Opinions on these two? Is there any truth to what I’ve heard about Wintecs making horses sore or uncomfortable? Any truth to the “kink” in the bottom arms of the Wintec gullet plates causing horses pain? Thanks!
I do prefer the Thorowgood. The “kink” that you mention doesn’t necessarily make a horse sore. It does, in my opinion, make the gullet plate slightly narrower as it can pinch in that spot if the plate isn’t the right size for the shoulder. I just feel the Thorowgood is more versatile.
Agree w/ Jay here regarding the gullet bar shape.
One thing to note though is that the shape of the panel (underside) of the Thorowgood standard and the wintec IS different - definitely flatter on the wintec than the Thorowgood- which is a bit more curvy but not overly so. The T8 low profile is a bit flatter in that regard, but still not as flat as wintec. Can be good or bad depending on the shape of horse you are trying to fit.
Thanks both of you. I am trying to fit an older Arab gelding who has a dippy back and I am quite certain that the Thorowgood standard model with the wide gullet is a much better fit than the wintec. The high wither one did not fit him.
Anything with a dip in the back will not fit into a wintec for the reasons mentioned above. Arabs can be very tricky to fit. I have had sucess with the Thorowgoods on Arabs before. I would not recommend a high wither for an arab. The board back model would probably be too straight like the wintec.
Thanks for your help. The wintec Isabell has the CAIR panels…would they conform to horse’s back enough so that the straighter tree may not be a problem?
No, if the tree fundamentally doesn’t fit the shape of the horse’s back, the panels are not going to make a difference.
IMO, CAIR panels are bad news (shudder) for horse’s backs. I have not seen or fit a saddle with CAIR panels that I approved of as a fitter, ever.
T8 Thorowgood a better option IMO
I’ve had much better luck fitting Arab and Arab crosses with Thorowgood than Wintecs. The gullet plate is shaped a bit different and IMO is more forgiving…and certainky much easier to change! Arabs can be tricky as they come in a wide variety of shapes. I’ve been able to fit the shorter back many Arabs have with a Thorowgood more often than I have with Wintecs.
I agree with mountainhorse: stay away from CAIR panels. I have removed many CAIR panels from Wintecs/Bates saddles in order to convert them to wool flocking. In EVERY SINGLE ONE …including my own Wintec, at least one of the four CAIR panels was deflated. I know sone people who love the CAIR, and it doesn’t seem to bother their horses…but U am not a fan of it. Plus, if you get CAIR and need to do some minor adjusting for fit, you have to use shims or a shim pad. Wool flocking is much better for customizing the fit as needed.
Because the rail on the Wintec (and most Thorowgood) saddles is quite straight the area under the rider does not make its best contact which is why the “kink” in the bottom arms causes the horse pain. If you have a very flat, straight backed horse the points will be a non-issue. Also the front of the Bates and Wintec saddles is gusseted which lifts the front of the saddle off the horse and prevents the bearing surface under the rider from making correct contact. Does this make sense?
The Thorowgood has a more generous panel system allowing it to break in to the horse better than a Wintec.
Because the rail on the Wintec (and most Thorowgood) saddles is quite straight the area under the rider does not make its best contact which is why the “kink” in the bottom arms causes the horse pain. If you have a very flat, straight backed horse the points will be a non-issue. Also the front of the Bates and Wintec saddles is gusseted which lifts the front of the saddle off the horse and prevents the bearing surface under the rider from making correct contact. Does this make sense?
The Thorowgood has a more generous panel system allowing it to break in to the horse better than a Wintec.
