Colored welting on dressage saddle

[Draftmare]

I am going to be ordering a semi-custom Hastilow dressage saddle at some point this week, just trying to hammer out the last details…particularly doing colored welting.

Has anybody else done colorful welting on their saddle? Did you love it or eventually regret it? I have always coveted one of the super colorful Stubben dressage saddles with the pink and purple welting that they do…

Here are the options that I am considering: http://imgur.com/a/OX59c I was feeling pretty set on doing the light cream in the second picture, but then I saw that they could do navy blue or even pink. I think pink is probably getting a bit too crazy, but the navy is tempting, especially since I am considering switching to a navy coat for showing. The saddle itself will be brown. Thoughts?

[Highflyer]

I don’t think the navy would be bad-- my boss has one with cream (not a Hastilow) and it gets a little dingy.

[Training_Cupid]

I think it looks cool but personally if I’m spending that much I want something timeless and classic. I think this is a trend that will pass. It won’t affect resale value down the line so much as just shrink the pool of buyers.

[Twigster]

I have metallic gold (it’s very soft/muted looking) on my brown jump saddle, and my friend has metallic silver on her black dressage saddle. I have also seen a lot of the more subtle colors (dark purple, navy, hunter green) that I think looks lovely - it’s for the rider, and not flashy, especially from a distance.

[Draftmare]

@Highflyer

I don’t think the navy would be bad-- my boss has one with cream (not a Hastilow) and it gets a little dingy.

I’m worried that the cream may get dirty over time, especially where my leg will have contact with the saddle.

[MissAriel]

I would skip the colored welting myself. With a brown saddle, the navy could be limiting, and if it is the blue shown in the picture (more of a true blue than navy imo), I am not sure how it would look. Is there a contrasting brown or black option to go with the brown saddle?

As others have mentioned, it may make resale harder. Or as in another thread, it might wear differently and be hard to fix.

[Jo]

For as often as you buy and sell saddles, I would pick something easier for resale purposes - a black dressage saddle will resell much easier than a brown, and a subtle colored piping would probably be ok, but still a harder sell than a standard black saddle IMHO.

[jen-s]

I saw a black Hastilow at the Raleigh Summer Dressage show 2 weekends ago that had red piping and a red/white ostrich (I think) panel on the cantle. It was absolutely stunning. It looked pink from a distance, but up close was clearly red. I wish I’d thought to ask the owner if I could take pics of her saddle!

[SonnysMom]

I have a Cognac jump saddle with Havana accents. I would not go very contrasting piping or panels on a dressage saddle I think it will make re-sale harder. It is trendy now but in a few years will it be out of fashion? No matter how much I liked a saddle no way would I buy one with pink welting/trim somebody else may feel that way about red or royal blue or green.
The brown will already limit your pool of buyers a bit. Some people love them. I actually would prefer a brown dressage saddle but many people already have the nice black bridles and girths and don’t want to have to go buy new ones to match the brown dressage saddle.
Go simple and classic and maybe go with a hunter green welting or a true navy not bright blue. I would not get the back panel of the cantle in anything but the brown but that is me.

[Groom_amp_Taxi]

I have a black Windsor Greenline dressage saddle that has hunter green welting. The effect is very subtle, and most people don’t even notice it. I bought it used, and the welting did not influence my buying decision at all. I thought it was kind of cool that I had it. I might have felt differently if it wasn’t so subtle.

I have a barn mate that went with more of a true blue welting (as in your last picture) for her custom saddle. It is definitely more noticeable.

I feel like any noticeable welting is going to be somewhat limiting - either in what you feel you can match to it or for any potential resale down the road. I also feel like the cream would be affected by dirt and wear.

[Draftmare]

@Jo

For as often as you buy and sell saddles, I would pick something easier for resale purposes - a black dressage saddle will resell much easier than a brown, and a subtle colored piping would probably be ok, but still a harder sell than a standard black saddle IMHO.

This saddle is being custom made for myself and my horse. Unless something happens to my horse, I plan to have this one for a looong time. Black isn’t even on my radar, I hate how harsh black looks on my pale colored horse.

