I currently have an Abetta special trail, ie, has a horn, but lots and lots of D rings and also has the slanted back flank ring, and yes, I was able to do a quasi-enduro/centerfire arrangement that worked fine. ( I cribbed this idea from the dreaded Gaits of Gold site, actually had the latigo knot tied up by the back ring and could theoretically tighten girth from the saddle. If I weighed less and was thirty years younger, possibly.) Currently using it double rigged with a flank cinch because right now its working best on Her Roundness that way, but it’ll be no trouble to re-rig if and when she loses a few pounds. I keep hoping winter temps and very damn little grass left in the paddocks will slim her down some but she’s still plump.
Rather than post a whole new question, I’d figured I’d just post here, unless Leather has any objections.
Is there a difference between the endurance wide tree and the quarter horse extra wide? I started out with an Abetta in a regular QH tree, got extra wide for my Haflinger, and now I’m thinking if I don’t go treeless, I’d like to get an Abetta Trinity Endurance.
I always thought you could get any tree on any model of saddle. So you could get the X-Wide on a trail saddle, or on an endurance saddle. The X-Wide is much wider than the Full QH Bars, which is just a Wide. The X-Wide endurance saddle I had was a tad too wide even for the widest/flattest/meatloaf’ish horse I’ve ever worked with.
trail rider
It is very hard to find an endurance saddle in a wide width from my experience. I am looking at the Abetta Trinity Endurance in wide, but does anyone out there know for sure the exact gullet width? I have a short backed, no wither , barrel of an appaloosa that I want to find a endurance saddle for that is affordable. I have an older abetta endurance but it is not wide enough, and they hold up really well. My mare is built like a haflinger, only with spots
I have an Abetta Endurance with a QH Tree. My horse is a wide, short backed Paint mare. It fits her ok, but I wish I went with the Arab size with a wide tree. I find the saddle is a little too long. I use a breastplate to keep it in place.
I have replaced the stirrups & fenders with regular english leathers & stirrups. It was NOT easy. The holes are angled in the opposite direction from what you need. But by warming the leather and curling the ends in my hands/fingers I was able to get it through.
I think for next season I will be changing my “leather” goods (bridle & breastplate) to Biothane. Love the look and how light everything is.
I just bought the Abetta Trinity endurance saddle and I need to replace the stirrup fenders – waaay to long for my short legs. But, it is a pain in the a$$ to get anything back up and on that saddle tree. Yikes!!
As to the saddle itself, it’s comfy, but I find that it puts the stirrups a bit too far under me (I’m a western rider) and I get “pitched” forward occasionally. I guess I’ll get used to it and learn to balance differently, but I wish I could move the fenders forward about an inch. :no:
There’s a little short strap where the stirrups come off the tree that prevents the stirrups from swinging forward freely. Cut this stap, it is not needed.
Also for doing anything under the seat just take out the screws holding the rings on and you will find the seat folds up and back for easy access.
[QUOTE=CanterQueen;3845841]
I just bought the Abetta Trinity endurance saddle and I need to replace the stirrup fenders – waaay to long for my short legs. But, it is a pain in the a$$ to get anything back up and on that saddle tree. Yikes!!
As to the saddle itself, it’s comfy, but I find that it puts the stirrups a bit too far under me (I’m a western rider) and I get “pitched” forward occasionally. I guess I’ll get used to it and learn to balance differently, but I wish I could move the fenders forward about an inch. :no:[/QUOTE]
Yup, what he said.
You have to unscrew the conchos, then the jockeys or whatever they’re called, fold way back, and you can easily put the fenders off and on.
My #1 complaint with Abetta saddles is that the stirrups are WAY tooooooooo long. I do not know why they do this. I’m 5’7" and the other girl who rides my horse is 5’2" and I had to burn about 6 new sets of holes so we could get the stirrups short enough for both of us.
The engineers at Abetta are seriously confused when it comes to stirrups.
[QUOTE=candyappy;3744598]
It is very hard to find an endurance saddle in a wide width from my experience. I am looking at the Abetta Trinity Endurance in wide, but does anyone out there know for sure the exact gullet width? I have a short backed, no wither , barrel of an appaloosa that I want to find a endurance saddle for that is affordable. I have an older abetta endurance but it is not wide enough, and they hold up really well. My mare is built like a haflinger, only with spots[/QUOTE]
Hay Candyappy.
The Ralide company never ever got back to me when I wrote to them to ask a question about the trees which is a shame. But I do believe the gullet width is 7" on the wide endurance tree. I can’t remember what the gullet width on the Abetta Endurance extra-wide is, but I know that didn’t fit Mitch right (but then, Mitch is a hard fit anyway, he’s got a weird back)
Hope you find a saddle.
[QUOTE=dreamswept;3846164]
Hay Candyappy.
The Ralide company never ever got back to me when I wrote to them to ask a question about the trees which is a shame. But I do believe the gullet width is 7" on the wide endurance tree. I can’t remember what the gullet width on the Abetta Endurance extra-wide is, but I know that didn’t fit Mitch right (but then, Mitch is a hard fit anyway, he’s got a weird back)
Hope you find a saddle.[/QUOTE]
http://www.buytack.com/products/saddles/act/menu/abetta-endurance.htm
This site gives detail on gullet width and such.
And what A2 said about the Abetta fenders, they must be thinking some mighty long legged cowboys are their main customers, for sure.
Great ideas!! Thank you!
Yup. I’m 5’ 0" – the fender is just tooooo darn long. I’ve ordered replacement child sized Abetta stirrups. We’ll see how they work out. 
Thanks for the info on how to replace the fenders and removing the strap!
I much prefer Blevins buckles and will now definitely replace the Abetta fenders.
I have the Blevins Campdraft Leathers on another saddle and really like them. http://www.aussiesaddle.com/stirrups.htm
I’m pretty sure that the Aussie saddle co will custom make a length for you too if needed.
I finally gave up on the fenders thing and put english leathers and irons on my Abettas.
I switched out the stirrups . . .
I ordered Abetta youth sized stirrups (short) from Saddleshop.com. They were a bit of a pain to change out (yes, I took the screws out and that did make it easier), but well worth the effort. I cut that little strap that was keeping the stirrups “back” and while they aren’t as forward as I like (old western rider here) it really made a world of difference. Still not as comfy as my Bob Marshall saddles, but as I said in another post, I’m worried about 10 years of trail riding in a treeless saddle and what it might do to my horse’s back.
Once the weather gets a bit better I’ll try some serious trail riding in it and let you know if it is working for me.
In the mean time, I’ve ordered a demo Steele endurance saddle . . .
trail rider
hey, dreamswept & Jeano,
I just e-mailed you today dreamswept and asked if you had heard from Abetta and looking just now I see you already answered my question about tree widths !!
thanks jeano on your link to that site. I think I may have seen that before but wasn’t sure how accurate they were on the actual width. I am going to get the abetta trinity as soon as I save up enough , and will probably have to change the fenders out as everyone else seems to. I am tall at 5’9 so the length isn’t a problem for me, just too much " stuff" with the western fenders. I have always ridden english.
The replacement Abetta fenders I bought from Saddleshop.com came with Blevins buckles. :yes: They are youth-size (shorter fenders) and they match my saddle. I’m happy with how it turned out. Now I’m going to change out that terrible, thin, nylon latigo . . . .
