Best, non-fad, high-quality saddle? (Voltaire? CWD? other suggestions?)

[Synthesis]

[QUOTE=Purplepup;8007628]
You should try the new stubben portos elite!! It’s beautiful, soft leather and super soft seat! not like my mom’s stubben from 50+ years ago! plus they have so many options for customization.[/QUOTE]

I got a new Stubben Eidelweiss NT Deluxe last year and love it similarly. It doesn’t have the Biomex seat but still very comfortable once broken in. My sister has a Portos, which is a little deeper and has shorter flaps than the Eidelweiss

The deluxe leather is soft and grippy without being delicate. Even the non-biomex seat is more comfortable than the old ones.

I’m built like a 5’3" T-Rex; short arms, big ‘tail’, thick legs. This saddle works out beautifully. Its not quite as pillowy as a french saddle but I ride better in it and horses go better for me.

[spade]

[QUOTE=Nickelodian;8007881]
To me enjoying saddle shopping is like an oxymoron.

I ride in an Amerigo DJ on my high withered, deep shouldered wide beast, and in a Devocoux Socoa on my medium width, no withered, leggy creature.

Try to ride in some saddles to find out what feel you like the best, then get that saddle rep to come out.

My experience is that…

If you like…

Butet

you will also like

Devocoux Socoa
Bruno Delgrange
Voltaire
PJ (lite)
Antares

If you like…

CWD

You will also like

Devocoux Biarritz
County
Amerigo

Just in general though…the former have a lighter feel/ride and a more narrow twist, while the latter have a heavier feel and a wider twist.[/QUOTE]

I agree with this, and I think it’s important to figure out which of these two groups you favor because it will save you time in the long run.

I looooooove a narrow twist. The three saddles I like the best are my Antares and my friends Voltaire.

I’ve ridden other horses in CWD’s, County’s, and the Biarritz. I found them very uncomfortable, granted they weren’t made for me but it had more to do with the wider twist.

It is all about personal preference, but this is a good place to start.

[Go_Fish]

[QUOTE=Brutus614;8007408]
You might check out Prestige. I am similarly built, with shorter legs and a longer torso and found their Meredith model to be very comfortable. My slab-sided, shark fin Thoroughbred enjoys the fit as well.

One thing I liked about the saddle is that the rep measured my horse and ordered the tree to fit, which Prestige does by cm, not a standard Medium, Wide, etc. Additionally, the Prestige trees can be narrowed or widened +/- 2cm throughout the life of the saddle, so it’s good for young horses whose shape might change.[/QUOTE]

The Prestige is a nice saddle and I think their reps are probably some of the best-trained on the planet.

One thing for sure…every time one of these threads pop up, the amount of misinformation about saddles and saddle fitting is over the top. If you have a good brick and mortar store in your area, stop in and ask if they have a qualified saddle fitter. While the shop may have a particular brand that they peddle, usually the saddle fitter can help you with finding a good quality, well-fitting used saddle. It may take some time, but a brick and mortar store wants to retain your business, so they’ll generally do right by you.

[Tutt]

Another vote for Delgrange. My Virtuose has the largest knee rolls, blocks and thigh blocks. Makes you feel secure. Also the twist is narrower than the Antares I tried. And the leather is amazingly lovely.

[norcalammie]

I love my County Stabilizer and it has held up well - over 11 years old now. Not as cushy as the newer models but fits me and my horse well. The lifetime warranty on the tree is a plus as I did have to replace the tree. Was able to go from a Narrow to a Medium Narrow under the warranty. A friend replaced her tree when she got a new horse and the cost was minimal as she liked her saddle.

Some of my shorter friends love Antares - did not fit me or my horse well as I am tall.

I personally would go with a wool flocked saddle with a young horse as the wool flocking can be adjusted over time. Just my 2 cents.

[ohmissbrittany]

I’ve had both CWD and am currently in an Antares. I will say that both of these brands are at their best with a good, experienced fitter. My CWD was well fitted to my horse, but the rep put me in something that was way too big and made it very hard to keep balanced and keep my leg under myself. (Trainer said I’d started riding like an eventer.) FWIW- every Antares I’ve ever sat in, from a 17-18.5 (I’m a 17.5) has still been very balanced and easy to stay centered in.

[doublesstable]

You said you have a young horse… how is he built? That will help steer you in the right direction. Saddle makers have different trees, widths, flexibility etc. Also how are you built? Long femur etc? That also may steer you towards a particular brand. Do you like a lot of saddle under you or a little?

CWD is known for wider horses - has generous space for the spine. Some people don’t like the width of the twist. I didn’t notice it until I started riding in a Butet.

Butet is a super comfortable saddle with a narrow twist and a cushy seat. But are known to run narrow for the horse. I have one that started pinching my growing horse.

Devoucoux twist is in between the CWD and Butet. Very nice saddle if made for the horse.

My most recent find and am borrowing a friends saddle until the demo gets to me is the Meyer. AMAZING saddle. Fits my horse and feels a lot like the Butet as far as balance. This horse is not huge but has a wide back and thick around the withers. The saddle has an extremely generous back that fits his wide-ness really well. Saddle doesn’t shift etc.

http://www.meyerselles.com/ms/fr/index.php

[Linda]

Have a CWD and love it. Rode in one when my horse was down for training a few months ago and loved the feel. My horse is 17’3 narrow with tall tall knife withers. No other saddle would fit him. So before I got the CWD I piled a ton of pads under my p;f saddle to make it work - clearly not a good long term plan.

