Does anyone have the Antares jumping saddle they ordered from smartpak? Do you have pictures? Tell me about the leather. It says it has calfskin, but then someone said it had buffalo…but it can’t be for $3500. Is the leather grippy? Does it stay grippy, and not get that plasticy leather, if you know what I mean?
I don’t have it but at one time Smartpak offered the Richard Spooner and Hampton Classic models in stock sizes. Supposed to be the same leather without all the custom options. I have seen the HC model and the leather was very nice but not buffalo. Evelyn, one of the Antares owners, told me it was the same quality leather as used in their custom saddles.
When I was trying saddles, I tried the Smartpak Antares jumping saddle. The seat and knee pads were calfskin, but the flap was grain leather. It was a nice looking saddle, very standard (kind of butet-like). I remember the leather feeling grippy, but I didn’t have it long enough to clean or oil or anything like that. Just didn’t fit my horse.
