Menu

Stay in Touch
Sign up for ENews
Subscribe Now

Unlimited access >

Menu

CWD saddles-- tell me about them, please!

Hunter/Jumper
#1

I currently ride in a 7 year old County Innovation, which I love, but I don’t love the color and I fear it no longer fits my much older horse, despite a fresh fitting. Even the fitter said it might be too wide now. I am beginning the search for a new saddle, but since my current horse is nearly 19, I’m thinking a saddle that is custom to him might not be my best option at this time. He’s not a hard fit, just needs a bump up in the cantle area.

So… tell me about CWD saddles. What is the difference between models? I ride lower level jumpers, and I’m slowly starting the search for my next horse which I’d do eq/medals/jumpers on. I’ll still be riding my current horse, too.

I’m looking at other saddle brands/models as well, but have the opportunity to try a few CWDs at my barn, and want some background info before I ride in one.

#2

I purchased my custom CWD in 2013 so I’ve had a few years to really form an opinion on my experience with them. This will be a bit long but, here it goes…

I should start off by giving you a little background. I purchased my young mare in early 2012, and while she wasn’t emaciated by any means, she started filling out and growing so fast within a few months of my purchasing her. When it kind of felt like her growing was slowing down, I set out to find something to work for the both of us. She has little to no withers, VERY large shoulders, and a flat back. With that build, most of the French saddles weren’t a good fit. Plus, I was so used to my Butet that I wanted the flat, barely there feel.

I had numerous fitters come out, “Independent”, CWD, Voltaire, and Antares. The other four fitters, I had two independent fitters come (side note: theres really no such thing but thats another story), were ok but I found issues with them. Either the saddle that would fit us was way out of budget (Voltaire), I was less then impressed with the fitters knowledge (one of the independent fitters, and Antares) or I HATED the saddle the fitter was pressuring me to get (other independent fitter).

When I had the CWD fitter out, I shared with her my concerns, and my fitting problems and she shared with me her ideas for fit. My mare needed one side slightly shaved in the wither area to accommodate one larger side of her wither area, and she needed the pommel area opened up a bit to accommodate the shoulder area. I liked the saddle feel, and they were willing to write in a fit guarantee for up to a year after purchase, so I went for it. I ended up getting a calf/grain SE01 in a 17" with a 2C flap. I felt so uncomfortable in their SE03 which was their “flat seat” model, and ended up liking the medium seat.

The saddle has worn well, but I am OCD about cleaning and conditioning it. I was concerned at first because when I got it, it fit rather narrow, and my rep assured me it was due to the saddle being shipped in a tight packing, and it had to “settle”. I didn’t like that at all, and she offered to break it in for me on her own horse, but I knew my horse was way wider, so I just did it myself. Thankfully it settled quickly, and never pinched my mare, which I was very worried about because shes super sensitive. After a few years, I did have some concerns about the fit, and had another fitter, from CWD, come look at the fit. She assured me that it seemed to be one of the best fits shes seen in a while, which made me happy because I was ready to sell and buy a new one had she said the fit wasn’t ideal anymore.

So overall I’m very happy with my purchase. I like knowing that they stand behind their product. If you have any other questions just message me :slight_smile:

#3

CWD has a very solid training program in place for its reps. That alone is worth a lot in terms of peace of mind, and knowing you and your horse will get a correct fit. The reps keep up with what used inventory is available too, in case you don’t want to buy new. Sometimes the rep will know about a used saddle that fits your requirements. My former trainer is now a CWD rep and it was interesting following her journey through the program. They train in France, and then come back to the USA and shadow a more experienced rep for a while before getting out on their own.

#4

I have an SE01 and love it. It replaced my 10-12 year old County Stabilizer, which was made for my retired horse and fits nothing else but her. I tried a lot of different saddles, but that is the one that when i sat in it, it just felt right, and very secure but still allows me to get out of the seat. The rep I used got the fit just right on my custom order, and it has fit almost every horse I’ve put it on with only minor shimming in my half-pad. It will be 2 years this spring, and it is holding up great.

If you like a wider twist, it will feel comfortable, if you are used to a narrow twist and prefer that feel, this will feel like a lot of saddle and may feel too wide. So, it will depend a lot on what feel you are looking for.

#5

[QUOTE=pony4me;8439188]
CWD has a very solid training program in place for its reps. That alone is worth a lot in terms of peace of mind, and knowing you and your horse will get a correct fit. The reps keep up with what used inventory is available too, in case you don’t want to buy new. Sometimes the rep will know about a used saddle that fits your requirements. My former trainer is now a CWD rep and it was interesting following her journey through the program. They train in France, and then come back to the USA and shadow a more experienced rep for a while before getting out on their own.[/QUOTE]

I actually decided not to buy a cwd because of the rep. I didn’t feel like my rep was paying attention to fittting my individual horse, they just slapped the saddle on and told me it was perfect. There were some other things as well, and I just had a bad feeling about it. Ended up with a Voltaire which I absolutely love.

