New Voltaire Design Saddle: Blue Wing.....thoughts?

[cswoodlandfairy]

So I love Voltaire saddles and they have been perfect for me an my horse. I noticed a huge difference in my horse between his Stubben and Voltaire, don’t get me wrong, I loved the Stubben, but it just wasn’t right for my horse and I.

Today they announce a new saddle they are making: Blue Wing. This saddle has been promoted by UC Davis for its neurological benefits for the horse.

It also has an app (first saddle ever) that can track the time spent in the saddle at each gait, change in rhythm, intensity of each ride and how many jumps were done.

So what are your thoughts? Useful? Noway?

http://voltairedesign.com/saddles/blue-wing-the-smart-saddle/?lang=en

[IPEsq]

If that’s the same SmartRide technology as the TC saddles use, then I generally like the tree shape and idea behind it. I’m skeptical about the direction of flex of the tree points when you have a rider in the saddle and considering the direction of movement of the scapula.

As for neurological benefits…I don’t understand. No saddle should be sitting on the spine. You need good gullet clearance and panels that distribute weight along the musculature of the back. How is this saddle any better for the neurological system than any other saddle with those qualities? There’s no description of the features that provide the benefit or the reasoning why.

[shadedingray]

You beat to posting about this! I just saw the information on the website, as I had to ask my rep about it this morning for more info. I think the concept is awesome, and it’s pushing the envelope in saddle design for sure. For all the technology we have available in this day and age, I feel that the saddle industry should be making leaps and bounds by now, but have been disappointed.

I love Voltaires and am waiting for my new custom saddle (Stuttgart, not the Blue Smart Saddle) to come in. The Blue Wing Saddle starts at $7,900, so this won’t be everyone’s choice, haha. They are also doing a program for the first 10 people that purchase. If you pay $15,000, you will get a new Blue saddle whenever you want for life. This morning there were only two more spots open in this program.

I’m skeptical as Voltaire is very hush, hush about the technology in their saddles. I think the Blue Wing has the most information presented about it on the website compared to their other saddle technology or even model-specific information. I can’t wait to see reviews from real people who have ridden in and used these saddles before making my judgements.

[cswoodlandfairy]

[QUOTE=shadedingray;8492546]
You beat to posting about this! I just saw the information on the website, as I had to ask my rep about it this morning for more info. I think the concept is awesome, and it’s pushing the envelope in saddle design for sure. For all the technology we have available in this day and age, I feel that the saddle industry should be making leaps and bounds by now, but have been disappointed.

I love Voltaires and am waiting for my new custom saddle (Stuttgart, not the Blue Smart Saddle) to come in. The Blue Wing Saddle starts at $7,900, so this won’t be everyone’s choice, haha. They are also doing a program for the first 10 people that purchase. If you pay $15,000, you will get a new Blue saddle whenever you want for life. This morning there were only two more spots open in this program.

I’m skeptical as Voltaire is very hush, hush about the technology in their saddles. I think the Blue Wing has the most information presented about it on the website compared to their other saddle technology or even model-specific information. I can’t wait to see reviews from real people who have ridden in and used these saddles before making my judgements.[/QUOTE]

Wow, see you knew more than me! The price point is a bit of a downside for sure. I just got one (Palm Beach) ordered in Dec so still “patiently” waiting haha… but I thought the design and concept was quite neat. I’m with you in curious to see what the reviews will be like!

[Denzel]

I think it will be really interesting! Probably out of reach for most, but a very cool concept! It will be curious how the data from the saddle would compare to the original Equisense data from the girth. I would love to do a trial with both on at the same time and compare data (sorry, researcher in me coming out!). I would also be interested to know how accessible the Equisense device is, should it stop working or need repair, and how one would keep it charged or if it needs batteries, and if it could be turned on/off to preserve battery life or if it just remains on all the time.

[shadedingray]

[QUOTE=cswoodlandfairy;8492551]
Wow, see you knew more than me! The price point is a bit of a downside for sure. I just got one (Palm Beach) ordered in Dec so still “patiently” waiting haha… but I thought the design and concept was quite neat. I’m with you in curious to see what the reviews will be like![/QUOTE]

Always happy to share info!

Congrats on your new saddle. I ordered mine in late November so we should get our saddles around the same time. This wait is absolutely killing me. They told me the approx. ship date would be February 22nd.

[fordtraktor]

It does appear to be the same SmartRide. And while I don’t have one of these, I do have a TC2 with SmartRide, and have found everything on Tad Coffin’s website about the horses’ moving freer through the back to be true. I love, love, love it and so do the horses.

I don’t know anything about “neurological benefit” though…“first do no harm” I guess is all I can say, and it seems to do that on the horses I have used it on, unlike most saddles which are somewhat restrictive of the horses’ natural movement in that they don’t flex with the movement. I have several other saddles, one custom fitted wool flocked and another that fits very well but my horses both move better in the TC.

I am sure it is not for every horse of course. No saddle is.

