Saddle options that ride like a CWD

[fivestrideline]

I’m at the point where I’m shopping for a new saddle for my KS horse. He’s Mr Particular, and pretty broad, so I’ve been looking at some British brands and sat a few different things on him. Obviously it has to fit him first but…

I just don’t like them. My old CWD (since sold because it didn’t fit pony at the time), and a barn mate’s SEO1 fit ME perfectly. Like, enough of a difference to have my coach comment that we should try to make one fit.

I don’t trust the CWD brand rep in our area, and the local independent fitter has started to push only Peter Horobin or Thorowgood for literally everything. I’ve tried PH, Thorowgood, Pessoa, Thornhill, Duett, and Stubben. None were custom to us, just saddles of friends. I’ve had varying amounts of success with them, but nothing quite like the CWD. I’m assuming it’s because they have the twist and stirrup bars set in a way that fits my conformation well.

I’m looking for suggestions of brands that might be worth looking at for my TB hunter with kissing spines. I’ve attached some pics below, but I’m hoping there’s a brand out there that might make something that could work for both of us. Budget is a concern but it’s healthy - I’m wanting to look for used just due to horror stories of customs.

[Inimitable]

I can’t answer how it compares to CWD, I just haven’t ridden in enough of them to know, but have you considered County? My KS TB does well in a County Sensation. It fits me really well, puts me in a great position, and is comfy as heck. Good luck! Saddle shopping is worse than horse shopping.

[fivestrideline]

It really really is! I have tried one County on him actually, and I liked it, but it was the wrong shape for him. I’m not sure which tree it was but that’s a great reminder to check them out again!

[Inimitable]

If you can find one with the skid row panels (k-panels), it might be worth a trial. They seem to fit TBs well. I found mine used and it doesn’t have the skid row panels, it’s just a regular MN tree - but it works for him. And it fits my other TB well too. The wool flocking is a bonus.

[Madison]

I had a CWD SE01 that I loved - so comfortable, fit me great, and then I bought a horse that it didn’t work for. So I gave up the SE01 by necessity. I did not find County saddles to have the same balance points as the SE01 when I was looking (and I say this as someone who had one of the popular old Stabilizers 20 years ago and loved it), they put me in a chair seat whereas the SE01 did not. My horse made it clear that he went best in my trainer’s Voltaire Palm Beach (as in our vet watched him in it and said the difference was so significant I need not look further!), so that’s what I switched to. I can’t speak to whether it would work for your horse, but I can say that if you loved your SE01 for you, it is possible to be comfortable in the Palm Beach, if Voltaires appeal to you. Of course that also assumes you have a good rep in your area - thankfully mine is very experienced.

[Against_All_Odds2]

I have a similar built QH and went with an Amerigo DJ largo. There was a long wait but we got it all sorted prior to our season starting. Still love it and get weekly compliments.

my thread: Help me spend $$$$ on a saddle...or not?

Bonus: there is at least one used one now on the market since the largo models aren’t as new

[fivestrideline]

Oh interesting. Chair seat is the bane of my existence since I’m so tall and everything has such forward stirrup bars

I’d love a Voltaire, I like the look, I’ll have to check them out!

I’ve heard good things about the amerigo, but entirely forgot about them. Thanks!

[NaturallyHappy]

You might like the Butet…great balance for many people.

[kaya842]

I think I missed it - why not get a CWD? No need to get a new/ custom one as the SE01 has been around a long while so you should be able to find a seat size/ flap size/ panel combo that works for you AND pony!

[fivestrideline]

Horse is shaped WIDE… not a couch but has big shoulders and low withers and a fitter told me the CWD tree just won’t work. They used to make a hoop tree on special order and that would work (I’ve been told he needs a narrower hoop/u shaped tree), but I don’t think they do anymore.

I’d be open to a used pro-panel CWD but I haven’t been able to sit enough of them on him to know if they might fit - and the area rep is not good.

[Ponyplusaninch]

Amerigo or equipe. The Swiss saddles ride just as comfy as any CWD but with way more customization.

I ended up going with amerigo and have no regrets. It was also quite a bit cheaper new vs CWD.

Now that my guy has the right fitting saddle his right shoulder—never much to write home about—has all of a sudden caught up to the left. He’s noticeably a different shape and no longer needs any kind of shimming, so next step is getting the fitter out and seeing what she says. I was told by a number of fitters to not be surprised if in a couple years a new saddle was needed because he could change shape as he built better musculature.