1 Like
#6

[QUOTE=Libby416;8438943]
I ended up getting a calf/grain SE01 in a 17" with a 2C flap. I felt so uncomfortable in their SE03 which was their “flat seat” model, and ended up liking the medium seat.[/QUOTE]

This isn’t correct, their SE01 is their flat seat model, and SE02 is the semi-deep, and SE03 is the deep seat. You have a CWD’s version of a flat seat, which rides like most other brands semi-deep.

#7

[QUOTE=one1horse;8440005]
This isn’t correct, their SE01 is their flat seat model, and SE02 is the semi-deep, and SE03 is the deep seat. You have a CWD’s version of a flat seat, which rides like most other brands semi-deep.[/QUOTE]

Actually, according to the CWD website, the SE03 is a flat-seat model, I think it is relatively new compared to the SE01 and SE02. They call the SE01 the flat seat hunter jumper and this one the flat seat cc, and the SE02 the semi-deep (which is more like other brands’ deep seats).
http://cwdsellier.com/us/en/boutique/product/the-flat-seat-cc

#8

OP, I have 2 CWDs, both the flat seat SE01 model, and love them. One is 8 years old, the other is 3. If you want to PM me, I’m happy to answer any questions about my experiences with CWD!

#9

The poster I quoted states she purchased her saddle in 2013, at which point the seat codes were as I listed. Also, for what it’s worth, I had a CWD rep out this spring (May), and she also indicated the seat codes are interpreted as I listed them. They certainly appear to have a changed recently as you show, so whether the rep was wrong or not is anyone’s guess. Either way, she/her “fitting” technique were my primary reasons for not ordering another CWD.

#10

Like my cwd. i have the se02. Mine is buffalo and wears like iron. It doesnt get as much tlc as it deserves and still looks great. fits everything i put it on, from freshly off track tb to giant wb’s and the odd misbehaving pony. My biggest complaint is the wide twist. Im a petite rider and it caused some hip pain. Ive now switched to mdc irons which made a big difference. Ive recently started riding in a butet and would highly recommend you have s rep out before making a decision.

#11

I wound up getting a 2Gs for a saddle where I had a lot of gullet room to accommodate long withers and a wide back) but a horse that didn’t quite fit into a medium wide tree. My butt does not like a lot of English saddles. My “independent” saddle fitter isn’t much of a fan (she is not much of a fan of French saddles in general), but my horse tells me he likes it in comparison to what I was riding in. I had an issue where one of the panel bolts broke and I had to send it back after 2 months, and horse told me he did not appreciate me switching back to my old saddle for that time. The alternative I was thinking about for my horse was a Tad Coffin with Smart Ride. I didn’t really like the regular CWDs, although if the med-wide one would have fit him, I’d probably have gotten it and saved myself a good chunk of change. Now I am just keeping my fingers crossed that he doesn’t outgrow the 2Gs.

I have the flat seat version. It took me about 2 seconds to nix the half deep seat, and I didn’t even try sitting in the deep seat.

#12

If you have the opportunity to ride in one, or two, or three you’ll get the feel of one. I love mine, but I had to drive to the booth at a big horse show to get it. It was totally worth it! Reps aren’t created equally, And not just with CWD. :wink:

#13

[QUOTE=one1horse;8440126]
The poster I quoted states she purchased her saddle in 2013, at which point the seat codes were as I listed. Also, for what it’s worth, I had a CWD rep out this spring (May), and she also indicated the seat codes are interpreted as I listed them. They certainly appear to have a changed recently as you show, so whether the rep was wrong or not is anyone’s guess. Either way, she/her “fitting” technique were my primary reasons for not ordering another CWD.[/QUOTE]

They may have changed the website then, but my rep was pretty adamant which was which. I even raised the question to her, and she said the website was wrong. They built the SE03 to feel more like the Butet. They obviously failed.

So the seat codes where explained to me as they are now.

#14

I have a custom dark brown SE01 CWD. It’s buffalo and grain and I love it. If I ever needed a new saddle I would definitely order a CWD saddle. I got it in 2013 and it’s still in great condition. I had a County Stabilizer and I had a bad experience with the company. To make a long story short they sold me a saddle that didn’t fit me and I had to call their headquarters to complain because the rep wouldn’t help me. They ended up making me a new saddle. The saddle was an orange color that wouldn’t darken. Turned out they stopped using that kind of leather because it was defective and they wouldn’t work with me. I ended up selling the saddle on EBay and lost a lot of money. I was also told that County saddles are hard to sell and just a warning CWD will not accept a County saddle as a trade in. I know because I tried. Good luck with your decision. :slight_smile:

#15

I’ve tried them several times at horseshows.

My butt loves the CWD, and I rode in several on a recent trip to Germany that were absolutely lovely to ride in.

3 of my horses over the years, however, have told a different story. All go in their County saddles (I have a Stabilizer, an Innovation, and a Sensation) and have for many years. Of the 3 that I’ve tried CWDs on, all were unhappy - swishy tails, pinned ears, and just generally unhappy. The CWD reps (different reps, different times, different places) both said that the saddles fit as they were supposed to and that the horses would get used to it. I wonder if the channel is narrower and that’s what my horses objected to? I’d really like to ride in one a few days in a row and see if the difference was just how those particular saddles fit.

