I just ordered a new saddle from a “brand rep” saddle fitter! (dressage) I had been working with an independent saddle fitter. This gave me information and narrowed the field. While she also repped a couple of brands, she didn’t have an inventory of a lot of saddles. So I wasn’t able to try a lot. I did got to Pelham and brought some used saddles back to try, but nothing worked for both of us.
Finally the brand rep (who my instructor uses) was able to come. She arrived in a van with racks of saddles! Fortunately, my horse is very expressive about what doesn’t work for him. Eventually we found a model we both liked. I was impressed that the fitter would sell me the demo or a used saddle that she had to save me money. But I decided to splash out and get the features I really wanted!
Just here to say isn’t it crazy how something like a twist or saddle depth can completely change your ride and your ability in the saddle? So glad you found something you liked.
Saddles are so personal. Don’t let anyone discourage you if you’re happy with what you’re doing. Every brand/brand rep - even independents - have horror stories. Doesn’t mean they are all bad. I know plenty of people that love their Prestiges!
Yessss!! My previous lease horse needed me to ride him differently than my current horse, so I chose a saddle based on how it enabled me to do that. However, I always had a problem with turning my toe out which led to my thigh + knee being disconnected from the horse over fences. In the demo saddle, I’ve got more to grip on to with my upper thigh but still great contact with my lower leg.
I’m not to deterred based on the comments I’ve been seeing, but I am just genuinely curious what people are experiencing with their saddles that is outside of normal wear and tear. “I know people who are unhappy/I was unhappy with my Prestige” doesn’t tell me too much - I would like to know why if possible.
I don’t necessarily have a problem trying other saddle brands, but it’s Prestige’s ease of adjustability that I’m drawn to and I think I’ve found something I like that they offer. “Selling because it no longer fits my horse” is something I see often with all the major French brands. We have new technology to combat this issue - why not use it if it doesn’t affect the integrity of the saddle?
I just want to call this out - because it’s a point the reps like to over-inflate or over-sell. No saddle can be adjusted to fit EVERY horse and the Prestige is like any “adjustable” saddle (unless they’ve come out with some insane new tech that I’m not aware of), meaning you can simply widen the points of the tree but it does not change the shape of the tree otherwise. Obviously you can do little tweaks with flocking if it’s wool, but you cannot take an A frame saddle with a ton of curve and make it fit at low wither tank that’s as flat as a couch. Or vice versa.
Even the trees that are adjusted in a tree press aren’t that much different than the Pessoa or Wintecs with changeable gullet plates, as far as the variety of backs they can fit.
I just want to point this out since it’s the #1 misconception is see touted by fitters (not just Prestige, but really any ‘adjustable’ brand) and laypeople alike. “Doesn’t fit my new horse” is often because somehow we manage to always buy something that’s the exact opposite build of the previous one. I’d be more inclined to steer clear of the brands you see for sale all the time almost new, with the “doesn’t fit my horse aka the horse it was ordered for” description.
That said, buying something with some adjustability built in when you’re leasing or have a growing horse is a great idea. Just keep the limitations of the technology in mind, and enjoy your new saddle!
This is exactly the information I’m looking for!! Thank you for your detailed description.
I guess I should rephrase and say that I like the adaptability of the panels? My horse is at the point where his musculature is going to change more than his body/bone structure/shape (and he already has a reasonable top line). Is it safe to assume that a 4-year-old TB will most likely not require a massively different sized and shaped tree?
With foam panels, there’s the waiting period and expense of sending the saddle away to be re-paneled. That’s what has me shying away from the other major French brands (and have ridden in and liked their saddles!)
Maybe? Sample size of 1 but my horse went from a MN pretty A frame style saddle at age 3-4 to an XW-XXW open headed, BROAD back, not-quite-a-hoop-but-close saddle at 8-9. And now at 11, he’s stayed there.
This couldn’t be more true. I’ve struggled so much finding a true independent fitter here in Texas. So many names who have been recommended are still shilling some brand of sort. In fact, off the top of my head, I can think of only one truly independent fitter here in central Texas. Every other one who had been recommended to me as independent came out with a trunk full of some middle-level brand for us poor schmucks who can’t cough up the cash for a custom saddle.
