Interesting new saddle out there by the company name of “Voltaire.” Very pretty saddles…kind of remind me of a Devoucoux hybrid of sorts.
Anyone know the scoop on them? Where they are made? The leather quality? Overall opinion of them? Price range?
hmmm… interesting. Looks like they made their debut at Menlo? Pretty saddles, I like the look of the Palm Beach, but I too wonder about the specifics.
http://en.voltaire-design.com/home.html
They plant a tree for every saddle sold… no pun intended I’m sure.
The Palm Beach saddle has stripe colors on it. I wouldn’t think folks would like that. That is new.
Price range wise:
Dressage - $4,900 in Calf and $5,400 in Buffalo.
Jumping double flap saddles are $4,200 in grained leather.
My favorite quote:
But Voltaire Design is the first saddle maker that got help from the fashion industry to design its line of product.
I guess that would explain why their saddles sport the "Striped Channel"with this season’s hottest colors
:lol: :lol: :lol:
hmmm I wonder if you can change that out if you decide your horse would look better in fall colors
[QUOTE=hunter-jumper-rider;5103882]
Interesting new saddle out there by the company name of “Voltaire.” Very pretty saddles…kind of remind me of a Devoucoux hybrid of sorts.
Anyone know the scoop on them? Where they are made? The leather quality? Overall opinion of them? Price range?[/QUOTE]
I met a rep for these saddles today, and got a look at their entire line. They are beautiful:eek:. They are all custom made in France however you like. For custom, the prices are very reasonable. The leather is very high quality, and you can opt for calf or buffalo.
The blue lining in the gullet is not visible when the saddle is on the horse. It just makes the saddle very distinctive looking.
I am going to save up for some brown field boots. Or refinance my house.
But OMG, gorgeous.
They seem very nice, and people that try them seem to like them and buy them. The rep I know is very nice, and not pushy at all. Probably worth considering if you are looking at a saddle in that price range.
I think they look very nice! I really like the look of the Lexington. Too bad I just bought a saddle!
I really like the look of the blue gullet, actually. Very classy, IMHO.
Oh, gross…
Even grosser… the price tag. I can see the demographic these are supposed to appeal to.
Katie Price anyone?
[QUOTE=equidae;5789855]
Oh, gross…
Even grosser… the price tag. I can see the demographic these are supposed to appeal to.
Katie Price anyone?[/QUOTE]
What is “gross” about a well-made saddle? They aren’t pink, for crying out loud.:rolleyes:
1 Like
We have a couple of the palm beach saddles, very nice. They are aggressively marketing them and I see them becoming a strong contender for Devoucoux and CWD.
[QUOTE=equidae;5789855]
Oh, gross…
Even grosser… the price tag. I can see the demographic these are supposed to appeal to.
Katie Price anyone?[/QUOTE] Huh, what? They are no more expensive than a lot of the custom saddles that many of us ride in. We don’t ride in them for the label or pricetag, but rather because the balance and fit can’t be beat.
A friend of mine bought one over the weekend. She test rode in it, and her horse went much better than in her other saddle, which was also a French model. She said she didn’t like the price, but the horse is more important. If you are looking for a good saddle at a lower price, maybe an ADT would work? I love mine, and it was not nearly as expensive.
I know a couple of people who have them. One of my friends has a hard-to-fit horse, and she tried every other saddle before the Voltaire.
I’ve ridden in one, and it is a very comfortable saddle, and fit my horse and me quite well.
Definitely pricey, though.
I rode in the Palm Beach on Saturday.
Very balanced saddle. Really really liked it.
Their belly guard girth is beautiful and the brown field boots are to die for!
The rep said they will have bridles available next year.
These must be made for the hard to fit horse because I bought one for my daughter and her hard to fit mare. We had been looking for 6 months and were lucky to have a loaner from my trainer in the meantime. Wasn’t really wild about all the bling, but after 6 months…What sold me is the junior program they have, after a year, if my daughter outgrows this saddle, they will replace it with a new saddle for $500, up till her 18th birthday.
2 Likes
They’re getting pretty popular here in Northern California. The Palm Beach model feels very, very, very similar to the Devoucox Biarritz, and the founder of Voltaire worked for Devoucoux for many years. I’ve seen a few of them, and have mixed feelings. As far as them being made for hard to fit horses, they are custom made, so they had better fit the horse it’s made for, especially after paying the hefty price tag! They do seem to be a viable contender to the other French brands, but they haven’t won me over…yet. I’m just not a fan of the striped fabric.
[QUOTE=equidae;5789855]
Oh, gross…
Even grosser… the price tag. I can see the demographic these are supposed to appeal to.
Katie Price anyone?[/QUOTE]
LOL, you’re exaggerating Equidae, anyone can afford a Voltaire cooking apron :eek: :eek: :eek: :
http://voltaire-design.spreadshirt.fr/cooking-apron-A17442933/customize/color/2
Do you guys get your hair done at a massage salon?
Then why would you get your custom saddle from a fashion designer?
There is a thin line between diversification and just plain nonsense, the apron crosses it in my opinion.
I really think the clothes look nice though, I like the colors. I’d definitely order a sweater if it was half the price.
They’ll probably be somewhat successful amongst 15-20 year-old female buyers; which is most of their customers base anyways.
Good job Voltaire!
JMHO
I believe they are modeled after the Devoucoux, why not buy the original, Devoucoux are great saddles with a great reputation.
