Can anyone who has ridden in both brands compare/contrast for me? Currently alternating between Prestige Nona Garson and Kentaur Triton. Both saddles put me in the middle and keep me there (not so much for actual eventing; ring work, low jumps, foxhunting). Mare is wideish TB/Appy cross with dippy back. Long thighs for me. Serge panels and comfort appeal to me in Black Country. I think we can find a fit for maresy in any of them. Have a good fitter who I can order a full custom Kentaur from, but I feel like I would like to try Black Country first. I’ve heard a few people say their Kentaurs feel like a lot of saddle. Will the Black Country be similar? There’s nothing wrong with the Kentaur; it just doesn’t really shriek at me as being the best thing ever. (I know, I know…if I can get something to fit me and her I should stop looking right now!!):lol:
Thanks in advance for any insight.
I have a Kentaur. Yes, it is not the prettiest. It is a bit weird feeling at first. But DAYM it fits and my horses love it ad they jump super in it. I have a Butet I love under my butt and a Black Country that I did enjoy before the Butet that I’m gonna sell because they don’t jump as well in either.
I have a Kentaur Triton and a Kentaur Eventer. I also regularly ride in a Kentaur Titan.
I highly recommend trying different Kentaurs if you aren’t sold on the Triton. Though I don’t mind riding in it, I hate how wide the twist it. I do like it though and have evented in it and been very secure. Much more so then my old Prestige.
My primary saddle is the Kentaur Eventer monoflap. It has a narrower twist and fits my long ass legs very well (I’m 6’1").
The Titan I don’t mind, but I personally find the flap not forward enough for my liking and even though it’s a regular length, it’s too long for my liking. I can’t get my leg around the horse.
I’ve never ridden in a Black Country so I can’t really help you there.
I believe the Kentaurs are made on plastic, injection-molded trees? For this reason, I’d test-drive a Black Country before I bought either saddle. This is not a diss of plastic, per se; these trees are an established technology in saddle world. But I think my skeleton can feel the stiffness of that saddle’s skeleton. I’m not speaking of Kentaur’s trees, but I can feel these injection-molded things in other saddles. And I my skeleton even has a bone to pick with Tad Coffin’s very expensive, very thoughtful carbon fiber tree.
I think my body is just a Spring Tree-type body. And whatever stiffness/transmission of jolting I feel, I assume the horse feels it right back.
Take what you like in leave the rest. But if you find yourself feeling tired or with a slightly sea-sick headache after riding, you might have a tree problem.
FWIW, I have ridden in many of the models that Black Country carries and it never feels like “a lot of saddle”. I have had mine for 5+ years and absolutely love the balance of it and fits my horse beautifully. There is a jump model (the Solare) that has a narrow twist but I prefer the regular twist of the Ricochet model. Id say for sure try and sit in one as I, and others, love them! They also have the classic spring tree and the freedom/hoop tree(better for broader horses) and front gussets can fill in behind the shoulders if needed.
I have the Kentaur Eventer with the monoflap too and have evented three different horses in it. Love mine. Super comfortable, great position and it has held up extremely well. I’ve had the fit checked by a saddle fitter and it’s a great saddle for the money. I’ve no experience with Black Country, sorry.
Huge fan of Black Country jump saddles here! My Ricochet fits like a glove and I feel very secure in it without it being a lot of saddle.
Have a Kentaur dressage saddle–not sure which one–but as gardenie said, it fits the horses. The leather on the black countries I’ve ridden in has been nicer, though.
