In fact the saddle fits very well and my horse has one of the soundest backs I’ve felt. I like half pads because they are a natural fibre that is very absorbent. It’s not like I put a whole sheep under my saddle, just a piece of one 
Getting a bit off topic, but my TB just loved the “sheepy” next to his skin. The saddle fit fine but he liked the cushion -he was on the thinner side. I think they breathe well.
My Devoucoux
Funny you should ask! My replacement Devoucoux just got here today. I had the saddle fitter out today and he was quite impressed with the fit of the saddle on my horse. He was the same fitter that HATED the other devoucoux. He said the new one was the best fit he had ever seen in a Devoucoux for a particular horse. I haven’t ridden in it yet but I had them change the seat for me and add the biggest knee blocks they could and it looks perfect as far as that. I will let you know once I ride in it how I and the horse like it!
Christan
I have to second the plug for the Albion Ultima Kontact. I bought one, brand new (only girthed up once), for $1100 USD and had it shipped over from England. I figured I could sell it if it didn’t work out. It’s lovely. The leather is scrumptious, hard wearing (after a month of riding in it, it still looks brand new), and it fits my boy wonderfully - gotta love that wool flocking. I actually like flatting in this saddle, as well as jumping - I loved my Antares for jumping but not for flatting.
Oh, and I’m fairly average in height - 5’5, with a fairly long thigh. I don’t feel like this saddle’s balance point is too far back.
[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]
I rode in the Dev for many years. Needed a new saddle in 2000 when I bought a new horse. Dev was having production/distribution problems. One of their guys had JUST started Antares so I bought an Ant. Balance is equally as good. Wouldn’t ride in anything else. Customer service with Ant has been outstanding all along. Ordered a custom saddle in 2002, saddle was stolen 4 weeks after delivery. They put me to the head of the line on the new saddle, I even changed the leather, and I had the replacement in 3 weeks.
These saddles have foam panels, which I changed a few times. In 2005 I had the foam replaced with wool for a custom fit thru another saddle maker. I am sure Ant would not endorse this, but I still love the saddle.
I can understand the “liking the feel of sheepskin” next to their skin. I really can. But if I put a sheepskin under either of my saddles that have been professionally fitted they just don’t sit right. I do much better with a baby pad or something similar to that.
Christan, good to hear! Hopefully you’ll love it and so will the horse! Lord knows you’ve been through enough to get a good saddle fit!!!
They really are great and the reps are so helpful with everything. They strive to make things great, I have ridden in both the monoflap and a normal flap and love both of them.
I have ridden in Devoucoux Dressage and Chiberta for 5 years.
Love my Chiberta!
I just bought a Vega, I won’t say I have retired the Devoucoux Dressage Saddle…the Vega is definately preferred!
Good luck!
[QUOTE=kiwifruit;3113144]
Okay…I sat in my friends devoucoux today and can I tell you that I fell in love the minute my bottom touched the saddle. Very grippy and excellent leg position. I felt secure yet could get out of the tack when needed. I’m pretty sure it fit my guy as well. Lots of clearance by the withers, pretty level and equal. Much better than my Pessoa which I need at least two pads to ride in it. Just to be on the safe side, I ordered a test ride from VTO Saddlery 1. the amerigo vega monoflap and the new prestige monoflap event saddle. I rode in a Nona Garson Prestige saddle one time and really hated it so I’m not sure if the monoflap version will work. I really, really like the Devoucoux but just briefly searching the net for a used event model has been tough. Any thoughts on the vega and the prestige?
Thanks again for the insight![/QUOTE]
Saddle fitter near Erie pa?
Need a saddle fitter for horse near erie and Cleveland. It’s for a devoucoux and an Ashland. Please suggest . . .
You know, the Butet XC does have a wider gullett and is wonderful to sit on… I have one that I am getting re-flocked (foamed?) (I think) because it is a tad too wide for the current beastie. Of course, I can get it worked on here via the UK shop - don’t know about the US.
I have a WONDERFUL custom saddle (brand, I can’t remember) that I bought years ago and had reflocked - that is the foam replaced with wool. Unfortunately, it is very narrow in the gullet (though not in the tree) from the flocking, and doesn’t fit any of the current crowd. Perhaps when the babies who are very TB’y grow up, it will fit one of them.
As much as I have always disliked Stubben (give me a flat saddle any day), I think if I were to buy new today, that is what I would get - although, I don’t think they make an XC model. They are really adament about fit and customer care (or at least over here they are), and I think that is the most important factor.
Keep your eye on eBay etc… you might luck out!
Not sure about the Ashland but I have met the Devoucoux rep at North White Stables in Gates Mills just outside of Cleveland. I have also work with the lady from Saddles 101 located north of Pittsburgh. You should be able to find info on both through Google.
I rode in a friend of mine’s Devocoux saddle and YES, it was SUPER comfy for me, but my horse didn’t like it.
In the end I looked over to the Albion jump saddles (yes, they do more than dressage) and I LOVE it. It’s super comfy for me and my horse, and I’ve never felt quite so secure.
It was also $1500 less.
Devoucoux Chiberta is the best for us for jumping, but ???
