It looks like Dressage Connections has developed their own knock-off of a Hennig. There are a few styles, but I have no idea if they are any good or if they have all of the same features. I bought both of mine used. One came from Dressage Connections and I recently got one from a shop in Ocala.
In that budget, I’d also consider Stackhouse. They are truly custom and are works of art. I had a custom, fitted County and my horse hated it. I didn’t realize how unstable I felt in it until we had our Stackhouse saddle. They don’t sponsor riders, and are a small brand, so they are less common, but I have several of their saddles (both dressage and jump) and my horses and I love them. David and Leslie are a joy to work with too.
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We have a very popular tack store here that is a Passier rep and has a huge inventory of new and used. They will last forever but I have never sat in a model that I found comfortable.
I’ve heard that too, but personally have had nothing but superb service from them.
That last point is really important for any brand / use a real saddle fitter, not just a rep for the brand.
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As a saddle fitter, pick your saddle fitter not the brand. They will make or break your experience.
I sell everything from the $800 to the $7000 new saddles plus used. I have heard about every type of comment from good to bad on the same saddle based on riders preferences.
Also try to fine someone like me that has different brands and types of saddles for you to sit in. It is not unusual for me to pull out 3 to 5 different brands of saddles during a demo appointment based on feedback from the riders/horse.
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REALLY? I thought they stopped because it’s not on their website any more. I bought my original Hennig from Charlie. I am now very happy. Only saddle I’ve ever ridden in that totally disappears when I ride (i.e. I don’t think about it). Also only saddle I’ve ever ridden in that can truly give you a narrow twist on an xxw tree.
If I were to spend that much, probably a Shleese. a Hennig or maybe a Custom. I’ve ridden horses with custom fitted said brands to the horses and it was reliably great for the horse and me. Each sadldle felt different to me and I liked them for different reasons.
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Christian Lowe hasn’t been with Paramount for quite a few years now. Depending on your year of your saddle, it might make a difference. He was the original saddler on these ones The people who purchased Paramount I wouldn’t say are of the same quality.
I am personally a big fan of Prestige. For the cost of the saddles, you can customize at no extra cost. They are excellent quality, I am going on 5 years, and they still look brand spankin’ new. Plus they are wool flocked. They are a mid range price bracket.
I’ve heard horror stories of CWD, as someone posted above I would avoid foam panels. Antares is more about the fit of the rider and they don’t care much about the fit of the horse. Lovely saddles, but not what I’m looking for when fitting my horse.
I’ve never heard anything bad about Albion or County. Equipe has some excellent saddles as well.
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FYI, the wool used in Prestige isn’t the white (or even brown) fluffy virgin stuff you see in most saddles. There are some YouTube videos showing some of their panels cut open. But you can feel the difference from the outside as well.
Otherwise, OP, I can’t think of an English custom saddler that I would trust to make me a saddle for $7K. What I mean is that that is a helluva lot of money and chances are that you will not be able to sit in exactly the combination of tree, block at seat options that you’ll get. I think most people spending that amount of money want a really precise or unique combination of features. To have a saddle fitter say “Trust me” (but have nothing in writing that would have all my money returned if the imagined saddle doesn’t work) is too high-risk for me.
That said, I would buy an expensive saddle that I had been given a chance to ride in for a bit. In this respect, I think Custom Saddlery does a pretty good job. They seem to have a generous trial policy which goes some of the way toward helping the customer have confidence in the saddle she chooses.
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I have County, love them. But, I have a very, very good rep too. She has been amazing to work with. My mare takes a Narrow, or NM at best. Try to find that in today’s market of XW!!
Anyway I got lucky she found a demo for me. The day she came out for saddle fitting, she brought every single thing County would send her (different models, not just what she thought would fit) plus her own personal saddles. I think I rode in 5 different saddles that night. Plus the ones she put on my mare just to check the fit of panels or what-have-you.
On top of this, she also helped me fit my Wintec to this mare, as best we could, back when I first got her. She has also helped others at my barn with fit and reflocking on their ‘non County’ saddles.
So just because somebody reps for a brand, doesn’t mean they won’t help you out on others, if they can.