[cswoodlandfairy]

[QUOTE=shadedingray;8492562]
Always happy to share info!

Congrats on your new saddle. I ordered mine in late November so we should get our saddles around the same time. This wait is absolutely killing me. They told me the approx. ship date would be February 22nd.[/QUOTE]

Same to you! Mine is in March sometime. Longest 3 months ever!

[hunterrider23]

I can’t see myself wanting a new saddle because I really like my Antares, but I really really like the idea of the app, and think it would be VERY useful. It would be super awesome if they’d sell some sort of saddle pad or attachment accessory that let’s you use the app with a different saddle, especially since there’s no way I can afford that one just for the cool app. It’d probably be really useful for horses coming back into work off of an injury or something to know exactly how much work you’re doing at each gait and lead.

[Anonymare]

But what I REALLY want it to do is send a notification/vibration on my smart watch so I know when to change gaits per my vet’s rehab recommendations. #wishfulthinking

[vxf111]

[QUOTE=laurenlockliear;8492888]
But what I REALLY want it to do is send a notification/vibration on my smart watch so I know when to change gaits per my vet’s rehab recommendations. #wishfulthinking[/QUOTE]

Wear a watch with a timer? Like an eventing watch?! That’s what I do. You can program it to beep when it’s time.

[shadedingray]

For those interested in an app/device that does something similar, they are already coming out with something like that. I forget the name but I’ll dig it up and post it.

Also Horse Collaborative wrote an article that details some more information about the Blue saddle.

[beowulf]

neurological benefits? what?

[Synthesis]

For tracking horse information I’d be more interested in this
https://www.facebook.com/seehorsecanada/

[Tallboots2]

SmartRide

The saddle tree Voltaire is promoting is a SmartRide made by Tad Coffin. Please note their reference to SmartRide with a trademark. Tad has just been to UC Davis and worked with Dr Madigan who will be doing a full blown trial on the neurological benefits of the saddle tree – currently in a Tad Coffin Performance Saddle, now being offered in the Blue Wing by Volataire. Tad is interested in his tree being available to all and for the poster who discussed the gullet height-- the tree does not sit on the spine. The pressure points along the spine where the tree sits seems to have an effect on behavior – reducing pain and improving performance. You can find more information on the Tad Cofffin Performance Saddle website. Tad has spent years working on this tree but he is aware that everyone has different tastes and how they feel in a saddle-- his main concern is changing the conversation around saddles – for the first time a saddle can actually affect performance as acknowledged by the medical establishment. This is exciting news and to me – the app is great but the real news is that an American made tree is being put in a French saddle and for the first time – performance is measurably affected by a piece of equipment-- a critical piece of equipment – why aren’t they all working on this? Whether you like Tad’s saddles or not – he is the only one who has gotten this far-- some claim to but I think that’s why Voltaire came to him in the first place–

[IPEsq]

If this is Tad’s SmartRide tree (with a “TM”!), then perhaps he should ask Voltaire to take the space out between Smart and Ride.

It will be interesting to see the study results.

[foursocks]

My BM/lesson buddy represents Voltaire, and I really like the saddles she has from them (a dressage and a XC model), so I’ve had Andy B. out to fit me and my jumper. I put off buying the Stuttgart we both liked because I don’t need a new jump saddle right now, but I am tempted to try this one out when Andy comes back from Florida. The difference in how my horse, who is already a bouncy, athletic mover, used his back, as well as in my friend’s event horse- well, I can only imagine what having the TC tree in there could do.

I don’t really need to see a bunch of technical data about my ride- I have a young, fit, solid horse and I know when I have his back or not, which is usually my main concern- but the freedom of movement thing is already very impressive with their current models. This is an interesting development, for sure.

[Denzel]

[QUOTE=hunterrider23;8492826]
I can’t see myself wanting a new saddle because I really like my Antares, but I really really like the idea of the app, and think it would be VERY useful. It would be super awesome if they’d sell some sort of saddle pad or attachment accessory that let’s you use the app with a different saddle, especially since there’s no way I can afford that one just for the cool app. It’d probably be really useful for horses coming back into work off of an injury or something to know exactly how much work you’re doing at each gait and lead.[/QUOTE]

The Balios Equisense (which is being put into the saddles) is also in the pre-order stage for their product which attaches to your girth.

[ToTheNines]

Interesting if that is true about it being Tad Coffin’s SmartRide. I have a Tad Coffin with SmartRide tree, and I absolutely love it. It fits each of my four horses, with appropriate half pad depending on horse. They seem extremely happy with it too.

[jn4jenny]

[QUOTE=laurenlockliear;8492888]
But what I REALLY want it to do is send a notification/vibration on my smart watch so I know when to change gaits per my vet’s rehab recommendations. #wishfulthinking[/QUOTE]

It would be super, super easy to program a running interval app to do this. I used to do it with iSmoothRun and a Pebble smartwatch, and I bet it’s even easier on iWatch or an Android smartwatch. Try RunKeeper, iSmoothRun, etc.