For me and Rasta, ABSOLUTELY, at least for jumping…looking to get fitted for a proper dressage saddle late winter…will look at Stackhouse along with that lovely Makila…
[QUOTE=Ronken;5815296]
I got my saddle from this site and they were great to deal with[/QUOTE]
Man, those spammers are getting tricky. Reported.:o
[QUOTE=RunForIt;5815128]
For me and Rasta, ABSOLUTELY, at least for jumping…looking to get fitted for a proper dressage saddle late winter…will look at Stackhouse along with that lovely Makila…[/QUOTE]
Be careful with Stackhouse. When he came to my house (at my expense) he did not have his full compliment of trees and so in the fitting process said I know the tree that you want without actually having it there to put on her back. When the saddle arrived it fit me beautifully but gapped on her. I called him immediately and he became indignant and said “you ladies who look on the internet and think you know something about saddle fitting don’t know what you’re talking about. I measured your horse and the saddle fits her. Just put the saddle on the d@#n horse and go for a ride.” :eek: I backed down and used it and really hurt my horse, causing muscle atrophy in her back, muscle spasms as well as causing her to interfere behind, forge and trip behind.
I’ve been using a half tree steeplechase saddle and she’s finally moving well again and jumping well also. She actually enjoys flat work and can lift her back, which I’d given up on.
Her chiropractor suggested an Amerigo CC for her back and I have one to try but at this point am loath to spend another nickel on a saddle when the little half tree works so well.
I haven’t pursued the Stackhouse saddle issue because about a month after getting the saddle my mare got lyme very badly and had the whole year off so I didn’t mess her back up with it until this past spring. Besides, it fits another mare well and I did use it with her. I had a saddle for the other mare which I sold when I started using the Stackhouse on her.
So the moral of the story is, regardless of reputation mistakes are made. If a saddlemaker says he’s going to show up with trees to fit your horse and you pay him to do that don’t stand there politely and not mention it like I did. I paid him to come prepared and he didn’t and then I was too meek to face him with it. And in the end the horse suffered for it.
Jumping in way late here!
As a recent convert from hunterland, I had always ridden in my beloved Childeric saddle…Until my horse went dead lame from it. After much treatment and moolah spent, I was saddle-less and searching on a miniscule budget of 1k. I must have ridden in about 100 saddles and hated them all, plus most didn’t fit my TB. In frustration, I called a new fitter (who came highly recommended by my trainer) to see what she could do. She wound up putting me in contact with a saddle maker who could re-make the panels and flock them with wool - this guy also did some warranty work for Childeric as well.
Saddle came back a few weeks later, and fit like a glove. I couldn’t even tell the panels weren’t the originals (well, they were kinda orangey at first :lol:) Now I have the option to have the saddle re-flocked as my guy changes shape, and if/when I get another horse.
It cost me about $800, but IMO was TOTALLY worth it. Please feel free to PM me if you have any additional questions 
I got to ride in some Devoucouxs several years ago when I was a working student for a trainer who was sponsored by them. I really didn’t get what all the fuss was about with them. While they were very comfortable to ride in for me, they didn’t fit the horses they were intended for. Their backs were SO sore. It was ridiculous. Not at all impressed by the Devocoux rep when he came out. More interested in schmoozing with the trainer than looking at saddle fit. Which, since they are foam paneled, made any adjustment a moot point anyway (without doing a serious makover to the saddles).
In talking about saddle brands with my saddle fitter, they have come up. He despises them. They are not made for horses.
On the flip side, I got to try an Albion jumping saddle this summer - the Kontrol I believe. WOW WOW WOW WOW. Fit the horse beautifully and me as well. Have always heard good things about Albions.
love chiberta on one horse. it’s perfect monoflap.
love county with custom extra, extra forward flap on other.
It all depends on rider, horse and moment in time. well worth the money for both of the saddles. well worth the custom and later re-flocking/re-panelling.
both horses are now willing to lift in their backs and no longer have major sore backs with the accompanying short/shuffle stride. I will agree, saddles go in fads and the dollars charged go accordingly. A saddle is only as good as it works for you.
I had a friend say “OMG, you have to try my Devocoux, it’s the best saddle ever <squeee>” when she discovered I was now looking for a jumping saddle after ending the Great Saddle Search with a new (to me) County Competitor.
I don’t know why I agreed, because even used the saddle is seriously out of my price range but I did. Ha, well I didn’t even get to tighten the girth on the darn thing much less ride in it, because my Pea Princess was seriously unhappy the minute it was put on her back. She is normally not a badly behaved horse, but her she was trying to kick the darn thing off her back in the cross ties :eek:
So, in the opinion of Lola (and yes what ever she wants, she gets 
) Devocoux saddles are not all they are cracked up to be
For what its worth-
I have an ancient Devoucoux Biarritz, (with two flaps) and I love it. It fits all the horses I put it on and it’s also one of the few saddles I have sat in and immediately loved. It’s around 13 years old, and it was used when I got it (5 or 6 years ago), but it looks great (although I clean it every day). It has a medium tree and wasn’t fitted for any horse in particular, so I think that’s part of the reason it fits so many horses so well. Anyway, I love my Devoucoux and will be saving pennies for another one! I think someone said something along the lines of “I’d rather trade my horse than my Devoucoux”, and I would have to agree
