I’ve got a Wolfgang Solo and I loooooove it. Mine also seems to have this magic ability to fit many kinds of horses relatively well.
Is your area rep Anja or is there someone down in OR? I bought mine used from a friend but she has fitted mine and had good experiences. I’m actually due to have her out soon cuz my dude has really muscled up.
I’m in the process of buying a custom saddle (the Coda). In my case, it’s part laziness. I’ve purchased used saddles my entire riding career and am finally in a place where I am more concerned about getting a saddle that is going to be right for me than I am concerned about getting the most bang for my buck. My trainer likes the local Custom fitter, so we had her come out. I rode in a dozen saddles and found one that genuinely put me in a better position. The saddle was ordered, and I am using a loaner saddle while mine is being made. I’m clear that the saddle that I am waiting for might not work for me, so I am prepared to buy the loaner if “mine” does not actually fit when it comes in (the loaner is the wrong color!).
But, it’s an expensive process. There are quite likely less expensive saddles out there that would have met my needs. As others have pointed out, the quality of the saddle is not necessarily in keeping with the price; at the end of the day, my sadddle will,cost more than twice what I paid for my horse. I’m paying for expediency as well as the guarantee.
I have a really old Custom, and it is extremely comfortable, with smaller, softer thigh blocks. Had the saddle fitter replace the billets last year, and she said the frame was sound and the saddle was safe, so at least the older ones were made very well
I have an off the rack Steffan Advantage in buffalo hide. At the time I got it my horse and I were in Aiken and the rep there came out with a whole stack of used and demo saddles for us to try. Helps that they have a warehouse in Aiken. Anyway, I fell in love with I think the Wolfgang with external blocks, but my horse fell in love with the Steffan Advantage. Luckily it was my second favorite, so horse and I agreed that it was The One. It was a demo so I got a few hundred knocked off the retail price. That horse has since been sold, but the saddle fits both of my current horses and just about anything else I care to put it on. People have offered to buy the saddle but I can’t part with it, it’s so useful. Absolutely 100% go with the buffalo leather. And just in my opinion, try to buy a saddle that you can ride in first vs. having one made. Avoids some of the pitfalls mentioned above.
Btw, I tried the Custom jump saddles last year and there were just ‘meh’ to me. In my opinion Custom does a great job of making a dressage saddle and is hit or miss on the jump saddles. That said, a friend has a Monte Carlo and adores it.
This is an old thread, but I thought I’d put in my two cents. I got a used Wolfgang Solo and I LOVE it. Amazing seat!!! I feel so much more secure in it than in my old Stubben. I have a horse who needs a lot of work with his canter and when he was on two different leads (front and back) it was jarring and difficult to sit for the time it took to stop and restart him in the Stubben. Once I got the Custom saddle I was able to be more confident and secure in my seat when asking my horse for canters. That helped the training process tremendously.
I looooove my Flight.
and I looooove our local rep.
She does put efforts into selling used saddles.
And she does work on non Custom saddles.
She redid a Stubben jump saddle for me. Put long billets on it and redid all the flocking.
She had a demo Flight that was made for me. I’m 6’, all leg but also not a string bean. Size 10ish.
The saddle is a 19" seat with an 18.5" flap. It’s brown with a super dark brn seat.
It’s amazing.
The Flight is their model that has a curvy tree. It’s the only one that fit my horse.
It also has a twist that will insult most riders. It does not have a flat spot for you to sit in. I can feel the twist all the way past my bung holio.
The twist splits my body into two. I wiggle back and forth until it splits up my butt cheeks.
It also has the long thick block. Which looks like a 1/2 block paired with my leg.
It’s down right effing amazing.
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