When the saddle came, alas it did not fit my guy. So I called the rep and he came out (Im 2 hours away from the nearest city). He looked at the fit and my horses back, and , took the saddle away. He had it fixed it and returned it.

Gotta love the customer service. And yes it works very well now. What I also like about the saddle is that it puts me in the right position to ride and jump. My prior saddles (crosby and an old berney bros) were harder for me to ride in.I always felt I was struggling to be in the right place to balance myself for the jump. I dont have that issue with the CWD

[karasha]

[QUOTE=doublesstable;8009520]

My most recent find and am borrowing a friends saddle until the demo gets to me is the Meyer. AMAZING saddle. Fits my horse and feels a lot like the Butet as far as balance. This horse is not huge but has a wide back and thick around the withers. The saddle has an extremely generous back that fits his wide-ness really well. Saddle doesn’t shift etc.

http://www.meyerselles.com/ms/fr/index.php[/QUOTE]

I am not OP… but I am VERY intrigued. I have a horse with a gigantic shoulder (That continues to grow due to dressage work). I really love the shape of these saddle (and the look!) I have a Voltaire now that fits well, but it’s starts to get a little on the hair of getting close to being tight in the shoulder should he get bigger. So it’s interesting to have a backup to look into…

Do you have to find a rep through the meyerselles.com website or is there a US distributor?

[Jaideux]

Love my Black Country saddle, love working with Trumbull Mtn.

[gerut]

I had two different Antares saddles before I found long-lasting love with my Tad Coffin.

[ToTheNines]

I love my Tad Coffin AG5 with SmartRide tree. I am 5’7", slim with long thighs. My horses are either narrow shouldered with a wide back, or wide shouldered with a wide back. I have half pads with customized front shims for the narrow ones.

I am no expert but I feel like the Tad is a wider twist with very close feel. Different from Nick’s two categories. I read somewhere that tall thin people tend to like a wider twist. Heavier taller people like the narrower twist because their thighs fill in more. With my height, I also prefer a flatter seat. A narrow twist and deep seat tips me right forward!

[kboned]

Most of my barn is fitted with custom Brunos. They are beautiful, and very comfortable.

But, fair warning; the knee rolls are now made with air. You can hear a tooting sound every time the horse moves and the rider’s leg shifts. So annoying! Some of the saddles don’t make the sound, but they are older saddles. The newer ones just get louder and louder.

[Bogie]

[QUOTE=ohmissbrittany;8009263]
I will say that both of these brands are at their best with a good, experienced fitter. [/QUOTE]

That goes for any saddle. Your best bet is to find a saddle fitter who is vendor neutral and see what they recommend.

I prefer wool panels as I’ve personally found the fit to be more adjustable.

[doublesstable]

[QUOTE=karasha;8009627]
I am not OP… but I am VERY intrigued. I have a horse with a gigantic shoulder (That continues to grow due to dressage work). I really love the shape of these saddle (and the look!) I have a Voltaire now that fits well, but it’s starts to get a little on the hair of getting close to being tight in the shoulder should he get bigger. So it’s interesting to have a backup to look into…

Do you have to find a rep through the meyerselles.com website or is there a US distributor?[/QUOTE]

I LOVE this saddle! It fits my difficult to fit horse amazing. The one I am getting is from a rep that sells many different brands. I will get the information for you.

[karasha]

Doublesstables - I’m interested in that contact info

How is the leather quality on these saddles in compare to the other high end french saddles? I see the only offer grain and calf. I’m a buffalo leather type of gal, but I will go to calf if need.

[Midwest_girl_in_an_E]

I don’t know if you can get acces to one in CA, but I really love my Equipe. (Disclaimer: this is the second saddle I’ve owned and I’m not a fit expert).

I bought it when my horse was 5, and it was scary having to invest at that age, but the padding is actually similar to memory foam and she has been able to grow and change under it. It was way more than I thought I’d spend (5K), but I don’t regret it.
The rep from the store brought out a few (different models, different trees) and I was glad to only have to sit in a few saddles to figure out what I liked. It had been very overwhelming for me to sit in saddles in the store and figure out what it liked–so much better to actually sit in one on my horse.
There’s quite a few options and I was able to get a wider tree for my mare and long and forward flaps for me. There’s a few different leather choices too. Can’t say enough good things about it!!!

[adcurtiss]

I think what you can garner from this thread is that every person has their own preference and fit for you horse is first

[GucciJumper]

I love my old stabilizer. I didn’t buy it new but half of my barn rides in Countys and I have never heard anyone complain about them.

[Bogie]

There are so many great saddles out there that you will end up with many choices. I’ve had a lot of saddles over the years that I’ve really, really liked.

Even if you change your mind as your horse grows or your riding style changes, you can always find another one.

I used to like deeper seat saddles . . . now I like flatter seats. When I mostly evented, I preferred very forward flaps, now that I foxhunt I like saddles that are less aggressive.

Ride in a lot of saddles and figure out what’s non-negotiable for you. For me, it’s stirrup bar placement. I need saddles where the stirrups are set far enough back under my body to accommodate my leg.