My husband and I finally have 2 horses that are rideable at the same time, so we are doing more trail riding, I want a synthetic saddle, my horse loves water, we’ve gone swimming a few times in my friends pond bareback, I’d like a saddle that holds up well to water.
My husband has a western saddle and I kinda like it, it only fits his gigantic horse, not my itty bitty one, so I was thinking of a western saddle, I have a forward seat crosby and a collegiate dressage saddle, so western would be a new thing for me. I kinda like the idea of a horn to hold onto instead of grabbing reins for swimming.
I have no experience with synthetic saddles so any suggestions would be welcome.
Nearly all of them have some leather somewhere, the only possible exception being the Wintec western. The problem with swimming with a saddle could be a safety issue if horse or rider got tangled up with an underwater obstacle, I’m thinking. And any padding, skirt lining that can absorb water (stinky pond or river water) will smell yucky unless flushed afterwards with clean water. I mean, I wouldnt. Your Big Horn and Fabtron saddles typically have leather on the horn, pommel, maybe seude seats, and trim (conchos, latigo keepers etc.) Abettas also have leather in most of those places, as well as leather reinforcing the cordura nylon stirrup “leathers.” So your are still going to have some soaked leather to deal with before it turns green, or hard, or both.
That leaves you with the Wintec, which is 100% plastic and typically has all the comfort of a cinder block, and with the cheapest nastiest fender/leathers arrangement imaginable. Every other Western saddle on the planet has separate leathers and fenders, but Wintec has this truly abysmal arrangement where they are mated for life. This means that if you have less than extra extra long legs and need to shorten them up you will have the excess length sort of sticking out underneath and interferiing with your foot and ankle, unless you cut it off or cinch it up out of your way somehow.
Abettas and Big Horns I have owned were comfortable and very easy maintenance, also durable and the light weight is a big plus. I have heard very good things about the Fabtrons but have no personal experience with them.
Hay
I’m not so sure about the swimming…when I was a kid I used to swim my horse in my Crosby Prix des Nations but I’m surer than sure I ruined it. Now as an over 25 year plus English rider, I switched to an Abetta Endurance. It is very light weight and it almost feels English!!! It has no horn but I use a grab strap on the rings they have in front. I agree with previous poster, I wouldn’t swim in it however.
Fabtron makes a variety of western / endurance saddles and offers several trees and fits.
They are well-made… with the exception of the plastic stirrups that come on some models. I almost believe they put the cheapest plastic stirrups on the endurance saddles, knowing the owner will replace them. LOL;)
I really like my endurance version.
I would not go swimming with a saddle on the horse.
Perhaps investigate the Cashel bareback pads with stirrups. The people I know that have them, love them.
Thanks for the replies, i was looking at the cashel bareback pad, that might be a better idea, the only reason i want a saddle of some form or other is i found my horse was pretty slippery when she got wet, also planning a beach ride or 2 and one of the trails i ride in has a nice clean beach on a river that also allows for crossing over to the other trails but you get wet doing it.
I wish i had my old prix d, i beat that saddle up for 25 years and gave it away.
Hay 2
Yeah, weren’t Prix des Nations the best. Of course, I had a much, much smaller butt back then…I think mine would look terrible in one of those now.
I don’t see why you couldn’t get it wet. That is how I clean my Abetta and former Wintec. A good hosing off.
Of course if your going into salt water, I be certain to thoroughly rinse it after riding.
Back to the saddles - I have the Abetta endurance saddle and love it.
I like my Fabtron endurance, which has no horn. I also had a Bighorn synthetic that was a western model and it’s probably 15 years old now.
[QUOTE=gabz;3582846]
Fabtron makes a variety of western / endurance saddles and offers several trees and fits.
They are well-made… with the exception of the plastic stirrups that come on some models. I almost believe they put the cheapest plastic stirrups on the endurance saddles, knowing the owner will replace them. LOL;)
I really like my endurance version.
I would not go swimming with a saddle on the horse.
Perhaps investigate the Cashel bareback pads with stirrups. The people I know that have them, love them.[/QUOTE]
The Abetta trail and endurance saddles actually come with decent endurance type stirrups. This pleased me until I discovered that my new Abetta also came with a bastard fender width that wouldnt accomodate the kind of stirrup turners I already had. I had to get a different type that I dont like as well that bumps the bottom of my shin in an annoying way. Its always something…
[QUOTE=jeano;3584154]
The Abetta trail and endurance saddles actually come with decent endurance type stirrups. This pleased me until I discovered that my new Abetta also came with a bastard fender width that wouldnt accomodate the kind of stirrup turners I already had. I had to get a different type that I dont like as well that bumps the bottom of my shin in an annoying way. Its always something…[/QUOTE]
It might be my 190 pounds but watch the through bolt on the stirrups. It is too small and the plastic insert which the bolt runs through breaks up and eventually the bolt bends and shears off. I enlarged the hole to 3/8th and put a larger 3/8th bolt through it to prevent an accident.
Also the girth straps need to be watched. They wear in about a year under the fenders and I almost wore through my off side one, which I never adjust or pay much attention to.
I put about 2000 miles a year and overhaul the saddle about once a year.
I also wore through the near fender in about a year.
I like the saddle, it’s 11 pound weight and the fact that getting it wet doesn’t affect it. It is comfortable, the stirrups are great and it is cheap enough
Fabtron or Wintec over Abetta. I think my Abetta is stiff and uncomfortable. The Lady Trail Rider, by Fabtron, was more flexible off the shelf…just more comfortable. My Wintec has the sueded type seat and I wish I’d bought the slick. On a long hot trail ride, wearing Kerrit’s summer weight breeches…I was TOO velcroed to the seat, made for some rubs in places I’d rather not be LOL…
Go sit in several if at all possible- not everyone has the same skeleton…
Abettas! :yes: LOVE em! I’ve owned Abettas for years. I like the Endurance model vs. the Trail model because the Endurance model has a center fire rigging that gets the girth back out of the horse’s armpits. I hate saddles that are full rigged with the girth RIGHT in the horse’s armpits.
I’ve gone in the water many times with my Abettas and never had any problems. I think the saddles are comfortable, safe, well made, and they last forever.
