Ainsley Pro vs Stubben Roxanne vs Bates Caprilli

[galloping-gourmet]

Well, still saddle searching, and a bit gun shy after ordering several online only having to send them back…There isn’t a tack shop locally anymore, so not much shopping.

I have found Ainsley Pro, Stubben Roxanne and a Bates Caprilli. All look nice and in my price range. Can anyone comment on any of them. Likes, dislikes, etc

My horses are draft crosses, not super huge, but probable m/w to w. I have heard that Stubben runs narrow (its a 32 cm).

Just not wanting to increase my saddle inventory if they don’t fit…Thank you.

[vineyridge]

All I can personally say about the Stubben Roxanne is that it is fairly deep seated, so it holds you in place more than flat seated saddles. The one that I had had to be restuffed to fit a normal TB back, but when it was restuffed, it was great for foxhunting. Mine for a normal TB was a 29 or 30, IIRC.

[galloping-gourmet]

Did you like the deep seat?

[vineyridge]

I did. Jen4Jenny posted that it was probably a better foxhunting saddle than eventing saddle IIRC. It’s much harder to get in the back seat in because of the seat depth. But I found that it put me in the correct position for forward seat riding (no chair seat) and was good for me at all gaits, and wonderful in two point. Horse liked it after it was restuffed. I bought mine new very soon after it was introduced. (I’m a longtime Stubben fan and was delighted to find one that didn’t put me in a chair seat.)

[beowulf]

nix the bates caprilli… but the other two are good.

i have an ainsley (actually, two – liked the old one so much i went looking for a new one) one is really old, the other was made in this generation :lol: – both are nice, all around saddles but neither have too much block/padding (the old one is flatter than a pancake, actually) - AKA you won’t be being put into a specific position with these saddles. i love that about them, but some riders may like the security a more padded knee and thigh block brings. i competed up to training in the ainsley, but would probably want something else for anything any higher.

[CatchMeIfUCan]

I had a Roxanne and ran through Prelim in it. I really liked the forward flap, and never had issues with drops. Stubbens run narrow, and I found the Roxanne to have a vey curvy tree. They are not very comfortable to sit in for a long period of time. The Prestige Monoflap is still my favorite saddle, though. So secure and free at the same time.

[Highflyer]

I have the Roxane and have competed through Prelim in it and really like it. I do think that it runs a bit narrow and definitely fits horses with high withers/ big shoulders/ curvy backs (which is all of my TBs). I am a Stubben fan in general, though. I also have ridden in an Ainsley and wasn’t crazy about it, but the particular one I tried was big for me and I think possibly cut extra forward-- I have really short legs and just never felt like I was in the right place in it. FWIW, my trainer recommended the Roxane, the Ainsley Pro, and the Jeffries Flyover as all being good used saddles to try based on my tiny budget, so that might be another possibility.

[bambam]

The pro national has a much more forward flap than the roxanne. Not sure what you need or prefer but just throwing that out there. I have an older pro national that I used to event in that is generally fine- fit a a decent range of horses but none of them were drafts.

[Mukluk]

I have a pro national. It is good for my long femur and I have a TB who has a flattish back and it fits her well. Don’t know anything about the other two.

[IFG]

I love the Ainsleys. I have a Chester and used to have a XC. The Pronational came out later. They are well balanced and terrific for XC and fox-hunting.

[Bogie]

The older Ainsley saddles are a lot nicer than the newer ones. I’ve owned both the pro-national and the Chester. My preference is the Chester but they are both nice.

I tried the Roxanne and found the seat to be too deep, so it depends on your preference.

I don’t have a bias against the Bates that some people do. I keep an old style Wintec Pro-Jump for rainy days and my horses have all loved it and don’t have an issue with the CAIR. I know folks who hunt in Bates saddles and have also had no problems. Some horses, I guess, don’t like the CAIR and some people have had issues with the saddles. I’ve owned three pro-jumps and never had a problem but of course your mileage may vary.

[beowulf]

my only issue with bates (actually, there’s two) is that they are just as pricey as saddles that are better quality than them (for instance, stubbens and ainsleys) and that people who are usually attracted to them are attracted because they think they can avoid saddle-fitting/involving a professional to ascertain fit. otherwise, i think they’re decent saddles but would certainly never consider buying one brand new at MSRP price.

but, having ridden in a caprilli when i was searching for saddles for my late gelding (the old ainsley i had fit him on paper but HE didn’t like it), i didn’t care for the position it put me in. YMMV.

