I just picked up a “used” Steffen’s Advantage from Dover, and I’m trying to figure out what the numbers on flap mean. I figured out the flap, seat, and tree size, but am wondering what the numbers on top mean. Does anyone know? Also, do you have any reviews on the saddle? TIA!
Is it just the serial #? Will look at my Custom later today.
I have one that I’m riding in now - Icon Flight, and have a Constanze on order. I really like the saddles for me and my two horses. They are reasonably priced. For the most part quality seems fine. I did manage to have a hole develop in the one thigh block. It is a full one and where my knee hits near bottom there is a hole. Other side same problem but not worn all the way thru. Saddle only two years old.
Now irrespective of what this may say about me or the the way my horse pushes me to one side, I will say that Custom was not too interested in stepping up. Just told me to send saddle, they will replace blocks. - $800 or there about. IMO the leather on those blocks should perhaps be heavier duty leather.
New saddle has the 1/2 blocks. Hopefully will not have the problem again.
Will be taking the old saddle to local saddler and getting a patch for $40 each side. Not pretty but not noticeable and I’ll have the saddle back in a couple days.
I have a Custom Advantage Monoflap from Custom directly and it’s ahhh-mazing! It’s the buffalo leather and I know there is supposedly a big difference in the ones from Custom and the ones from Dover (and for how much I paid for it I sure hope so!) but I have the short roll, regular flap, wide tree version and it’s awesome! Sorry I cannot help with the numbers, but I do love my saddle!
For the “off the rack” (signature) saddles, I’m not sure, but for a custom Custom, the numbers include the month and year of manufacture.
I have had great luck w/ their saddles, although I have heard the Signature series saddles are a whole 'nother (lesser) quality level. Which makes sense since they are about $2k less…
I had an Advantage for one horse for years, then have been riding in a Constanze for the last 3 or 4 years.
[QUOTE=lovemytbs;8605073]
I have a Custom Advantage Monoflap from Custom directly and it’s ahhh-mazing! It’s the buffalo leather and I know there is supposedly a big difference in the ones from Custom and the ones from Dover (and for how much I paid for it I sure hope so!) but I have the short roll, regular flap, wide tree version and it’s awesome! Sorry I cannot help with the numbers, but I do love my saddle![/QUOTE]
So what’s the difference between a Custom saddle from Dover and one of Custom’s reps/mfr? I haven’t heard and may be in the market.
[QUOTE=Dressage59;8605962]
So what’s the difference between a Custom saddle from Dover and one of Custom’s reps/mfr? I haven’t heard and may be in the market.[/QUOTE]
I’ve known them to have perfectly ok quality off the rack.
Mine aren’t off the rack because I’m a hard fit, and of course each tree feels different to a rider on a different horse. So I bought from my saddle fitter. I assume trees are a different shape - my Advantage R monoflap and Advantage Monoflap feel about the same to me, but the R has a more curvy tree for my long backed mare than the straighter tree for my super short backed gelding.
Personally, I say if you can find one off the rack and it fits you and your horse - save yourself the money! Since I couldn’t, I went really custom with all kinds of options on my saddle for my mare; but I would have happily saved the money for something less interesting which fit right. 
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What are the numbers? I have a Custom Icon Flight, I could compare to my numbers.
?
[QUOTE=netg;8606036]
I’ve known them to have perfectly ok quality off the rack.
Mine aren’t off the rack because I’m a hard fit, and of course each tree feels different to a rider on a different horse. So I bought from my saddle fitter. I assume trees are a different shape - my Advantage R monoflap and Advantage Monoflap feel about the same to me, but the R has a more curvy tree for my long backed mare than the straighter tree for my super short backed gelding.
Personally, I say if you can find one off the rack and it fits you and your horse - save yourself the money! Since I couldn’t, I went really custom with all kinds of options on my saddle for my mare; but I would have happily saved the money for something less interesting which fit right. :)[/QUOTE]
That helped a lot as I have a short backed mare and I have long femurs.I’m waiting to buy a saddle until she’s trained a little more and I can know more about what I want. Thanks!
[QUOTE=netg;8606036]
I’ve known them to have perfectly ok quality off the rack.
Mine aren’t off the rack because I’m a hard fit, and of course each tree feels different to a rider on a different horse. So I bought from my saddle fitter. I assume trees are a different shape - my Advantage R monoflap and Advantage Monoflap feel about the same to me, but the R has a more curvy tree for my long backed mare than the straighter tree for my super short backed gelding.
Personally, I say if you can find one off the rack and it fits you and your horse - save yourself the money! Since I couldn’t, I went really custom with all kinds of options on my saddle for my mare; but I would have happily saved the money for something less interesting which fit right. :)[/QUOTE]
That helped a lot as I have a short backed mare and I have long femurs.I’m waiting to buy a saddle until she’s trained a little more and I can know more about what I want. Thanks!
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[QUOTE=Dressage59;8606133]
That helped a lot as I have a short backed mare and I have long femurs.I’m waiting to buy a saddle until she’s trained a little more and I can know more about what I want. Thanks![/QUOTE]
The one I ordered recently is a Custom Constanze. I have a short backed lusitano and this saddle will work great for him, as it has a shorter tree.
