CWD: Redo on custom saddle?

[amnich123]

[QUOTE=Pony+ an inch;7607639]
The thing about a saddle rep is that he/she is NOT necessarily a qualified saddle fitter… sometimes they are; many times the reps just take a few courses and are sent on their merry way to sell saddles.

So that being said, without knowing who the antares rep is in your area, hard to say on whether you’d benefit from an opinion. If I had to guess, I’d say the Antares rep would probably tell you the saddle isn’t a great fit and to try this Antares–let’s do a trade-in!

Here’s my opinion about “breaking in a saddle”–it should take no more than three weeks regular riding to tell whether or not a saddle is going to work for you. And since you don’t have a horse right now, it needs to fit as perfectly to you as possible. I think the seat size looks good and that there are other adjustments to be made.

If I were you, I would completely ditch all the half back pads in your barn and go get a Mattes pad or something similar where you can control the shimming (which will help the fit) of the saddle. That is your best bet for accommodating your many mounts while keeping the saddle as close to the horse’s back as possible–which is what you want. The more fluff that’s between you and the horse’s back, the less you can feel.[/QUOTE]

I will look into a Mattes pad! Do you think it’s worth the effort to try and return the Ogilvy or just let it collect dust since I spent enough money on it… and it’d be a waste to spend that much $ and not be able to use it.

What Mattes pad would you suggest?
I saw there are a few on Dover Saddlery…

What adjustments do you think need to be made with the saddle (out of curiosity)?

I have ridden in the saddle for about 4 weeks now riding 3x a week.

[amnich123]

[QUOTE=DoubleTwistedWire;7607655]
Its not so much problematic that you bought a saddle to ride in. It’s that you bought a very expensive “custom” saddle, which is usually fitted to horse and rider; since you don’t have a horse, it should be something in a general size that fits a decent variety of horses, and fits you well. By your own admission, you’re unsure of whether or not it fits you, and it obviously doesn’t fit the horses, especially with a bunch of excess padding wedged under it.

For a fraction of what you spent on that CWD, you could have gotten a less “trendy” but completely serviceable and quality saddle that would have fit a decent variety of horses and you, who appear to be of average build for a rider. In under five minutes, I found these for probably a quarter of what you paid:
Pessoa A/O
Crosby Exselle (even flocked!)
Dominus
Hermes Steinkraus (which in a M tree is probably on the narrow side for most WBs, but at $1800 is a steal for someone!)
Prestige

And if you’re at one barn now, with a good and knowledgeable head trainer, why are you not getting THEIR input on saddle fit and position? Or buying the brand the barn uses, from THEIR fitter?[/QUOTE]

I didn’t get one of those saddles simply because I don’t like them, with saddles it’s all about personal preference and I prefer CWD. I didn’t go with Antares because their saddles don’t fit a wide range of horses and the Antares saddle I had before had a broken tree and I didn’t want to risk getting anther Antares to have this happen. That and I’ve heard broken trees are common among Antares.

I haven’t gotten the head trainers input because whenever I go to sign up for a lesson or to schedule a meeting with her, she’s booked for the week or two weeks or away at a show and since I’m in school and have other activities it’s tough for me to find the right time that is open. She has a lot of clients to teach and tend to every week. To say the least, I’m a little fish in a big sea.

I got an appt this week but had to cancel because of my busy schedule but will reschedule for next week hopefully.

[amnich123]

[QUOTE=akhunterrider;7607908]
I don’t have my own horse and I have my own high end French saddle. I didn’t buy brand new though. I bought used. So I do get it. I wouldn’t have paid $4000 + for a saddle for multiple horses. I have one main horse I ride of my trainer’s and another I work with. The saddle isn’t perfect on either but works fine on both. Did you look at used CWD saddles first? I know buying a demo wasn’t an option but most reps have used saddles, too.[/QUOTE]

Yes I did! Initially when I tried demo’s I was looking into finding a used saddle. But there was nothing in the U.S. or France with my configurations.

That and I had the $500 off a custom and already had $1600 down the drain from the Antares so I thought it’d be wiser to go custom than take the chance of a used saddle. Not that theres anything wrong with them! I have bad luck with riding gear in general… and even with the custom I’m having problems.

[hj0519]

@amnich123;7607561

Would it be odd for me to call the Antares rep from my area to have her take a look? Or do you think it could be biased… and try to get me to ditch the saddle and invest my $ on an Antares.

