Courbette Vs Stubben for QH?

[sydgscott]

I’m looking for a new saddle for my guy. He’s a 16 hand paint, not necessarily a tank but is wide, not incredibly stocky, though. I ride in an old Stubben Wotan right now, which he does fine in. I like it, but I’m looking for something newer and with a rounder gullet (who doesn’t need more saddles) for more comfortable jumping.

My trainer is also a saddle fitter, and she’s told be before that my current saddle fits okay on him. It’s 31.5 cm and a 17.5 seat. She says she doesn’t know how I ride in something so lacking in cushion, but I’m used to it and don’t mind.:lol:

Anyway, I’m looking at three saddles right now, a very lightly used Stubben Kerry (the “survivor” as some people call it?), a courbette magic, and a stubben siegfried.

-the stubben kerry is 32 cm and so is the siegfried
-the courbette is a mw “e-motion” tree

Could you give some input as to which might do best? Do you have any experience with any of these? Is the e-motion tree more than a gimmick?

thanks;););)

[Highflyer]

IME Stubbens tend to fit best on horses with high withers and curvy backs.

[StormyDay]

Both of those brands are known for being better fits for medium tree TB types. I would look for a different brand. A used French saddle would probably be more what would fit him better, or a used English saddle. You can find them starting at 1400$, not sure what your price range is. The prestiges start even lower, like 600

[sydgscott]

Thanks y’all! :winkgrin:
I also looked at a few toulouses, but i’m not sure about them, as they seem to all be medium widths. I only considered these typically-medium brands in the first place because my trainer said she liked the fit of the current stubben on him. He definitely has broad medium-wide QH shoulders, but also has some withers to him. And also the stubbens I’ve ridden in seem to last for ever.

I’m looking for something lightly used around $1,000, or new around 1,500

[Brutus614]

I had an Albion for my (admittedly very wide) Quarter Horse that fit him very well, and I’ve had good luck with Prestige saddles fitting stock horses as well.

[MMavin]

Tried 20+ saddles, and my QH loves the Stubben Artus for jump and Excalibur for dressage. The Talouse was close, but marginal. Stubben’s holiday sale is coming up soon, and offers great deals. My brand new Artus was $1100.

Also agree on Albion and Prestige! The moral really is try as many saddles as you can before buying- every horse is different, and what works for my QH may not work for others!

[Dewey]

A 32 in a Stubben is considered “medium-wide.” My older Stubben has fit many QHs well, but not all, of course, as horses are built differently. The flocking will compress over time as well, making the fit of an older saddle different from that of a newer one.

I am unsure why you would go from a Wotan to a Siegfried. They aren’t that different, are they?

[sydgscott]

its a siegfreid cs, has a wider flap for jumping. I thought it wasn’t that much diffent until i sat in it and loved it lol

[Dewey]

Oh, OK. The Siegfried is a close-contact model, not the AP. That does make a difference. The AP model is very similar in feel to your Wotan.

If you like the Siegfried CS, and it fits your horse well, it would be a good choice. It’s very well-made.

[Belmont]

I’m going to go ahead and THIRD an Albion. It fit my QH so perfectly, and it had a great twist and put me in a good position (though it was half a seat size too small). I was sad to sell it after I retired my guy, but it was a pretty specific fit.

[sydgscott]

[QUOTE=Belmont;8930966]
I’m going to go ahead and THIRD an Albion. It fit my QH so perfectly, and it had a great twist and put me in a good position (though it was half a seat size too small). I was sad to sell it after I retired my guy, but it was a pretty specific fit.[/QUOTE]
so looking at albions, should I go up a half size in seat?

[173north]

If you’re looking for something not too pricey that fits a QH well, I know Pessoa has a model or two that’s very popular in the stock horse breed world because it fits the QHs great. It might be the ones with the Bayflex panels? I’m completely blanking on the model name but if you call English Riding Supply, the distributor, someone will know! They also distribute Ovation, who I’ve heard used to make a QH saddle.

HDR also used to make a QH saddle, and I believe Collegiates are known for fitting QH types.

[Belmont]

[QUOTE=sydgscott;8930992]
so looking at albions, should I go up a half size in seat?[/QUOTE]

Well, I was told by Albion (when they decoded a serial on mine that was stamped a 17 1/2 on one side and a 17 on the other), that they don’t do half sizes. If you are a 17.5", go up the half to a 18".

[sydgscott]

Okay I’m looking at 5 right now…
-an Albion legend mw tree in havana
-a Prestige Andrea Palladio mw in havana
-a Stubben Siegfried C.S. w in oakbark (color my tack currently is)
-a M. Toulouse Premia w saddle in a chocolate color
-a bates caprilli mw in chesnut

suggestions as to which one?

Also can I get opinions on color while I’m looking at different leather colors right now pleeeease? :lol: My guy is bay/white tobiano and is in a oakbark saddle right now. Is that lighter, chesnut color a no go? here’s a pic of him o:o
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMfeK_jDNRJ/?taken-by=sydgscott

[Belmont]

I love Havana saddles and tack.

Also, out of personal preference, I hated the MT and Bates I sat in. However, that is totally personal. If you can sit in that list of saddles, I highly recommend it. You will now within minutes if you like one or not.

Cute pon!

[gypsymare]

My 15.3hh Paint is 3/4 TB and looks pretty fine but takes a wide saddle. My 32cm stubben seifried is too narrow for her when she is muscled up. It also puts me in a terrible chair seat. I found a Barnsby Cirrus II in medium wide and the difference in her movement was extraordinary. My two beefy 16.3 hh TBs both fit in a 29 cm Roxane.

[Dewey]

[QUOTE=gypsymare;8931793]
My 32cm stubben seifried is too narrow for her when she is muscled up. It also puts me in a terrible chair seat.[/QUOTE]

The OP is considering the close-contact Siegfried (the CS), not the AP model. I don’t think a chair seat will be an issue in this saddle.

[sandsarita]

Well, I am not a saddle expert but my trainer, who trains only QH, uses a Bates and she loves it. I think two of the other customers in the barn ride in the same. My QH are basically tb in look, (current is 7/8 tb), and I ride in a used Butet which I absolutely love. Second favorite is the Hermes, for me the flatter the better

[lesson_junkie]

If you like the durability of your Wotan, be aware that the French type saddles, and the saddles with softer seats, won’t give you the same service. If you ride a lot, or if your leg is especially tight, you will cut the knee roll of a soft saddle before you know it. You can avoid this if you can spring for buffalo.

[mypaintwattie]

The courbette e-motion tree was a horrible fit on my 15.3hh stocky paint mare. I had a Delgrange PJ for awhile that was a good but not great fit and ended up with an Antares Hampton that fits like it was custom made. My friend rides her super stocky QH in a Barnsby, another friend has a HDR for her 15hh paint, and another friend rides all her QH in Butet. If you like the Stubben and it fits well go for it, they are great saddles and are well made.