I also prefer wool to foam but Prestige hasn’t cornered the market on wool flocking, just FYI. Most of the British brands are wool and a French brand or two can/will do it on request.
I have been down saddle rabbit hole hell for about 5 years. Maybe more? I’ve bought Antares, Beval, CWD, Loxley and Stubben. I’ve used an independent fitter that is certified by the British Society of Master Saddlers as well as about 5 other reps that were associated with a variety of brands. I have a warmblood and a thoroughbred, both I’ve owned since they were babies (6 months and exactly 3 years). Both have had soundness issues that were exacerbated if not caused by poor tack fit (one is 11 and the other 9 now).
Based on experience and research now I won’t buy another foam flocked saddle. I won’t buy point billets (most of the French brands have point billets) unless I have a fat pony with no withers (which it turns out I might; 3yo Chincoteague Pony). And I want long tree points and a tree that fits my horse, and VERY few brands use long tree points because it makes the saddle far less “adjustable”. If a brand makes one or two tree size, that tells me they don’t care that much about fitting the horse. NO tree can fit a shark finned thoroughbred and a flabby warmblood hunter. Both of my horses are now in wool flocked saddles with long tree points and no point billets and both my veterinarian and bodyworker have commented how great their backs look and feel. It has been a helluva journey.
I highly recommend the Noelle Floyd Equestrian Voices podcast episodes (I think they were in the fall of 2022) about saddle fitting. I have learned a TON from that fitter and the resources she recommends. And my husband thinks I’m opening a book store with books about saddle fitting. It is frustrating how difficult it is to find information about fitting saddles (and bits and bridles for that matter) that isn’t provided by someone trying to sell you a saddle. I just don’t believe that people with a vested interest in selling something can be truly objective.
There’s really no way to know. Buy the saddle that fits your horse now and cross that bridge if you come to it!
Another point to consider is that while wool is great for it’s adjustability, not all adjustments are created equal. You can easily introduce problems if the flocking isn’t done well. It’s definitely something to watch as you get to know your rep and see how your horse adjusts to the new saddle. If you’re ever not sure you can always get a different fitter out to take a look or make some tweaks, with wool you aren’t married to the brand reps in the way you would be with foam.
And just since there seems to be some general confusion on the thread - Prestige is actually an Italian brand, not French, even they feel a lot like French saddles
I have repaneled both a CWD and a Voltaire Palm Beach. Total nightmare with CWD, piece of cake with Voltaire. My recollection is it cost me around $650 to repanel my Voltaire, and I had my saddle back in less than 2 weeks. The way the panels are attached makes them easier to replace, and they make the new panels and ship them to the workshop in Florida, and then you only send your saddle once the panels are in and ready to be installed.
If you go with wool flocking, just make sure your area has someone readily available to do the periodic adjustments because it will pack down over time and need regular adjustments to keep the fit just right. A shimmable half pad can also be useful for minor adjustments that aren’t quite to the level of needing a repaneling, so long as the issue isn’t that your horse has filled out more and the saddle needs more room instead of a tiny bit of padding to level something out.
I think you are getting excellent advice here. As far as specific issues with Prestige, I believe their overall quality was lacking - they aged quickly, showed their age easily, leather did not remain soft or grippy, and, as someone pointed out, the flocking loses its loft. To me, it was the difference in leather quality and feel. But, like I said, saddles are very personal, and as long as you and your horse are happy, that’s what is important.
Yes, as said above, Prestige is Italian. And I believe they have wool and foam panel options (at least a friend of mine has one with foam panels with a shoulder relief fit because that is what the horse required and was not possible to make with the wool panel).
I also take adjustability with a grain of salt. At some point, you will reach the limit of what can be adjusted or re-adjusted.
I love my Prestige. I have had it since 2006. It is wearing just fine and looks great. The leather is soft where it should be, and pliable/flexible throughout.
I knew nothing about Prestige when I first tried it, after rejecting one Stubben & other make after another. I never want anything else but this saddle.
I chose the Prestige because it was the only trial saddle that my late horse, a fussy character, made a clear statement that he preferred. And I had been through a lot of trial saddles, for months, as they became available.
