I was excited to finally receive my new Harmonie saddle…until I sat in it. It feels nothing at all like the one I rode in my trial. The sales rep is telling me the saddle needs to be broken in and slathered with grease - even to hit the seat with a rubber mallet. The knee blocks which I loved, are like instruments of torture digging into my upper leg. Can anyone share any of their experiences with a brand new Harmonie? For the price I am more than a little freaked out that I have been sold a pig in a poke.
Is it the same model/measurements/sizes/angles/all the specs than the one you had on trial?
The rep is right about the « breaking » time but maybe not that much. They do need a lot of oiling/conditioning.
Beware that your horse don’t get sore too.
Ugghhh I DO NOT want to hear this… I just ordered one…
I say ride in it, oil the crap out of it… and if it doesn’t feel good your rep can prob sell for full amount as they are hot right now. Or maybe swap out for the demo??
Im freaking out now!! Damn
This is a question to ask before ordering. If I’m not mistaken, they have a restocking fee.
I am aware of the restocking fee… almost all companies require that.
But the saddle is so hot and most people that I know want one right away so prob can sell for full price. There were quite a few demos being used at nationals and those poeple were all waiting for their saddles to come in. The booth was always busy when I went by. I know four people who have ordered one, including myself.
Just saying with the cost as high as this, I’ve been freaking out for the reason the OP says above. I’m also aware that all/most high end saddles are made by hand and no two are alike. As long as my horse doesn’t care I will suck it up as he loved the saddle! But I’m still choking over cost and praying it works.
Thanks for the responses. The saddle I received is the “new” model which is slightly different from the one I tried in terms of leather trim (which appears to be more of a “look” thing). The panels on the one I got are perfect fit on my horse and he seems to love it. The one I tried was not perfect fit for him. There is very little choice involved with Harmonie in terms of “angles” you have zero say about the knee blocks, for example. He is bringing back the demo for me to ride in, so we can do a comparison. He has offered to give me that saddle if it seems to be the answer. Be aware that the Harmonie is NOT RETURNABLE at all. Re-stocking fee is NOT an option. So, if it doesn’t work out I also feel confident that I can sell it in a heartbeat based on the popularity as you pointed out. Its just a bit of a downer for a. the price (OMG) and b. because I got it to help my horse’s back which It does seem to do…bummer if I can’t ride in it! The rep seems very committed to getting it all to work out including sending another one with slight modifications from France so, to be continued. Almost $9,000 with tax. UGH
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Sometimes, it does take some time to adapt to a new saddle, especially one like that if you are not used to the shape of it (block, deepness and all). It took me a few weeks before « understanding » my Hennig despite it being fully custom. At first, my abs were killing me!!! I didn’t understood what was going on at first… but now, it just fits like a glove and it changed my position into something so much more efficient! So… try it first and maybe adjust your stirrups to a longer lenght? or ride without them and find « your position » in it sitting and then rising. Getting that long draping leg isn’t easy. 
Oh dear. Waiting for mine to arrive as well. Fingers crossed it feels like the demo
Are you sure you were sold the correct size? I just participated in a saddle fitting for the rider clinic and was surprised to find I was in a full 1" too small for my leg.
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I don’t have the Harmonie, but the Makila. It’s about 5 years old. I am 5’6" and average overall build. I ride in a 17" French jump saddle and usually a 17.5" dressage saddle, but Devoucoux runs small, so my Makila is an 18. It felt like a lovely leather sofa the day I got it and several riders at my barn bought it and all love them. No one said they needed it to be broken in or oiled to death as it is already soft calfskin. If it doesn’t feel like the saddle you tried during your fitting, I’d say something doesn’t sound right.
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I love the way the Harmonie flexes to fit a variety of horses, and the four horses I’ve ridden in it all seem to really like it. I also love the very close contact feel and the shock absorption. The stirrup bar placement is furtget back and works better for me than the Makila S. I don’t love the price but the bigger issue for me is that they only offer one twist and seat option, and it’s a little too wide for me, especially on my wider mare. I have very narrow hips though and currently ride in a custom Albion SLK with the narrow seat option.
I’m sorry - I have nothing to add about your saddle because I am not familiar with them. But I will tell you now: “…slathered with grease - even to hit the seat with a rubber mallet.” on a brand new, custom saddle that likely cost you an arm and a leg - is horrifying to me!
Really - there are tons of brands of really good, custom fitted, saddles out there that feel (as a custom saddle should) like you’ve been riding in them for years, from day one! Any saddle maker that told me I have to oil the crap out if it (the seat?!?!) and pound it with a freakin’ hammer would be driven from my barn. What a load of snake oil.