[islgrl]

I have blue piping that looks just like the one in the photo. After a year it still looks great.

[phoenixrises]

I got brown welting, thigh blocks and cantle on my otherwise black saddle and I think it looks lovely. If I’m paying that sort of $ I wanted something I would just be in love with. And I am.

[MysticOakRanch]

Personally, I love colored piping - my saddle is plain ol’ black, and I WISH I had some contrasting piping! It may be a fad, but it has been around for quite a while now - I got my saddle over 5 years ago, and I ordered with piping, but there were some issues with the order, and I ended up with black. So this is a “fad” that has been going for at least 6 or 7 years now - and I see MORE and MORE color accents on saddles - cantles with color inserts, stirrup holders that are colored, stitching to match the piping, and so on.

I LOVE the cream with the brown - but I agree, I’d worry about what it looks like in a couple of years. The blue is gorgeous too. I know someone with the pink - I’m just not a pink person, so not my fav, but purple, now you’re talking! I do think blue or cream is pretty classic. I wouldn’t worry so much about resale - I think the color accents is going to be around for some time.

[netg]

@SonnysMom

I have a Cognac jump saddle with Havana accents. I would not go very contrasting piping or panels on a dressage saddle I think it will make re-sale harder. It is trendy now but in a few years will it be out of fashion? No matter how much I liked a saddle no way would I buy one with pink welting/trim somebody else may feel that way about red or royal blue or green.
The brown will already limit your pool of buyers a bit. Some people love them. I actually would prefer a brown dressage saddle but many people already have the nice black bridles and girths and don’t want to have to go buy new ones to match the brown dressage saddle.
Go simple and classic and maybe go with a hunter green welting or a true navy not bright blue. I would not get the back panel of the cantle in anything but the brown but that is me.

I have a havana dressage saddle with cognac accents. The welting and cantle are cognac, the piping is London which is a slightly more orange color. I use a solid havana bridle because I was convinced (correctly, I think) by a COTHer that going with padding on that to match would be too much. My boots are dark brown with cognac, and my dressage coat probably will be when I have one made.

I can NOT buy off the rack for boots, and no dressage coat off the rack fits around my chubby shoulders without being WAY too long waisted, so if I want to look decent I also have to go custom there. Turns out that costs less than the best fitting off the rack, so it’s worth it anyway…

I wouldn’t go with anything but earth tones for welting, but more and more cantles are brighter, and piping is pretty subtle.

[SendenHorse]

Likely trendy, but it’s your money!

Does anyone have issues of it rubbing off? (as seen on the other thread)

Are these plastic or true leather?

[Draftmare]

@tarheelmd07

I have 2 stackhouse dressage saddles and 2 jump saddles with different degrees of pink piping/welting. I have a Havana jump saddle and a Havana dressage saddle with pink piping only - and a black dressage saddle with pink piping and a pink stripe down the interior of the gullet - and a Havana jump saddle with pink piping, pink wetting, and pink blocks. With the exception of the jump saddle with the colored block, the piping isn’t very noticeable when I’m in the tack (even though it’s very bright pink - at my request). But they really are gorgeous saddles up close - and if you’re thinking colored and custom, definitely give the stackhouse folks a call! ( If you click on the 5 photos link below you can see all the saddle photos!)

Wow, those are all stunning!

[Draftmare]

@SendenHorse

Likely trendy, but it’s your money!

Does anyone have issues of it rubbing off? (as seen on the other thread)

Are these plastic or true leather?

I am not finding the other thread that has been mentioned a couple of times. Is it in the dressage section?

[SendenHorse]

@Draftmare

I am not finding the other thread that has been mentioned a couple of times. Is it in the dressage section?

Yes, I thought I saw it yesterday.

[netg]

@Draftmare

I am not finding the other thread that has been mentioned a couple of times. Is it in the dressage section?

It’s a complaint about Custom Saddlery disguised as a question about color on piping.

I can’t really disagree based on some stories I’ve heard, despite the fact I adore my fitter and Custom saddles.