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[QUOTE=Dressage59;8605962]
So what’s the difference between a Custom saddle from Dover and one of Custom’s reps/mfr? I haven’t heard and may be in the market.[/QUOTE]
The Signature Series is the “off the rack” saddles - sold by Dovers and other retailers (including the Custom reps). They are cowhide (vs buffalo leather), and I think they use a different tree.
Every complaint I’ve ever heard about the Custom saddles not holding up well, has been a Signature Series saddle. I know that isn’t a large enough sample to be scientifically relevant, but… Custom is huge here in California because Carey started the business here (he is on the East Coast now, but for years, he was here). So a LOT of people ride in the saddles. Now, not holding up well doesn’t mean they aren’t good saddles - but the buffalo wears like iron - it never wears out. The regular leather is regular leather, and eventually it does start to wear (just like any other cow hide saddle). A lot of people ride in the Sig Series with no problems at all - they are a decent saddle - just not the same as the “Custom Custom” saddle.
I tried a Sig Series (Advantage) a few years ago - it rode differently and the panels were HUGELY gusseted. Fine for a long backed horse, but not for a more compact horse. Still a nice saddle - but as expected, there is a difference between a $2200 (it was on sale) saddle and a $4200 saddle. BTW, the Custom Customs never go on sale - the price is the price (although sometimes you can pick up a used/demo saddle for a discount).
Price-wise - Sig Series are about $2700, and the Custom Customs are $4000 to $4600. The Custom Customs are, well… Custom. You pick your flap length, your knee roll, your piping and stitching, your panel type, it is fit and flocked to your horse. The Sig Series comes in specific tree width and seat size like any other “off the rack” saddle.
[QUOTE=Dressage59;8606133]
That helped a lot as I have a short backed mare and I have long femurs.I’m waiting to buy a saddle until she’s trained a little more and I can know more about what I want. Thanks![/QUOTE]
I’d recommend you see the Signature Series in person - they have long gusseted panels - not sure it would work on a short backed horse. I also have a short backed horse. With the full Custom (Custom Custom) you can also order shorter panels!
[QUOTE=Dressage59;8606134]
That helped a lot as I have a short backed mare and I have long femurs.I’m waiting to buy a saddle until she’s trained a little more and I can know more about what I want. Thanks![/QUOTE]
I had a Dresch young horse saddle for my mare until she was more physically mature, so I understand! Having a saddle where there’s not one specific sweet spot is VERY helpful when your horse keeps going butt high, as I discovered when SURPRISE! she just grew another inch and I was miserable squished into the blocks during the downhill phase of her growth. I intentionally buy my saddles big enough that I don’t have to touch the blocks unless they’re preventing my saddle from becoming an ejector seat.
Everyone I know with long femurs has preferred short blocks so their knees can reach beyond the block if necessary, so I would predict you would want that as well. I don’t have especially long anything, but I have ROUND thighs, which also means to fit my legs around my horses and be able to use them effectively I have to ride in shorter stirrups - which means I need room for my legs to go forward from the more closed hip angle. And so I also have to use short blocks, or my knees get wedged on them.
I am happy that I found a Steffen Advantage “scratch and dent” sale saddle from Dover if just to save the aggravation of dealing with the people at Custom Saddlery. I long for the olden days when they just had their shop in NJ with Lisa running it. Their service is really BAD…they cannot answer basic questions, recommend fitters that incompetent. I wish their company would be bought out since I like the saddles but hate nowadays dealing with them at all.
I bought my “Custom, Custom” from Fred Taht last fall and while he was bit hard to get up with initially, he was great when he came out and spent quite a bit of time with me and my horse. I’ve used several saddle fitters and I was happy. Saddle fits the horse, and me, and is super comfy. He had one on his truck that was a demo that after some tweaking it fit perfect. I even had already bought a Wolfgang Solo and that tree shape didn’t work for my wide backed guy at all (too A-shaped) and he allowed me to trade it for what I paid. I’ve sat on the ones from Dover and I will agree there is no comparison. Although I would have been a whole lot happier paying that much less for SURE! LOL!
Thanks for the info! After riding in the Advantage, I decided it’s not going to work for me. It worked okay for my young horses, but when I rode my FEI horse in it, I didn’t feel like I could really sit on her and feel what was going on under me. I rider her in an old Solo, which I think I’ll stick with.
One of my issues with the Advantage is that the panels are narrow, like someone mentioned, and they seem to become more narrow as you make your way to the cantle. I’m wondering if this is just the design of the saddle, or if the one I bought is just an older model.
It’s interesting how different the stock models are! For the price, I wish it had worked.
Some of you mentioned Fred. He has his own line of saddles, called Veritas. The barn that I train out of has one and I absolutely LOVE it. It’s not currently in my price range, though.
Their fitter in South Florida, Frank Tobias is wonderful.
Their fitter in Aiken, Melody McGowen is fantastic.
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