I dunno about synthetic billets. The reason I still use leather bridles is because when the shit hits the fan, the leather (hopefully) breaks before the horse.
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I agree! That would be a major concern.
I think its synthetic products that are ruining the earth. What happens to saddles no one wants anymore that can’t be sold? I would guess they are thrown in the trash. Leather saddles will break down in time. I don’t think any synthetic ones will. Not to mention the chemicals used to make a synthetic saddle. We need less plastic in this world not more of it…
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I’m a vegetarian, so I’ve thought about the whole synthetic vs leather thing. Ultimately I decided to go with leather since it’s essentially a byproduct of the meat industry and will be there anyway. I think it’s worse to let it go to waste. I also tried a synthetic bridle and it was like it was made of plastic. I had a synthetic saddle and I don’t think they wear well, so they probably need to be replaced more often. I’d be willing to bet most synthetic products are petroleum (fossil fuel) based, which is not all that great in terms of sustainability, etc.
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I did not intend for this to turn into an ethical or moral discussion on motivations for being vegan. And appreciate peoples concern for items that could potential end up in a land fill. I’d be happy to discuss any motivation, struggles, nutrition, recipes, or other environmental issues in PMs; but would like to keep this to the topic.
I was just thinking it would be more of an option that saddle manufactures could offer for, the type of material the saddle was made from such as now, calf, buffalo etc. I sent an e-mail to CWD so will see what they get back to me with.
Tekna products are very nice, though I use leather tack. It’s the closet to leather that I have seen.
Yes, it’s more of an issue how the synthetics are made and the fact they don’t break down. Course, I eat meat too.
My guess is that the synthetics available are different enough in their properties that simply swapping one material out for another with the same pattern isn’t going to be necessarily a successful saddle. I also suspect that the tools and skills required for assembling those synthetic materials don’t necessarily transfer directly.
The way that leather can stretch and relax and drape over time while still keeping its original strength is pretty key to how a great saddle works. None of the synthetics in use match that quality yet… maybe if you could afford to mold and pour the pieces instead of working from sheet material, but again, that is a wholly different process. I suspect the leather-in-a-vat from the GMO yeasts probably will be able to match those qualities, and possibly could be really tuned to make better saddles some day.
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Wintecs are nice saddles now, OP. As long as you aren’t planning on showing in the A circuit hunters competitively you should be fine with that.
There are still bespoke saddlers out there that will make you a saddle to your specifications and they will make them with synthetic leather. However you will probably pay around 2k-6k for that.
If I were going to buy a synthetic jumping saddle, I would buy a Thorowgood. I’ve never cared for any of the wintec jumping saddles that I’ve ridden in and the material on the outside of the saddle was only a small fraction of the problem. I didn’t like how the saddles fit my horse and I didn’t like the feel of the seat.
That said, the Thorowgood never felt quite as good for me to ride in either (as compared to a high end French saddle), but I much preferred it over the Wintec.
Tekna also makes decent synthetic products, but I’ve never ridden in one of their saddles.
This was a well-used saddle. For the record, I hate squeaky leather saddles as well 
Here’s a high end saddle company that’s looking into possibilities for making vegan saddles. They’re more known for their dressage saddles but they do have CC saddles too:
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One of the key points from the Schleese website:
"These materials are notoriously durable and NON-biodegradable – which means they’re going to be around for a very long time. At least leather will succumb to its origins over time, and return to the environment. So you have two sides of the coin and need to make a decision. "
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Thanks Vagabondrider!
I contacted Schleese and asked if they could keep me posted if they come out with a saddle made out of that pineapple, ‘leather’
Also, many of these synthetic materials like neoprene are produced from hydrocarbons derived from petrochemicals, so their carbon footprint is significant.
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Yes!! That is true!!
I think the reason synthetic saddle options aren’t more plentiful is that the materials aren’t yet developed. That isn’t to say that companies aren’t working on it. Harry Dabbs has been working on a leather substitute made from bamboo (IIRC) and have used it on belts, bags, and shoes with good results. They recently released a synthetic saddle (I’m not sure if it’s made from the same stuff, but it’s the nicest feeling synthetic saddle I’ve seen) but only in a GP model, only in black, and only in one particular tree (suited for TB types).
People don’t want to spend as much money on synthetic saddles as on leather, which I understand, but the research and development of materials is expensive and saddle shops are mostly small businesses so it’s slow going.
Question for vegans: is it OK if the panels are filled with wool flocking?
It would be interesting to see what vegans have to say about wool.
I wouldn’t think it would be a huge problem because some sheep shed their fleece naturally each year. Others are raised primarily for their wool and are not used for meat. Others are raised primarily for meat and the wool is a by product.
For sheep that don’t naturally shed their wool, it can be important to shear them so that they don’t get heat stress (depends on the location and weather). There should therefore be some options that would satisfy the more hard core vegans.
For some vegans, ANY animal product, no matter how sourced would be a problem
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