The lighter leather has darkened with age and conditioning. I like it in either the newer-paler or the older-darker shade.
Was this experience across multiple years and models or with one saddle? Handmade and natural-based (leather, wood, etc) items tend to all wear differently and I’ve heard of “bad batches” being a thing. Though Prestige should be able to recognize this - I know a lot of saddles can have warranties depending on the purchase terms. Would this sort of stuff happen within something like a 2 year warranty period?
Thank you for your feedback! My horse doesn’t seem to be overly finicky (he didn’t seem to like having a neoprene girth but that could just be in my head), but I do know that poor saddle fit in the long run could contribute to problems later on. That’s why I’m drawn to the wool flocking since it can be constantly updated and re-stuffed even after it compacts or after the horse’s musculature changes.
Prestige uses a synthetic wool flocking that they claim doesn’t pack down in the same way that traditional wool does. I was told mine could go 10+ years without needing to be completely reflocked, vs every year or so for normal wool, but I haven’t had my saddle long enough to get a feel for how true this is.
This doesn’t change the need to have someone knowledgeable on hand to make adjustments, especially with a horse whose back is changing a lot. When I bought my saddle part of the deal was free fittings and flocking/tree adjustments for the first year, but after that I’ll have to add it into my budget on a regular basis. Even throwing in the occasional repaneling foam is probably cheaper to maintain over time, but you lose some of the adjustability. I don’t think there’s a clear winner between the two, just comes down to personal preference and what works for your horse.
Do you happen to know how much it costs to have the wool re-done following the first year? I know Voltaire charges $650 to repanel their saddles and the turn around time is 2 weeks, which isn’t as bad as I thought.
Right now, my horse isn’t “hard to fit” per the Prestige rep I worked with - he maybe has a big shoulder, but big for a Thoroughbred, not big for a Warmblood.
Many of the Prestige/Renaissance saddles I sat in had different tree shapes and he didn’t really react one way or the other (but I could certainly tell the different construction in a few of them), which tempts me to want to branch out to a few other brands to try, even ones that aren’t adjustable and that use foam. But in the same breath, if I’m happy with the demo I have now, and it can be fitted to my horse easily, then would I just end up going down a rabbit hole and confusing myself?
I’d have to double check but I think my rep charges $150 per fitting and $300 to adjust the tree. I don’t know what it would cost to have the wool completely pulled out and replaced. Tree adjustments and a total reflocking have to be sent off but standard flocking adjustments can be handled at the farm.
It’s really up to you on whether you want to try a few other brands before making a decision. I think it’s generally a good idea since you never know what you or your horse might respond to until you try, but if you really like the saddle you’ve picked out and are ok with the price then there’s no harm in sticking with that. In my case I didn’t have a saddle to use on my new horse so I didn’t want to wait any longer, and I loved the saddle I ended up buying, but I did spend more than I was hoping to for the convenience.
It does give me pause that your horse didn’t react at all to different tree shapes. You may want to dig in on that a little more before making a decision, and a knowledgeable rep/fitter should be able to help with this. It also may become more clear once you get the demo saddle adjusted correctly and take it on trial. My horse is pretty stoic so I’ve had to really work to figure out what he does and doesn’t like but the results have been totally worth it. It can be hard because everything may look fine but you won’t even know there’s a way-better-than-fine in there until you try some things.
I envy people with horses who actually contribute to the saddle fit discussion, it sounds so nice in some ways
So I’m currently demoing the saddle with no modifications for my horse. Should I have asked the rep to make more modifications for him?
I’ve been riding him in a 2005 Butet with a sheepskin thinline half pad. He’s a greenie, and I think he’s finally starting to get “comfortable” enough to test the waters/do Green Horse Things, but what he could be doing could also be a response to pain. He didn’t really have a buck in him until recently, and he was in a similar work schedule before I purchased him. But, he has also put on weight/muscle, I think I’m riding him differently/more effectively as I’ve figured him out, and has started going to horse shows.
While I’m not new to horse ownership, all the new information that has come out in just the last 5 years alone about how we can best support our equine athletes is so overwhelming AND trying to fix issues can be a pretty pricey gamble sometimes!