The Antares rep in this area does a great job (I’m very happy with the saddle I ordered through her, and so is everyone else I know who has), but unless you’re looking to trade in your saddle for an Antares, then I do think it would be odd to ask her to come look at it.

[akhunterrider]

[QUOTE=amnich123;7607933]
Yes I did! Initially when I tried demo’s I was looking into finding a used saddle. But there was nothing in the U.S. or France with my configurations.

That and I had the $500 off a custom and already had $1600 down the drain from the Antares so I thought it’d be wiser to go custom than take the chance of a used saddle. Not that theres anything wrong with them! I have bad luck with riding gear in general… and even with the custom I’m having problems. [/QUOTE]

I totally understand, as the flap configurations the rep recommended for me turned out to be more difficult to find used. So I ended up with one I like, but a flap that’s really more forward than what I actually need.

[french_fry]

[QUOTE=amnich123;7607921]
I didn’t get one of those saddles simply because I don’t like them, with saddles it’s all about personal preference and I prefer CWD. I didn’t go with Antares because their saddles don’t fit a wide range of horses and the Antares saddle I had before had a broken tree and I didn’t want to risk getting anther Antares to have this happen. That and I’ve heard broken trees are common among Antares.

I haven’t gotten the head trainers input because whenever I go to sign up for a lesson or to schedule a meeting with her, she’s booked for the week or two weeks or away at a show and since I’m in school and have other activities it’s tough for me to find the right time that is open. She has a lot of clients to teach and tend to every week. To say the least, I’m a little fish in a big sea.

I got an appt this week but had to cancel because of my busy schedule but will reschedule for next week hopefully.[/QUOTE]

OK, so it’s really very clear that you want to keep this expensive custom saddle that doesn’t work for you or the horses you are riding because your personal preference is (brand new, custom, ill-fitting) CWDs.

Carry on then.

[amnich123]

[QUOTE=french fry;7608111]
OK, so it’s really very clear that you want to keep this expensive custom saddle that doesn’t work for you or the horses you are riding because your personal preference is (brand new, custom, ill-fitting) CWDs.

Carry on then.[/QUOTE]

No, my preference is CWD. Not an ill-fitting saddle.

[Bogie]

Great article by Denny Emerson posted on the Horse Collaborative:

Asking for (and Rejecting) the Advice of Others (If it is Not the Answer you Want to Hear).

OP – you have had several people on this thread (and previous ones) give you good advice.

I hope you are able to make your CWD work for you or that you can convince the Rep to make you one that does.

[alto]

[QUOTE=french fry;7608111]
OK, so it’s really very clear that you want to keep this expensive custom saddle that doesn’t work for you or the horses you are riding because your personal preference is (brand new, custom, ill-fitting) CWDs.

Carry on then.[/QUOTE]

OP already owns this saddle & to return it will cost her major $$, she is far better off sorting out the fit for herself & learning to shim as needed for the horses which the saddle will work for, & recognizing which horses just should not go in this saddle at all.

amnich123 contact various fitters, explain that you have a CWD, you ride various horses & you’d like a shimming lesson (& to purchase pads/shims etc) - see what responses you get.
(I know a couple fitters that would be fine to do this - you’d be charged their usual fitting fee - & other fitters that would just say, no thanks.)
Obviously when you sort out a lease horse, make sure the saddle is a decent fit - this is equally important for you & the horse.

Personally I’d be a bit leery of breaking in a saddle on horses where the saddle is tipped forwards/backwards/sideways & you ride incorrectly in the saddle.

[js]

When you were fitted for this saddle was it on the horse pictured? Are CWD’s adjustable by either CWD or a qualified fitter? While your preference may be for CWD’s that doesn’t mean it will work for the horse. While the riders preference is obviously important, fitting the horse is equally important. For me, what fits the horse and works best for them is first choice, my preference is second. That doesn’t mean I will compromise fit for me but it sometimes means I end up with something I didn’t have my heart set on buying.

[CrittersMom]

I’ve been reading this thread with great interest because I was in the EXACT SAME SITUATION about a month ago. From my experience, here is what I learned:

• CWD will make your custom saddle fit you, but it will cost extra time and extra money in shipping
• CWD makes a beautiful saddle that can be fantastic for the right person.
• CWD saddles are NOT going to fit all, or even most horses. They are foam flocked so they have limited adjustments.
• Extra padding does not make a too narrow saddle wider.
• CWD saddles are really $$$$, and their restocking fee for returns is also $$$.
• IMO, do NOT order a custom saddle unless you know what horse you are trying to fit. If you do, resign yourself to whatever you need to do to make the saddle fit as well as it can.
• CWD is a business!!! They NEED to sell saddles to stay in business. The REPS NEED to sell saddles to make a living. BUYER BEWARE.
• A good saddle fitter (not necessarily a rep) is worth his/her weight in gold.
• Last, but not least, the resale value on a brand new custom saddle is a fraction of it’s cost - even as a trade-in - so it’s better to try and make it fit (unless you have tons of money to spend).

