wintec 2000 AP saddle and I love it. Previously, I had always ridden in western saddles.
I will have to say, though, that I’ve never ridden in other english saddles, so I cannot compare my Wintec to other saddles.
I like my County Eventer and my Equissentials full seat Western jods. I also wear an eventing cross country safety vest and good quality helmet. Old age is frustrating because when we finally have time to ride, we aren’t so very skilled or confident.
Since this is the trail riding/endurance forum tell us what kind of riding you are going to be doing. Have you been riding at all since all this trauma?
You need to learn about your new body , i was sliced in half and left me with numbness under the scar (waist) and a weaker leg that no amount of weight lifting will cure. Helps but I still rely on the other leg.Cut from belly button to near the spine.
Therefore before you invest in a saddle learn what you need. There are trail saddle like Steele that are combo (if you design it) english with deep seat . There is the new Keiffer endurance saddle that looks very secure about to be released. Prestiage has endurance saddle coming out the new Aetna flap called Evo.
The stubben scout is wonderfully comfortable but smallest size is 18.
I’m not a seller I’ve just been saddle hunting for a while now. I used to have english style Steele custom saddle but its to narrow for new horse. Looking into Prestige but $$ as are the Keiffer.
Many european saddle makers sell Trekking saddles, basically ap english with longer panels and movable blocks.
But really you will need to ride some to see what works and if you are thinking of endurance then sadly you may tire and need more help from your saddle.
I second the Acavello gel seat saver, nothing like it. BUT get the low -gel, the high gel will stick you to the seat so its hard to move. I found the lo -gel on e-bay just last week. Love it, I don’t know why but I feel so much more secure with that seat saver. Silly but true. Also i’ve gone to using webber instead of stirrups leathers ,again don’t know why but my legs are happier and last longer.
PM if you want more ideas.
I am fighting cancer and have become quite weak because of it. I love my Thorowgood dressage because it is light enough I can saddle on my own. The material is grippy and it is fairly secure. I was raised a western rider so I do feel more secure with a little more saddle. I have an Allegany Mountain Trail Saddle in the slim pommel endurance (Survivor model) with english rigging. It is right at 20 pounds and most of the time I can saddle up on my own. It is the saddle I feel safest in that is still light weight.
I have a Wintec 2000AP that fits my two Tb mares well.
For sticky on a not-so-sticky saddle (e.g. if your saddlesof choice don’t really end up fitting your horses) Thinline seat savers work really well…
Also the ridiculously sticky Kerrits breeches…
I’ve been riding but mostly it feels bad. I have been pushing myself through a lot of pain. I bought shock absorbing stirrup irons and have been looking at all of the different sticky breeches. There are so many breeches to choose from!
I have sought out physical therapy excercises for my back, ankles and knee. The most awful thing is that sometimes I set off my scar and I get this ridiculous crawling/burning feeling that is on the edge of pain. There is no way to describe it other than just awful.
I just need the input I am receving here to help me just get rolling. I find that my pain gets so bad that I get going in fits and starts.
Once I get my strength back up I will decide what direction I want to go in with riding.
I am going to look into this seat saver.
I feel a bit like that thelwell drawing where the old woman rider is being lowered by crane onto her mount.
I ride in a Wintec 2000. Currently it fits my shark finned Clydesdale and it also fits my flat backed percheron (obviously need to change gullets). I’m currently looking for a new dressage saddle for the Clydesdale - the wintec just doesn’t make me feel secure and I hope that a dressage saddle with thigh and knee blocks to help keep me in place for that sideways leap moment.
