I am looking at a Bate Advantia saddle and it comes with this cushioning system instead of fill. Anyone like or hate it.
You’re probably going to hear nothing but negative reviews.
But I have two saddles with CAIR. My experiences have been positive. My horse does great in both saddles, and she is very sensitive.
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I have one horse who dislikes CAIR and two who are perfectly comfortable.
I think it would be wise to ride one on your horse before buying a saddle.
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I have a chance to do a 5 day test ride .
I had one horse who liked that system a lot. But that was almost 20 years ago, and I don’t have much knowledge of the longevity of the CAIR technology.
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I liked it but it eventually leaked and went flat so I had it removed and wool added. The newer Bates really are junky leather though so I personally wouldn’t buy one for that reason alone.
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I found the Arena I tried very bouncy and had trouble connecting in the saddle
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Ride in it. If you can. I found them very bouncy and high off the horse (especially coming from well fitted foam saddles, YMMV if you’re used to bulkier wool). I’ve had a horse HATE it, and a whole lot of them seem indifferent. We had a number of them in the lesson horse tack room.
The main complaint I see IRL with these saddles (in relation to the system, not anything else like the leather) is they all have leaked and gone flat eventually. Especially if the saddle lives in a place where major temperature swings are possible, like a garage or tack room without house-level temperature control.
I’m guessing people who are saying Bates are junk leather, high off the horse, etc, have never seen a Bates Advanta.
Try it. Most people who see the Advantas drool over them, but they don’t suit everyone.
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I got a Bates Innova dressage saddle for my horse and son. Both the horse and rider seemed to like it just fine. I personally hated it, but I think that had more to do with the fact that it was two sizes too big for me than anything else. With his “paid for by mom” eventing and pony club career over, I will be selling this saddle soon.
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Okay but for $3500+, you can get a semi-custom wool flocked saddle from a few nice brands, with more tree options (Bates is notorious for flat flat flat and A frame as all get out - not many modern horses are built that way anymore. But some are!).
And at that price you can have your pick of much higher quality used ones! 1000% recommend getting a high end used saddle vs shelling out $3500 for a Bates (especially one with CAIR). Obviously if it fits you and your horse, that’s most important.
Mine is. That’s how we ended up with the Bates in the first place, after going through more than our fair share of saddle shopping hell. For jumping, she wears a Jeffries saddle.
My new girl has a lower wither and a flatfish back.