And then to boot, the saddles I tried here weren’t quite the right fit for me and the reps both said they would order a specific configuration but I wouldn’t get to try it before ordering it.

I wasn’t a fan of that answer.

But I’m tired of the constant flocking and reflocking to get the saddle just right, and am really thinking about getting a different saddle for my young horses so that I’ve got something to use on all of them somewhat interchangeably. I’ll stay the course with my upper level horses with County because they’re so happy in those saddles, but I would love to have something else for the rest!

#16

PNW, did the rep have you try different panel configurations? Our rep here doesn’t have a ton of choices, but I was able to play around with different panels, though the saddle may not have had the configuration I preferred. My horse was going through some…issues, which led me to saddle shop in the first place. Some of them I couldn’t even walk around the arena. He was so unhappy the second I got on. I had to take a bit of a leap of faith in ordering a custom configuration that I hadn’t gotten to try, but the rep said if it didn’t fit, they’d fix it. So far, so good!

#17

I have had mostly good experience with CWD and wouldn’t hesitate to have them out if I need to replace my saddle for some reason.

I have a 17" 2C SE02 in full buffalo and it is awesome. I actually ordered a 17" 3C originally because based on the saddles I tried rep thought that would fit me best. I demanded that if I didn’t like it they agree to make a new saddle or replace the flap because I hadnt gotten to sit in it before ordering. It arrived and after a few weeks of breaking in I still didn’t like the saddle. CWD kept their word and remade a saddle for me (and let me keep riding in the original saddle that fit my horse but not me). I was really happy with the experience.

That said we have had a lot of rep turnover in our area and people don’t seem to be super thrilled with the new ones. They also all say different things regarding the fit guarantees which is frustrating for me because I thought I had one and have ranted and raved about my saddle then friends will talk to a rep who says the same thing, saddle comes in - doesn’t fit, their rep leaves and a new rep comes in and says thats not the policy.

Their customer service could probably stand to improve but overall it is BY FAR the best I have had from any company. I first had a County and it destroyed my horses back - rep also scammed me and said all sorts of different things AFTER I bought a new custom saddle about it needed to be checked every 2mo at $200 a pop and thats why my horse was lame… I sold the saddle and lost a lot of money on vet bills and the saddle because I couldn’t basically give it away. Then I decided to order a Devoucoux and experienced the worst customer service of my life.

I escaped that with money in tact and decided to try the rest of the brands before making a choice… Antares wouldn’t talk to me, Voltaire refused to send a rep out and then when I met CWD they said all of the right things. I have had no issues thus far and my rep or the HQ have always been very responsive.

Best of luck with your search. My advice would be to try any and everything you can get your hands on and don’t settle too fast. Supposedly CWD prices are increasing though so you might want to have them out to look at your horse :slight_smile: They are fairly easy to find used too depending on the configurations needed.

#18

I have a CWD SE02 as well. The rep came out with a car full of CWD’s for me to look at and try. After riding in several models, I tried the SE02. It fit my horse well and I felt very secure and balanced on him. His shoulder was very freed up with this saddle. This is my first CWD, and I’d be surprised if I ever buy another brand. I don’t know what seat size or tree it is. The rep determined what we needed , fitting us both. I’m very happy with the saddle fit for us both.

#19

First, I live in Northern California, and the CWD reps here are TERRIBLE!!
They have been for the last 3 years. I have a CWD SE02, and it’s been fine for the last 3 years. I recently ordered a new Mademoiselle because I have a new huge Warmblood with massive shoulders and my old saddle just doesn’t fit her. The problem is not the product, the product is great, the problem are the reps! I seriously almost switched brands twice only because the reps are so miserable to deal with. They are arrogant, incompetent (every order has come months late and incorrect). If you are not getting custom items, it somehow takes them 3-5 weeks to ship your stuff from Wellington to California. When I wanted to purchase my first saddle, I tried several, agreed to purchase one, then came to a show to buy it with $4000 in my pocket, made an appt with the rep to meet and get the saddle, he didn’t show up for 3 days!!! I was like, “I"m here with 4 grand, do you want it or not??” It was so weird. I heard he had been out partying and was too hung over to make it to the CWD booth. I’m just hoping my new saddle fits when it arrives. The rep did not take any actual measurements, and after waiting 3 months for it, if it doesn’t fit, I’m going to switch brands. I think CWD is enjoying their current popularity and as a result have gotten very “French” about customer service (meaning: they don’t do it). But there are a lot of other brands out there, and more coming every day. If they were smarter, they would make customer service their number 1 priority, but they just don’t care that much.

#20

You bumped a thread from 2015

Get your Digital Subscription here - only $21.95 / year

Subscribe here
See gift options

Sign up to our monthly newsletter!

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.

Copyright © 2023 The Chronicle of the Horse