[LazyA1]

I would try a Meyer Act 1

[Greysallday]

I second the suggestion to try a Voltaire. I just went through the opposite issue and ended up selling mine as the tree was too wide for my narrow guy.

I too sat in a ton of saddles and really liked the feel of the Amerigo. It seems to combine quality of the French brands but with some of the adjustability of the German and British ones (wool flocking, adjustable tree).

[kaya842]

If he truly needs a hoop tree, I don’t think any of the French brands offer one. IME, the Voltaires run a bit wider/ roomier than the CWDs. You may like the Palm Beach, or may find it too flat. Personally, I find it a much different feel than any of the CWDs but like it. I don’t think the Italian (not Swiss) Amerigo or Equipe make hoop trees either, but can’t be certain as their rep for our area has been dodging me for months. If you want to try a pro panel SE01, I believe CWD offers free shipping both ways on their used saddles and often has a fair selection. I am saddle shopping too and our CWD rep is great but I wanted to sit in other brands and the only way I’ve been able to is ordering online, trying and sending back. Not expedient or easy but it is what it is with no other reps in the area/ responding to me.

[fivestrideline]

I’m not 100% sure he needs a true hoop - more like an open headed tree with a little more space in the pommel. The Stubben NT fit him well but the channel was ridiculously narrow right under the seat for some unknown reason . I’m looking at pics of the Amerigos and a few others and I’m seeing shapes that might work. But I won’t know until I try them.

In fact theres a Tad Coffin A5 near me for a good price that looks almost perfect. Maybe my long legs can make it work, but I’m not optimistic.

[Pokerface]

I have heard wonderful things about Meyer saddles, but I have never sat in one.

Another suggestion I haven’t seen mentioned is Black Country. I sat in one a while ago that fit my giant shouldered horse and was incredibly comfortable for me (I am also tall). I really liked that saddle. I don’t know if it is exactly the same as a CWD in that sense, but definitely worth looking into.

[fivestrideline]

I’ve talked to Trumbull Mtn about a BC before - no reps in my area so I’d have to just wing it with a new one. Which doesn’t thrill me. But they sound ideal for my situation - if I wasn’t so dead set on finding something perfect for me too I would just risk it!

[PNWjumper]

Meyer for sure. They are a dream on wide backed horses in particular, from what I hear.

All of mine are more shark-fin-like, but I like the ones I have as well.

I have a CWD SE29 that I bought from a friend that I was madly and completely in love with. Rode in it for 4 or 5 years and after decades being a die-hard County person, was completely won over by my CWD. And then one day it just decided it didn’t fit any of my horses anymore. It got crooked, and then started tipping to one side. I had already had the tree replaced once, and the rep came back out and swore up and down that the tree was not broken again…buuuutttt…had no suggestions.

I absolutely will not buy a new CWD. I watch the company give saddle after saddle after saddle after saddle to all of my trainer friends, and then they want me to pay $9k for one?!! And even worse, one that won’t last longer than 5 years? F U CWD.

So I pivoted last spring and bought a couple of Meyers. I bought 2 used saddles, so can’t really comment on going through the custom experience, but they seem to keep my horses happy. And neither are super comfortable saddles for my daughter or I, but we make do. To be fair, the CWD wasn’t all that for comfort either. It was great to ride/jump in, but trail rides always sent me back to my Counties.

But on the Meyer note, a trainer friend of mine switched her whole barn over, and she said that she has a bunch of wide backed warmbloods and they were noticeably happier in the Meyers. She tried to ride in her old CWD when she had to send a Meyer back to get fixed, and she was totally surprised by how much most of the horses objected.

And FWIW, I find the twist and the balance to be similar to my CWD.

[shoal]

I second Equipe! I always loved CWD but they didn’t fit my super wide warmblood, but the Equipe fits him great!

[TXnGA]

Look at Arion HST!! I switched all my CWD saddles ( 2 monoflaps, 1 dual flap) last year and have nothing but great things to say about the saddles, how the fit me, how the fit my horse and the reps I worked with. All three are custom to my horses, with only a difference in half pads depending on the horse ( for the dual flap since it has to sit on three very different horses).

And everyone I know who owns an Arion has never said a bad thing about the saddle.

I never realized how much I fought my CWD ( always thought they were comfortable) until I sat in a Arion. No break in time either. Plus they fit my horses so much better versus the CWD that I had to do panel change after panel change after panal change and the saddles still slid back on my horses about 5 inches no matter how tight the girth was or wearing a breastplate. It was ridiculous.

Where are you located?