Aviar Saddles

I’m just glad I picked up on the tells before I ended up $8K deep. My instructor teaches in multiple states, and has seen that the Aviars can work out great, but it all really hinges on having a good rep. Sometimes the horses backs change really rapidly with them and require a significant re-do of the fit and panels. They are really close contact, and I think it would have been amazing under different conditions. The one I had on trial was a Rook 3.0.

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It’s the most expensive saddle I’ve ever purchased, but still only 1/3 of what you were going to spend, so I completely understand backing off. I, too, have a 17h WB that seems to be a fairly easy fit and only required the standard flaps so hoping for the best.

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Smart move. I wish I had listened to my better judgement but had a Dressage instructor ridiculing me for not trusting the “expertise” of this fitter. So I lost a lot of money and sored my horse in the deal. The company did allow me to trade the saddle in for a different model, which went promplty up for sale. Took over a year to sell and at a huge loss. Lesson learned.

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Yep, my horse gets checked regularly by a chiro and body worker, and she is just fine in my Black Country that was made for another horse. I need more support as we move up the levels, but I’m sticking with more traditional English type saddles (frontrunners are currently Lovatt & Ricketts, BC or Patrick).

I don’t want to hijack, but since this thread is about Aviars I’m curious if you Aviar people have ridden in the different Rooks and know what the difference is?
I tried a Rook 2 the other week that my fitter brought and I liked it, but couldn’t buy that one because it was out of my price range and also had the wrong panels for my horse. Now that I’m looking at used ones online I’m curious to know how different the Rooks are. I found some Rook 1s in my price range but my fitter said it wouldn’t work but a Rook 2.5 maybe would.
On the website they don’t say anything about the Rooks fitting the horse differently and it sounds like the difference is in the seat for the rider.

depth of seat is the biggest difference between the Rooks.

The Rook 2 is deeper than the rook 1 and IMO feels a little more “french” in its seat position.

Rook 2.5 is a 2 with a less steep cantle/less French feeling. Rook 3 is meant to suit a wider, flatter conformation and is more closely related to the Rook 1 in its fit.

Sparrow 2 is the narrow seat version of the Rook 2, if I remember correctly.

I can’t tell you how they are different, but we went through all the models with my mare and she was adamant that the only one that fit her was the Rook 1; so there must be some difference in the tree shape.