Just my two cents.

[Across_Sicily]

[QUOTE=amnich123;7607933]
Yes I did! Initially when I tried demo’s I was looking into finding a used saddle. But there was nothing in the U.S. or France with my configurations.[/QUOTE]

Really? Is a 17" 3L with pro panels a particularly hard find? A very limited search turned up two of them off the bat. How long did you search?

That said, I understand this to some extent. If your preference is CWD, it’s CWD, and if you wanted a saddle a CWD is a perfect acceptable thing to purchase. I guess I probably would have spent more time looking for a used one, which makes more sense to buy for a revolving door of equines, as opposed to a brand new full custom. I mean hey, if you have the spare $$ to burn, go for it - but based on your posts, you didn’t.

But what’s done is done. You now have the saddle, the saddle doesn’t fit you in a way you’re comfortable with, and you’re unhappy. You shouldn’t need a trainer to tell you how your personal butt feels sitting in a saddle. You need to make a lot of noise here and get this fixed. CWD has, what, six months or a year to make it right? Get them started.

[Zuri]

I bought My daughter a new CWD that was customized to fit her, the horse and the rep viewed her in several saddles to see how she rode before making a recommendation. The fit is perfect. I did not want to spend $4300 on a saddle until she finished growing and had the horse. Prior to that she rode in a Bates as it had adjustable trees to fit various horses.

Having a custom saddle to my mind means having one that fits you, your horse, and the way you ride. It also has a certain “appeal” when everyone else has one. If my horse was an easy fit, I certainly would have looked at Antares and other brands with a cutback pommel for her to try so it could last her years and fit various horses with ease.

From my experience, the CWD rep Patrick was excellent, and he came back out to make sure the fit was perfect. He would have made it right if it wasn’t. The unfortunate part of this story is that you can get a saddle to fit you and how you ride, but the variable is the horse. I would imagine that might make getting the true benefit of a custom saddle hard to achieve.

Best of luck to you!

[amnich123]

[QUOTE=Across Sicily;7608587]
Really? Is a 17" 3L with pro panels a particularly hard find? A very limited search turned up two of them off the bat. How long did you search?

That said, I understand this to some extent. If your preference is CWD, it’s CWD, and if you wanted a saddle a CWD is a perfect acceptable thing to purchase. I guess I probably would have spent more time looking for a used one, which makes more sense to buy for a revolving door of equines, as opposed to a brand new full custom. I mean hey, if you have the spare $$ to burn, go for it - but based on your posts, you didn’t.

But what’s done is done. You now have the saddle, the saddle doesn’t fit you in a way you’re comfortable with, and you’re unhappy. You shouldn’t need a trainer to tell you how your personal butt feels sitting in a saddle. You need to make a lot of noise here and get this fixed. CWD has, what, six months or a year to make it right? Get them started.[/QUOTE]

With a pro panel I might add which is essential. That was the hard thing to find since majority of saddles are fitted to a horse.

[akhunterrider]

If you decide not to keep the Ogilvy and are unable to return it, you should be able to sell it for nearly what you paid with no issues. Is it the standard 1 1/4" thickness?

[alto]

[QUOTE=amnich123;7608983]
With a pro panel I might add which is essential. That was the hard thing to find since majority of saddles are fitted to a horse.[/QUOTE]
Used saddle availability is a very fluid thing - I had done a search back when you were considering ordering & there certainly were no suitable used CWD’s at that time.

All the IF’s don’t really matter at this time, you HAVE your CWD & it’s only about making this saddle work for you, whether it’s going to be this particular saddle as it breaks in, or this saddle altered or a re-make.
Talk to your rep about costs involved … this is where being at a CWD barn or being in a rep’s home territory has an advantage - “costs per visit” as calculated from a business perspective are minimal - and rep is out frequently.

A CWD with pro panels CAN fit a variety of horses: when your rep is out next, try to have the various horses you ride ready at hand, so rep can go over the saddle fit with you (I’ve the impression you’ll not be having an independent fitter out soon, so work with the resource people you do have )

I’d not be in a hurry to sell that Ogilvy, again they work very well when used appropriately.