Starter Saddle - Courbette Alpina?

[Live_Wire]

Long story short, I sold a mare last year who wasn’t quite working out, deemed broken/needing retirement, blah, blah, blah, so I took her back, put together a veterinary team, did a little bit of maintenance, and now we have no limitations. Mare screams hunter, so hunter is what we’ll do. I am an eventer, closet dressage enthusiast, but have a real appreciation for hunters. I have connected with a hunter trainer, so once we get past some bad muscle memory reactions, I plan to start taking lessons.

On to my question. Obviously my monoflap will be frowned upon in the hunter ring, so I’m piecing together some hunt tack. I scored a very gently used Courbette Alpina without knowing much about them. It was $100, so if it sucks, whatever. Does anyone have any feedback though?

[Texarkana]

I have one that’s about 25 years old. I bought it new back in the day.

I hate it. And as you can tell, the resale value on them sucks so I don’t think I’m alone. It never seems to fit anyone quite right, horse or rider. The leather is hard and slippery. Mine was a very pretty light color initially that turned into a horrid orange color with time.

For $100 I’m sure it will be “fine” for your purposes. As long as it fits your horse okay, it’s not like it will be the end of the world or anything. And they look nice enough from a distance that it will be plenty appropriate for the show ring.

[fivestrideline]

I’ve seen a few people online using the long fleece girth covers over their monoflap girths + billets to show local hunters. If the billets hang right, you can’t even tell. Might be worth a shot if the saddle fits you both really well

I rode in an Alpina as a lesson saddle temporarily. Hated it, and it didn’t want to fit really anything. YMMV.

[NancyM]

I dunno about an “Alpina”, but I have two Courbette Stylists… one I bought new in 1978. Had the billets replaced on that one a few years ago now. The other I picked up as a “rescue” for $50 (I had new billets put on that one too). I love them both. Very comfortable minimalist saddles, indestructible. One is a medium width, the other is a narrow width, and the narrow fits my shark fin mare when nothing else ever would. My friend who does the leather work said it was super easy to do the billets each time (and affordable). A good saddle will last you a lifetime. If it fits your horse, and you, you are “good to go”. Don’t worry about what anyone else tells you. You do not HAVE to be a follower of fashion, even in the hunter ring. Be a “trend setter” instead of “trend follower”. Soon, everyone will be wanting a Courbette saddle.

[BeeHoney]

Why wouldn’t you just ride in your mono flap? To me that would be the preferable option. Even if you don’t cover it with a girth cover, it should not affect your placings. Also, I wouldn’t spend $100 on a Courbette.

It has been my observation that people coming to the hunter ring from other disciplines often over-estimate the importance of appearance and clothing/tack trends in the judging. Making a good first impression when you enter the ring is nice, but hunter rounds are won and lost in the technical details–not in the tack and outfits.

[GraceLikeRain]

Can’t speak to this specific brand but please have an independent fitter carefully evaluate the tree integrity, panels, and billets before use. That’s wildly cheap to the point I’d be highly skeptical it is structurally sound without significant tree warping or dry rot.

Additionally, the absolute last thing I’d do with a horse with pain memory is prioritize aesthetics over the absolute best fitting saddle I could afford. Better a monoflap than an unhappy hurting horse.

[Live_Wire]

My saddle fitter actually recommended looking for this particular saddle and tree, thank you.

[Live_Wire]

I had a stylist as one of my first saddles and I thank it everytime I stick a squirrely situation! I sold it in my younger years and I wish I hadn’t!

[Live_Wire]

It’s a convenience thing, really. I don’t want to haul my tack around to different barns and i want to have something to leave there.

Appreciate all the feedback! I had a Courbette back in the day and loved it, so I am not put off by the brand.

[Equestrian24]

No Alpina here, but two Husars of a similar vintage, and they’re great saddles. Wonderful leather quality, the horses I’ve used them on seem to like them, and I feel “at home” in them. They’re not cushy by any means, but the design is still comfortable for ring work anyway (I add a sheepskin seat saver for trails). I haven’t had the chance to show in them yet, but have taken one to a few different hunter barns for lessons with the intent of eventually showing and got no funny looks or comments on it. Love these saddles and will use them as long as possible! I do need to get the billets replaced on one, but the other has very, very low miles and is like new.

[Equestrian24]

I’m curious as to why you wouldn’t spend $100 on a Courbette? I have two that I paid 3-4x that for (granted, several years ago now) and didn’t bat an eye at those prices for them. I don’t know about all of the models, but the particular ones I have are very well made saddles, identical in quality to the older Stübbens.

[Texarkana]

@Equestrian24

I’m curious as to why you wouldn’t spend $100 on a Courbette? I have two that I paid 3-4x that for (granted, several years ago now) and didn’t bat an eye at those prices for them. I don’t know about all of the models, but the particular ones I have are very well made saddles, identical in quality to the older Stübbens.

Agreed.

FWIW, my Courbette Alpina was nearly $1000 new 25 years ago. They aren’t “junk” saddles like some of the mass produced stuff that people might be assuming. It’s a quality saddle made in Europe that holds up well. It’s just not a great saddle. The Lemetex spring tree is supposed to give the saddle some flexion to prevent pressure points but it just doesn’t seem to fit most horses well. It’s comfortable enough, but I don’t feel like it puts me in a great position. And as I mentioned before, the leather is hard and slick.

Courbette was a popular mid-priced saddle company back in the day, but that middle market kind of evaporated in the 21st century. Now everyone wants dirt cheap or semi-custom/custom $$$$ brands. No one buys these middle market saddles anymore and they have very little value used.

[GraceLikeRain]

I think $100 for any saddle is dubious. I got a $375 older no brand saddle and thought that was a deal. I has my fitter drop the panels to check the tree, full reflock, new billets, etc so I put about $650 into it and struggled to move it for $450 when I was ready to sell. $100 is so low that as I said above I’d have it thoroughly inspected. At that price I’d be shocked if the bullets, tree, or flocking have been serviced in recent memory. While I don’t know the alpine, Courbette was a reputable brand for a long time. From your other thread it looks very old school style but if your fitter thinks that’s the ticket for your horse then I’d lean on their expertise. Hard to tell if the panels are foam or compressed wool.

[Live_Wire]

It’s a different saddle than the one in my other thread. I found that gem in my hunt for an appropriate saddle and wanted to pick it up for fun.

The Courbette is in seemingly good shape but obviously I will have it checked out. It’s not my first rodeo. The mare is a bit of a funky shape so there’s a good chance I end up having to go custom. Even my beloved Tolga that fits everything under the sun doesn’t suit her. This is a little bit of a Hail Mary attempt to get us by until I’m sure she will stay sound in work before I spend several thousands of dollars on a saddle for a horse I didn’t plan on financing for a discipline I do not know participate in.

The bad muscle memory comes from a neck stretcher and poor “training” rides - from what I’ve uncovered thus far. My main priority is to do better by her and give her an opportunity because the other option was HE - which I 110% support if QOL is compromised but I’ve seen no indication of that since she’s been back under my care.

Picture of the saddle in question