Anyone hunt in a Wintec saddle? I love them. I was wondering if they were o.k. to go hunting in.
Tx.
We have a draft cross that hunts in a brown Wintec Wide all purpose saddle. It really doesn’t look different.
Do you think it would be more slippery in hunt field, is more of what I’m wondering? I know they are fine in the ring but can you do uneven terrain with one.
Tx.
OUr 3 hunters have one each - we have the Wintec 2000 models which have equisuede on the seat and knee area. Partner is a huntsman, so our’s get plenty of use! We love them, and there’s the extra bonus of not having to worry about them getting wet cos they dry so fast, and they’re much easier to clean! Both of us much prefer hunting in them to leather saddles.
I was invited to go hunting and used my Wintec 2000. I was sure glad I did as it misted/rained the entire time. My Pessoa would have been ruined. I did not receive any funny looks.
I’ve hunted for years in them. I doubt that anyone notices - I used the tan flat seat jump saddles. Don’t notice they are any more or less slippery than a leather saddle - but then I go 2* XC in it too.
If I’m really worried, I use the spray made for raquet players to give extra grip.
Much, much easier to look after than leather saddles.
I doubt anyone would think twice about it. I love my wintec although I do have a Barnsby for Hunting. I go on hunt trail rides with the Wintec. You never know when you are going to want to take a tour of the swimming hole on horseback.
Ditto Otterhound’s post. We started hunting in the Wintec 2000 years ago and the previous models before that. They are actually less slippery IMO than leather. I sold my Stubben and Crosby and outfitted four hunt horses in Wintec saddles. I love the gullett system because the horses change with fitness as the season progesses. They are wonderful to clean off and you don’t mind if they get rained on. I actually had to dry one in the house for three days one November because it rained so much while we hunted it was saturated! Wouldn’t have wanted to have that situation with a leather saddle. Our huntsman and two whippers-in also own Wintecs.
Great. Thanks all. I don’t really care about how it “looks” just wondering if they were slippery when doing hills or when wet. I used to have a Wintec dressage - loved it.
Winecs are a great invention.
I’ve about made up my mind to replace (or complement) my Stuebben Wotan with a Wintec and was trying to figure out exactly which of the current models is the right one to get. If it would be tolerated in the hunt field, great, but my main interest is in having a saddle that’s easy to care for, fits a variety of horses, and is good for flat work and relatively low-level, occasional jumping.
Anyway, I need one of the models that comes in brown and probably one that’s offered in 18". My Wotan is a 19"; I hear Wintecs are sized an inch smaller than they really run, but in any case, depending on how high the cantle is/how flat the seat is, I might not require the equivalent of a 19".
Any tips? Which one of these Wintecs is the right one? Any opinions on CAIR vs. flocked?
Wilfred:
Supposedly CAIR can make you horse sore in the back, makes a bouncy ride for the rider and can deflate. Few people seem to like CAIR.
I was just speaking with a WINTEC dealer and she advised me to get the same size as my current, slightly deep close contact saddle - as for sizing.
Wintec Pro 2000 AP seems to be the one the hunting folks get. It’s so pretty in brown, too.
I’m saving for one.
sonoma
Thanks, sonomacounty, but which are you talking about, the Pro or the 2000? I don’t think they’re the same. MapleMeadows refers to the 2000, but it looks to me like that model might only come in CAIR.
I sometimes hunt in my Wintec Pro Jump. It has the most forward flap of all the models which works best for my leg. It has a fairly flat seat.
I love it for the rain and like it enough to hunt in it some of the rest of the time, too. This version has equisuede so it’s not at all slippery.
OOps, sorry Wil. Seems you can’t be a Pro and 2000 at the same time.
Here you go, flocked, not CAIR, Wintec Pro All-Purpose Saddle with Flocked Panels:
At Adams Saddlery right now, you can get it at the price with a gullet kit or fittings thrown in:
You can pick them up on eBay for short $$. I paid $310 for my Wintec Pro Jump and another $10 for another gullet. You just need to be patient.
We have Cair in ours and wouldn’t go back to flock. Definitely do NOT make for a bouncy ride! The original Cair panels did have a couple of flaws and there were a few sore backs because of them, but those problems have been well and truly ironed out by now. The also have a lifetime guarantee on the panels, so if one did deflate, it’s covered. Wintecs are very common here, with Cair panels, and I’ve never heard anyone have one deflate. They also provide a much smoother, more even contact with the horse than flock.
CAIR and sore backs
My theory on the CAIR panels and sore backs (which I have never had in years of using Wintecs, but many claim they do have). There are four CAIR pockets, one in front and one in back, on each side. There is a place in about the middle of the panel (front to back) where the two pockets meet.
If you have a curvey backed horse, the CAIR pockets will tend to push the air from the ends of the panel toward the middle. The spot where the two pockets join will make a slight bridge, and your horse will never feel it. If you have a very flat-backed horse, or one with very flat muscling, the pockets will distribute evenly, or perhaps the air will move more toward the ends of the panels, and it’s possible that there will be a bit of a thickness at the point where the pockets join. Flat backed, flat muscled horses tend to have more sensitive backs, with less fluff and muscle between them and the saddle, so it tends to be a bigger issue. This, of course, can be solved with attention to overall fit and suitable padding.
Some horses really do like the CAIR panels, so I wouldn’t chalk that off out of hand. The Wintec people seem to pay attention and keep improving their products, so I wouldn’t let history keep you from giving them a try.
JMHO
The most attractive synthetic product out there seems to be Tekna, but I suspect that fitting-through-heating process could be inconvenient to fiddle with.
Otterhound or anyone:
So, have the CAIRs have their issues worked out for a long time? Meaning - if I find a used one - how old can it safely be?
OK, I’d try it. I was just repeating back some of what I’ve heard but since you all do a lot of Wintecs over there, you must know (Monster Pony, too).
Thanks,
sonoma
