Hi All,
I’m on the search for a saddle for my new horse.
I have tried a bunch of saddle and it has come down to Voltaire, Butet or Arion. Which were the best fit for me and my horse.
Can you give my your pros and cons of these saddles, in your opinion? I only have experience with older Butets so not sure how the newer stuff, now that they are owned by LIM, is.
Good, bad, ugly? Trying to get a head of Butets prices increase if that’s the way I go.
I’ve had Voltaire and CWD previously and just switched all my 3 of jumping saddles to Arion. Not only do they feel so much better on the horse, the fit me better and the horses better. My rep is fantastic to work with and the saddles are extremely beautiful with little to no break in time.
Had a 2014 Butet for a couple years, overall really liked it, leather a bit on the thin side but since I rode 1 horse only a few days a week, never had any durability problems. Very comfortable seat and knee pads. Good balance, quite grippy.
Sat in Voltaire a few times while trying horses in 2021 and found them quite firm and with a very forward balance. I didn’t like the feel, but everyone is different - and I was riding horses unfamiliar to me, which can make me uncomfortable.
Just sat in an Arion on a new-to-me horse at a trainer’s on Sunday and I really liked it - good balance that I didn’t have to think about and super nice, thick grippy leather.
Amberley I’m really confused with your response, wasn’t asking about fit of the saddle. I just asked for opinions on the 3 brands. I have zero experience with Voltaire and only just heard of Arion like last week.
Why can’t I ask for peoples options on these saddles?
I love love love my Butet premium. I bought it new in 2017. I’ve ridden in Voltaire and liked the fit equally as well (my old trainer was sponsored by Voltaire so I rode in their saddles quite a bit).
If you’re on the west coast, Ludo, the rep, is wonderful to deal with.
You can! I can’t speak about Butet or Arion, but until recently I owned a Voltaire. I bought the Voltaire because I was unhappy with the CWD I had. Now I’m back riding in a different model of CWD and am thrilled with how much my horse and I like it.
All saddles have their detractors and supporters. You’ll see in thread after thread that if you’re ordering a new saddle, it depends on the rep.
There are several used saddle sellers with good reputations that offer free shipping. Maybe start up a conversation with one of them to see what might fit your horse and you. (Highline, Redwood, Old Dominion are all sellers I’ve dealt with. There are others).
My two custom saddle experiences were unhappy ones. I finally got to ride in a bunch of saddles and so knew what I was looking for. Ordered a used one on trial and bingo.
Good luck!
I always loved my butet. Are you
Looking at the wool flocked version? After having saddle fit issues with paneled saddles, I always opt for wool Now
EmilyM - Was thinking about a wool flocked one, but this horse is a bit of a princess and the pea and has very loudly told me she does love some panels even if they seem to fit her well. I worry that if I was to buy a wool one, she might object so not sure what to do
A good fitter Can really tweak the wool flocking to help with fit. Panels are a PITA if you want to change them. Wool flocking done out of a truck at your farm. Just my personal preference. I also have some horses come to me a little crooked and we could tweak the flocking to compensate as they build muscle. I’m constantly tweaking them as the horses’ bodies change. I find it to be a game changer for how they go and my balance.
Butet girl all of my life but I love my Voltaire now.
I got the impression from your first post that all three of the saddle brands mentioned fit you and your horse well, so you were trying to decide between the three. I think that is what Amberley was referring to. No reason not to ask for opinions but in the end you must choose which saddle fits your horse, and then you, the best.
Been a Butet girl my whole life, got a Voltaire and Butet became number 2. Still a close second, love them both. Voltaire is just much comfier.
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