[galloping-gourmet]

Thank you all! I currently ride in an older Bates Caprilli that I had re flocked with wool…I have loved that saddle, but it’s just about done in…The newer ones had a different leather, and to have one re-flocked here is $400…

I jump and do lower level eventing, nothing over training…I had purchaged a Collegiate Sr Eventer, thinking it would be a good jumping saddle, but it’s an all purpose, and awful for jumping…

Have any of you tried the Smith Worthington saddles? They have a wide Mystic in the bargain store for a good price…just never seen them out west…thank you all…

[IFG]

I love Smith Worthingtons. I think that Mystic is pretty low quality leather. Also, if the Collegiate was inadequate for your needs, not sure the Mystic would work.

[Ruth0552]

[QUOTE=galloping-gourmet;8530168]
Thank you all! I currently ride in an older Bates Caprilli that I had re flocked with wool…I have loved that saddle, but it’s just about done in…The newer ones had a different leather, and to have one re-flocked here is $400…

I jump and do lower level eventing, nothing over training…I had purchaged a Collegiate Sr Eventer, thinking it would be a good jumping saddle, but it’s an all purpose, and awful for jumping…

Have any of you tried the Smith Worthington saddles? They have a wide Mystic in the bargain store for a good price…just never seen them out west…thank you all…[/QUOTE]

I rode in a Crosby Equillibrium for many, many years. When it was time to buy a new saddle, I was sure a Collegiate senior event would work. It did not. Thankfully, it was cheap and I bought it on ebay and was able to resell on ebay at a profit. I tried a Crosby Excel, an older model, which I rode in for a couple months and finally admitted it did not work for me. I also tried a Bates Caprilli all purpose and a number of other saddles belonging to friends all of which did not really work. However, I have a back issue from an accident long ago and all these “deeper” saddles gave me lower back pain. Someone suggested a Bates Caprilli Close contact and it is perfect. I’m not a fan of the cair panels and wish it was wool flocked but it was what I could find in my budget at the time, and I do appreciate the changeable gullet. The crosby and the collegiate were both foam, so I figured if I needed to do more fitting I was stuck re-flocking any way. The bates was used, and quite frankly I had a lot of trouble finding something suitable in my budget. A stubben or an ainsley were usually NOT in my budget used.

So just food for thought, the Caprilli comes in different models. I felt that the Caprilli all purpose was basically the same as a senior event, so it might be that yours is a close contact and you are actually looking for something that is not that deep.

[kcmel]

I tried a SW monoflap, but it was too forward for me. The wide fit my draft x well. His Stubben dressage saddle is XW, so I would be afraid the 32 cm tree might be too narrow for you? But I do like the Roxanne. I was looking for one, but ended up with a BC Wexford, which also has a deep (and cushier) seat.

[Foxtrot_s]

I’ve been riding in a Bates Caprilly for years Fits and is comfortable on any of the horses it has been on. Held up well in a variety of conditions - good quality leather.

First time I rode in it was a five hour ranch and cattle ride. Hill and dale. She was the only horse who came home with no back problems - me included. I know some people have had bad luck with them or do not like them, but I’ve not heard of anyone personally.

Price was right for me.

[snowrider]

I used to fit saddles.

The Ainsley Pro has a VERY forward flap and a lot of tall people think “super!” but imho, it assumes you have a much longer femur than calf. Which most women do so that’s ok. If you don’t have a long femur, like me, you will most likely feel behind the motion and keep shortening your stirrups more and more until your knees are under your ears and you tumble off backwards. If you have a longer femur than calf and ride short it’s probably the best one in your list for eventing. If you feel like you need one of those old fashioned bump pads in the back it doesn’t fit you. Either way I’d try it. They fit a lot of horses.

Stubben Roxanne, I have no personal experience in this one as the flap isn’t forward enough for me but shorter people and men love it. Other people say the back of the seat hits them in the butt constantly.

Bates, I really like this saddle, it is balanced for me and I like the more open seat but it fits a certain kind of horse. I actually suggest taking the pommel plate thing out completely and sitting it on the horse that way with no girth or anything that would stress the tree, just to see how the panels fit front to back. It’ll be pretty obvious if it fits. I’ve heard a lot of people say they felt they were falling out the front but I think it depends on your build, not your experience or fitness or anything.