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Having worked at a saddlery I can tell you, some saddles are made on a Friday and that day seems to produce more problematic saddles than any other 
However, often a simple adjustment such as narrowing the gullet a little can change the angles enough to turn hell into heaven.See what the fitter can do before worrying too much.Good luck.
This is where I think your problem is. My guess is that since the demo didn’t fit your horse well, the balance was probably not right, and this changed the way that you perceived the angles when you rode in it. For example, if the demo was a little low in the back, the whole saddle would be off balance causing the flap to swing more forward than it actually is. This would make the blocks less imposing by changing the way that your thigh fit into them. Are you following me? Even a fraction of an inch in placement can have an enormous impact when we are taking about angles and geometry. And no amount of oil/grease/unicorn tears can change the way those blocks feel if you hate them so much that you felt compelled to post about it here.
Also, why would you entertain the idea of trading the saddle that you have for the demo if the demo doesn’t fit your horse well? If Devoucoux redesigned the saddle on you, (which I doubt they actually did, because why redesign a brand spanking new saddle model so soon? Redesigns are expensive) they should make it right. They should take the saddle back if you don’t like it because they gave you a saddle that is different from the one that you intended to buy.
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Just wanted to give an update after a few months with my new harmonie saddle. I love it! My horses love it. I’m still scratching my head over how 8 out of 10 horses in my barn I can ride in the same saddle and they are all happy in it… still feels like a trick and I’m waiting for the punch line of a joke to be delivered.
I’m so used to riding in well fitted and professionally adjusted saddles for each horse and having the saddle worked on every 6 months. I usually need to buy a new one about once a year as my horses change so this is indeed got me scratching my head.
Literally have a varied amounts of different horses, like draft cross, warmblood, German riding pony, Conamara pony, quarter horse, TB, and they go super in it with better backs. (Had our Physio check not just me!)
It does need to be well oiled out of the box. And then just ride in it a ton. The foam is what needs to relax a bit and conform. I think if it was warm out and not still yucky winter, it would feel better!
I will update again after living with it about a year or so if this indeed a game changer for me and the horses. Right now seems to good to be true but I’m going to roll with it while I can. Between easier tacking up sessions, saddle is under 5lbs and due to balance point being good for me, I just hurt less at the end of the day and the horses are all going better!
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Update from Original Poster - The Devoucoux rep took the saddle back and had it ridden in and oiled. When it came back to me it felt a lot better. I have kept up with the oiling and riding, riding, riding and…I am very happy with it. My horse’s back is MUCH healthier (knock wood) , with less frequent chiropractic adjustments needed. He is far more willing to stretch down, much further than ever in his wool flocked saddle. I have an even better feeling riding than I had in the demo saddle and I can see how the foam is giving and molding into my horse’s own shape. I will add that he appears to have some improved muscling over his back after about 5 months of steady use. Thanks everyone for your comments.
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how is the Harmonie different than a traditional saddle?
and, how can it fit an entire barnful of horses?
Giving this tread a bump as I’ve been riding in the harmonie for about a year now and I said I would update.
To be 100% truthful I still don’t get why it is working out so well. Usually the horses change and the saddles need adjusting or a new one as they put on more muscle moving along in their training.
I have about four of the harmonie saddles in my barn and ride most of the client horses in mine. All their backs are doing fabulously and all going really well. I’m happier in my own body and with a recent shoulder injury super thrilled to only be lifting a 5lb saddle up on 8 horses a day.
Ironically the horse I bought it for is one of two that just hate it! Hahaha so he has a different saddle. (Full disclosure he does have a very quirky back and finding anything he likes is tricky) the other is a kissing spine pony that also doesn’t enjoy the saddle.
I will also put out there that for me I really love this on the young horses; hands down no question. On the FEI horses I have found that I wish I could move a bit more; room to move or adjust my position. although the newer 2018 block does allow that, our saddles are the older bigger 2017 blocks.
If if I had piles of money (hahaha) I would have one of new (smaller block) for upper levels horses and old block (bigger block) for baby horses. This could just be my personal preference but since I wanted to update on this saddle for others I wanted to be as honest as possible.
I do have one client who has her own farm and about 5 horses; she bought the Harmonie for her dressage horse. Since getting the saddle she has ridden all her other horses (draft to pony) in it and has since decided to sell her other saddles.
If there is interest I’m happy to update again in 6 months to a year… these are a large investment and I feel that personal experience from someone who is not a sponsored rider or getting anything from the company is valuable.
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Thank you for your update and yes please update each 6 months.
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I saw one for the first time. I assume it is the newest model as it was just ordered. The rider sits wayyyyyy back about an inch the back of the cantle with no room to move, almost is in a chair seat. Is this normal? Those blocks are huge! It seems to push her back. Now since this saddle was “professionally fitted” by a Devoucoux sales person, I would think that this is the optimum fit for horse and rider.
