Stubben Maestoso - Anyone ride in one?

[kiwichick]

I was just wondering if anyone could give me an idea of the Stubben Maestoso and what type of horses/shaped backs they fit.
I cant get past the old addage ‘Stubbens have a curvy tree’ but have had one recommended for my quite flat WB (there is a variety of reasons its recommended, at least half for rider issues too)

I dont have the ability to try before purchasing so just want to get a feel for if im writing the saddle off and doing a huge disservice to it, based on assumptions.

Ive ridden in a couple of Stubben jump saddles on OTTB’s, the Zaria being my most favourite saddle of all time.

Online reviews are very mixed, so have been no help.
Any help here would be much appreciated

[Can_tFindMyWhip]

I’ve ridden in one. Do you have specific questions about it? Strangers on the internet giving a saddle a general yay or nay isn’t typically useful. What do you need to have and like to have in a saddle? I could probably answer your questions if I knew what they were.

[kiwichick]

Hi, thanks for your reply.
My horse is quite flat in the back, and a stubben recommendation was unexpected. Im wondering if this particular saddle is even likely to suit a fairly average wb with not much wither, and good topline.

For the rider I cannot have big knee blocks and prefer an open seat (this is a lot of why this saddle was recommended)

The saddle was not tried on the horse as it will have to come from out of state, hence me trying to get an idea.
I know its a huge ‘will this saddle fit thing’ but im really trying to get an idea if its worth persuing, as my knowledge of my horse, and stubbens in general says no, but maybe im discounting it by pure ignorance :)[ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“full”,“title”:“20180731_151351.jpg”,“data-attachmentid”:10196090}[/ATTACH]

[CanteringCarrot]

I had a friend that had one for her flat backed warmblood and I also used it on my very flat warmblood a few times when I was between saddles. It really wasn’t too curvy and fit ok. The only problem my friend had was the width, but her horse was growing, so that’s the only reason she sold it.

[kiwichick]

Yes this ones only 5yo too.

Saddle fitting is the pits. If I was a millionaire I would just buy one of everything on the market lol

[2DogsFarm]

@kiwichick assuming from your BB name you are in NZ?
If not, & you are in the US Midwest, Great Lakes Saddlery in MI has a Stubben rep who will come to you.
She brought over a dozen models for me to try, I think the Maestoso was #6 & I knew right away this was The One.
Horse seemed to agree - we got a decent canter depart in the demo, where before they tended to be explosive.
,
I got a semi-custom Maestoso from her for my Mount Withers WB thinking it would be my last saddle/horse combo.
I had been riding in an older Strubben Parsival A/P & had to use a riser pad.
The Maestoso demo fit him fine & like you want, I got only pencil rolls for the knees, no blocks anywhere.

I lost that horse & am now using the saddle for my TWH who has “normal”-sized withers and a relatively broad, flat back - fits him too.
TG, as I really did not want to have to sell the Maestoso & start over.

[kiwichick]

Thanks @2DogsFarm
Im in the big state of Australia. The person im working with is from the East, I havent had much luck locally, and all the fashion these days seems to be the big knee rolls, which makes life even harder.
I can buy the saddle and return it if it doesnt fit, its just an expensive way to do things and slow, will be probably 4 weeks to recieve it, send back and refund, so really not keen to do so unless im fairly confident.
My local fitter said my horse will fit most things, but when I mentioned a Pessoa was a terrible fit, he said, of yes they have a very bendy tree. A prestige D1 is also to bendy.
I do know an ideal will fit, but am concerned about lack of adjustibility there too.
Im also looking at frank baines reflex, same question re bendy tree. Not one of these saddles is on my side of the country either!

[SaddleUp158]

I had a Maestoso that I rode in for a year or so that fit my Morgan nicely. The only reason I sold it is it did not fit me very well. The same horse is now in a Trilogy Amadeo wide tree.