I’m in the market for a new saddle and my friend swears by her devoucoux event saddle. Currently I have a very old Pessoa close contact saddle that is ready to retire. Although in my youth I did like the feel of the close contact saddle I want something with a bit more security, especially going cross country. My friend after getting this saddle said that she felt much more secure in this saddle than any other saddle. Any thoughts on this saddle?
I have a 2001 Devoucoux Chiberta and I LOVE it. I never thought i could find one in my price range, but i scoured the internet and found one. It has padded flaps, but no knee rolls and I find it comfy and very secure for anything I have done in it. It is also great for me b/c i ride quite a few different horses, and it sits well on most of them. I have ridden in several of the new monoflap ones and wish i had the coin to buy one 
Good luck in the saddle search!
For the last couple of years, in this area, the Devoucoux was the saddle de jour. The ONLY saddle that anyone would own if they had any sense at all. This year it is the County, the ONLY saddle that anyone would own if they have any sense at all.
They are both nice saddles, other brands are also nice. Buy what fits the horse, you and your pocket book. If it is nice to look at, all the better.
:winkgrin:
M. Toulouse saddles are really nice
I find it hard to believe they can make a saddle that nice for such a great price (and, I also own a Cobra which is/was a $3000 custom). There isn’t over $2000 between the two!!
I happen to be in love with the French saddles, but it’s because of the way they’re balanced, not because of the leather quality (which is incredible) or the name. After selling my big red guy, I decided to splurge and get myself a new saddle, although I dearly loved my Forestier Monoflap. I chose to go with Antares, mostly because the most skeptical saddle person I know on this list fell in love with it (thanks, Lynn!). I didn’t go monoflap because I’m sick and tired of hanging halfway off my horse to tighten the girth (seeing as how I tend to event by myself, without help), and now with a new greenie, I wasn’t about to chance it - long girths are much safer to tighten by oneself. This is the website I went to for my saddle: www.fine-used-saddles.com, or you can go to this one: http://corimcgraw.webs.com/saddlesavailable.htm (which is where I think deltawave got hers from).
My friend has a Devoucoux and I have ridden in it several times… I love it.
[QUOTE=eventer_mi;3110820]
http://corimcgraw.webs.com/saddlesavailable.htm (which is where I think deltawave got hers from).[/QUOTE]
I got my saddle from this site and they were great to deal with
I ordered a Devoucoux Chiberta in February when I was in Florida. I liked the rep who came to fit my horse and me for the saddle. He was very polite and did not push the saddle on me at all. I rode in a demo which I really liked, but it still did not give me the full feeling since I needed a smaller seat and flap. He offered for me to ride in it for my jumper classes, but I did not go until later in the day so I could not. I did ride in it in a warm up ring though. He let another girl who was with with us ride in the demo during her rounds even though she was not going to buy a saddle for at least several months. She liked it so much that she ended up ordering one when she got home. I can not wait until the saddle comes in the mail! My trainer rides in them, and he has their dressage saddles as well. He has a cross country one that they do not make anymore that he loves.
Yeah, they’re that good.
I love my Devocoux. I had been riding in a saddle that (unbeknownst to me) was really throwing me off -balance; I tried a friend’s Dev and was astonished by the difference. It doesn’t feel that different just out hacking, but going xc I notice a huge improvement.
so, since you needed a smaller seat and a smaller flap, how did the rep determine what you needed without you riding in the appropriate saddle? If you didn’t try the saddle in your needed size - both seat and flap - will you still have to pay for the saddle if it doesn’t “fit” you? Am asking because I did this with a custom County - added more forward flap to the saddle I tried, and saddle that arrived was NOT balanced in the same way as the saddle I tried…happily now with another owner, but I lost money. Saddle trying, saddle buying is not an easy process if you need something other than the “standard” model! :eek: 
Can someone “in the know” comment on the difference between Devaoucoux and Antares?
Yes they are!!I have a Devoucoux Chiberta and love it! I used to jump in an old Keiffer AP :p, and had the worst time trying to stop my leg from swinging back over fences. The Devoucoux helped a lot, I think it has a lot to do with the balance of the saddle. It just puts me in the right position. Definitely recommend them :D.
Well, good question! I did sit in the same size saddle I am getting except not in a monoflap um…or on a horse. I hope this saddle will work. :eek: I think it will though. The rep and my trainer simply watched me ride in the demo and determined that I needed a 16.5" seat (instead of the 17") and a 1A flap (instead of the 2A). The seat was too big, and the flap fowardness would have been okay (slightly too foward).However, my calf is normal for my height so it was too long. Does that make any sense?
I am actually not sure what would happen if the saddle arrived and did not fit. That is probably a bad thing! The rep told me he would give me a really good deal/trade in if I had a growth spurt or got a different horse (Sonny had to have a wide tree with the Devoucoux because of his solid build and large shoulders). My trainer is sponsered by them so if we got in a rut…maybe he could help us out a bit.
Antares and Devoucoux are almost basically the same. A guy who worked for Devoucoux took the plans with him when he left (presumably because he was sick of the quality of customer service of Devoucoux?). A CWD rep told me that Devoucoux and Antares use the same tree. Antares offers you different seat widths which some people like. They are about the same price.
LOVE IT! But here is a question… Mine is custom fit to a horse I am selling. Can it be re flocked to fit my new horse??
[QUOTE=IQ3day14;3111172]
LOVE IT! But here is a question… Mine is custom fit to a horse I am selling. Can it be re flocked to fit my new horse??[/QUOTE]
I think since they are foam flocked, you’d have to completely replace the foam. Which is really expensive.
Thats why I went with a Black Country. I didnt want the hassle if my horse changed shape, or when I get a new horse.
They ARE that nice.
I may help you because we are in similar boats… I have an old ('92) Pessoa that I adore. I love the narrow twist and wat I would consider to be a medium/shallow seat. My Pessoa has a small pencil block in front and no thigh block. I never learned to care about it well back in the day and the leather is hard and a bit slippery. I don’t notice it, but if my students borrow it, they LOVE it but think it’s slippery.
Well… one of my students just got a used Devoucoux. Oh. My. Lord. I want one. It’s just like my old Pessoa except soft, cushion-y, and a less slippery. It has a bigger front block than my Pessoa’s pencil block and a thigh block but doesn’t really feel different than mine. For the record, I don’t like saddles that I can’t get out of. I come from H/J land, so I <3 the half-seat and need my butt to be free. This saddle is my dream. I will be saving for one for when my baby finally dies. Thankfully my Pessoa is still holding up well, but one day…
I would sooner replace my horse than my Devoucoux. It improved my riding instantly and significantly. Balance mostly, I suspect, with a good measure of stickiness thrown in. Previously I’d owned saddles retailing in the 2000-3000 range, so it’s not that I was riding in cheap saddles.
Now I have to find the money for a dressage Devoucoux. Sigh.
No.
They’re comfortable to sit in but are far too narrow in the gullet IMO to fit a horse properly.
I sold mine on eBay for a nice profit. Still don’t like 'em.
[QUOTE=3Day-Eventer;3111184]
I think since they are foam flocked, you’d have to completely replace the foam. Which is really expensive.
Thats why I went with a Black Country. I didnt want the hassle if my horse changed shape, or when I get a new horse.[/QUOTE]
This is why I gave up the used one I had. I am so used to wool flocking and custom fittings on my horse. I asked the rep what I would do if he changed shape and he said I would send him the saddle and he would replace the foam panels all at a cost. I said “no thanks”. I get my saddle refits about every year and that was just too much inconvenience.
