Hi, I bought a new (but older version) of a Wintec Endurance saddle last year. I tried it a couple of times on the trails and I found it comfortable enough and my mare seemed to like it. However, I used a T3 Matrix saddle pad with it, which is awesome at shock absorption, and I still found it a bit like a trampoline at times. I am changing the Cair panels to wool to help with this but could not find a local saddler that would do the conversion. I have a good friend whose husband is a retired saddler and he’s wiling to come out of retirement for some wine and a nice dinner :), but I have to find some decent wool flocking. I’ve started my online search but thought I would ask here if anybody has a reputable on-line source for wool flocking. Thanks!
There’s really not enough room/depth to those panels for real wool to be effective flocking. Wintec uses synthetic “wool” in their flocked saddles. It’s really dacron upholstery filler and you can find it at most fabric stores. Same stuff you’d put inside a pillow.
We just had a fitter out to the barn today, and she imports her wool from England, as she can find it on this side.
Oh good, I thought this post was going to be about how you are going to do it yourself! I would contact ken. He is awesome!
Why does real wool need more flocking space than synthetic wool?
Do not buy wool that has not been cleaned and treated properly - all sorts of nasties can live in there.
The CAIR panel system includes air pockets. I would expect you can’t just empty out the panels and restuff them. I expect you would need to create entirely new panels from scratch and attach them. Does your saddler friend understand this? It’s more than a nice dinner plus wine job! And it might indeed be in impossible. I’m not sure how removable Wintec components are.
Because synthetic material is more resilient and so retains it’s “fluff” better. You need more Real Wool to get the same cushioning effect.
You can just pull the CAIR panels out of the outer cover, and either put new CAIR panels back in, or reflock with synthetic material.
How much wool would you need to do a strip and re flock?
Ok that’s good to know!
I came across this amusing post from Kitt Hazelton, when she still worked at Trumbull Mountain Tack, about this very subject -
Thank you!
Does it have to be synthetic? He has done conversions before using wool.
No, I prefer real wool. I find that the synthetic wool tends to become harder and lumpier. I never use it. I have done conversions before without issues for the horses. I do not do foam to wool conversation because those panels are too thin.
Ditto. I’ve done a bunch of conversions from CAIR to wool, all with natural wool. They turn out very nicely.
I am a handspinner and there are many places that sell washed, carded into batts wool.
You can also get the correct wool from Abbey https://www.abbeyengland.com/equestr…/flocking.html
Spinning wool is different than what you want to use in saddles. Seriously, just contact Ken at Booth and say you want Jacob’s wool or saddle flock. It would be easier than getting it from UK and it is the same stuff.