I trialed an N2, I liked it but wow it had a wide twist. Second ride it rubbed me raw, so I returned it. I trialed a Hennig, didn’t fit so I didn’t sit in it. Oh and the WOW saddles, a friend had one but said it was like riding in a diaper. She hated it.
Haven’t ridden in a Stubben in years, but had their been a rep in this area I would’ve trialed, as I used to like them.
FWIW, I have the Ephiphany, and an older Perfection.
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Would also suggest checking out Stackhouse, Lesley spent a lot of time on the phone with me and looking at my photos, and helped me find a used jump saddle and it’s quite nice. My horse really likes it. The panel is soft and cushioned. If I had 7k, I would order a custom dressage saddle from them.
My dressage saddle is a Hennig, I also like that saddle. The leather is more a durable type and I would prefer something stickier. My trainer’s Hennigs seem to have softer leather than mine.
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When I was looking at Countys long ago, they said they would guarantee the fit for horse but not rider. I needed a straighter flap than was standard and the rep wanted to just draw what the saddlemaker would cut. I asked how I’d know that that would work since it was all my money. She said, “You trust your fitter.” Those guys have no financial stake in getting that right. That seems too high-risk to me and not quite fair, so I walked.
I don’t know if this is still true, but I mention it so that anyone considering County knows to ask about how fit for horse and rider will be assured.
Yup. I tried to buy a used one and called Stackhouse to see if the panels could be changed to make it fit better. I spoke with David himself and he was helpful… and also not a fan of the strategy. It sounded like he starts the custom process by putting a naked tree on your horse’s naked back. He’d take measurements of the rider, too. The only other (English) saddle maker I have heard of doing this is Paul Selvey/Superior saddlery in SoCal.
Both of those guys think that the tree has to fit and that panels make minimal differences. I think they are right. I think other saddle makers find the process of fitting a saddle from the tree up too expensive a process, so they bring a truck full of fully-made demos, widen or narrow the heads of their trees, make some degree of adjustments with flocking and hope the fit is good enough to close the sale.
I wouldn’t spend $7K on an English saddle. But if I were going to do that, I’d do it the way western folks do and have the saddle maker start from the tree.
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@sheltona01 mind if I ask, if you were fitting a horse with a high wither, huge sloping shoulders and deep shoulder holes, what brands would you bring?
Is that Bahr Saddlery? I’ve seen their inventory online.
I find my Passiers super comfortable but it’s true that no every saddle fits every person, just like no saddl fits every horse. I had my Passier Optimum dressage saddle on a horse camping trip last weekend, including a 4 and a half hour ride in rolling hills with some steep bits. I was a bit stiff after 
but I think I’d be stiff at that distance even in a Western saddle!
It’s nice when you find the saddle brand that generally suits both you and your horse, but yes those are going to vary a lot between individuals!
My trainer has the Equipe Viktoria and I fell in love with it the moment I sat in it. The balance of their saddles is really incredible and my horse loves their carbon fiber tree. We also ride him in the EVO when jumping and I just can’t say enough good things about their carbon fiber line. I’ve been riding in Voltaire, which I absolutely LOVED, that is, until I sat in the Equipe. I feel like the contact is just better w/the Equipe. The saddles are a little less “posh” than Voltaire and feels a little harder in the seat (you won’t squish into the seat), but I prefer that contact.
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I second (third?) a Patrick saddle. He has so many different trees that he can choose from, I’m pretty sure he could fit any horse. Plus the way the trees are crafted you can have that narrow twist feel on a xx-wide horse. And the artistry and craftsmanship blows my mind.
I’ve seen everyone from the professionals to trail riders buy this saddle - because it’s a great saddle.
I have a custom Ryder and I spent less than 4K all in. And I do mean custom.
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Perhaps it helps that the main office is not to far from me but I have been pleased with the 2 reps I have dealt with over the years, Sandy Paneck and Anne Mary BentenhousenI havent ridden much in the last few years so have not dealt with the new one.
I have a Custom Saddlery Icon Flight I absolutely love. It really depends on your rep, though, I hear, and I bought used.
if I was going full custom for me and my horse I would absolutely go Stackhouse.
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