The Voltaire rep is coming to the barn on Wednesday to fit some horses and let us ride in some saddles. Those who have them, what do you think? I have a L’apoggee which I love, but would like to have a custom saddle fitted for this horse and L’Apoggee does not have a traveling rep.
Any other favorite sadles to suggest?
If you like L’apogee, you’ll like Luc Childeric, very similar.
My favorites are CWD and Butet.
I really like my Voltaire, and my big-shouldered horse is a fan, too.
Voltaire
I have a dressage and monoflap jumping (rode in their other saddles too). Love them. They fit most of my horses well and have a great balance. They have held up well so far. There are several of them in my barn now and everyone is very happy with them (we also have several high end saddles so this is a horse crowd that knows a good saddle!!!).
You would have to pry my Voltaire (Palm Beach second skin) out of my cold, dead hands! 
I’ve had it since February of this year and LOVE it. I’ve had Butet and Devoucoux in the past and this is hands down my fav.
LOVE my Palm beach. Traded in a CWD & an antares for it. Fits my super hard to fit big shouldered jumper beautifully. If it’s good enough to Beezie Madden it’s good enough for my guys. We have a rep coming out to fit one of my clients Sunday. It’ll be #3 in the barn.
I have had my Palm Beach Second Skin for about a year and a half - wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Fits my massive shouldered and very sensitive beast as well as most other horses that I have used it on. I have had Butets, Devoucouxs and many other kinds of saddles but this would have to be the most horse friendly saddle of all of them. And it is very comfortable for me too - I rode in my trainer’s CWD a few weeks ago and boy my bum was not happy with me…
Ask to sit in a bunch of them. I recently tried a bunch of horses and rode a variety of different saddles. You will have to pry my Devoucoux from my cold, dead hands…one of the Voltaire saddles I rode was hard, infexlible and slick :eek: while the other was quite comfy. So there must be a myriad of options.
I just bought a used Palm Beach from a rep. It puts my leg in such a great position. Still getting used to the seat (very different from my County). My horses are going well in it. Love the wide gullet, and the saddle is certainly easy on the eye…not the checkbook so much!
I did the same thing when the rep came to our barn. I got the Palm Beach buffalo with second skin and love love love it. Grippy, sits me in a great position, no sore crotch, super comfy. Mine was “used” – 6 months old – which saved me close to $1000–so ask what your rep has. I really like the second skin. Even for an amatuer–I can feel that there is much more feel with the horse and my leg.
Try a bunch, I tried 6 saddles. I love it though. My trainer, AT, and several other girls ride in Voltaire’s. When I first sat in it my reaction was that it felt like riding in melted chocolate. Love it.
Voltaire and CWD are made in the same factory in Morocco, in AFRICA. L’Apogée, Antares, Butet, etc. are truly Made in France - legally to enter through US Customs, the country of manufacture/origin must be stamped on the saddles. Try and find a “Made in France” on a Voltaire.
[QUOTE=Elkie;7181020]
Voltaire and CWD are made in the same factory in Morocco, in AFRICA. L’Apogée, Antares, Butet, etc. are truly Made in France - legally to enter through US Customs, the country of manufacture/origin must be stamped on the saddles. Try and find a “Made in France” on a Voltaire.[/QUOTE]
Honestly…I could care less where they are made. I’ve had an Antares. I like my Voltaire a LOT more. For me, it is about the balance and feel of a saddle. And the Voltaire has a very good balance and great feel.
I feel the L’Apogee, Luc Childeric, and Bruno Delgrange are more often than not comfier than other name brands. Although I have sat in one CWD and one Butet that I never wanted to get off of! Have not sat in an Antares or Voltaire yet though.
Luc Childeric has been the only thing I’ve personally felt balanced in, so I think it’s more personal preference. Sat in a delgrange, Devoucoux, cwd, and Antares and none put me in the position I wanted.
[QUOTE=Elkie;7181020]
Voltaire and CWD are made in the same factory in Morocco, in AFRICA. L’Apogée, Antares, Butet, etc. are truly Made in France - legally to enter through US Customs, the country of manufacture/origin must be stamped on the saddles. Try and find a “Made in France” on a Voltaire.[/QUOTE]
At a local tack store, on the consignment rack, were three used Antares in a row, all with the same flaw: it looked like a shark had taken a bite out of the bottom of the flap. I was there with my friend, who was looking for a used AP saddle for trail riding while her 5-year-old Antares was in the repair shop for the same thing. So what if the are made in France?
I have had a Beval Natural, Amerigo Vega, CWD and now a Voltaire Palm Beach. I bought the Voltaire used in February direct from the company and they were fabulous to deal with. I feel very secure in it, the horses are happy and my leg is not jammed out in front of me like in my CWD. I have no complaints about it. I have the buffalo seat and knee pads with grain flaps. The only thing I wish is that I could have gotten it a 1/2 inch larger in the seat but I couldn’t find one in my price range.
I love the Palm Beach. :love-struck: There is no going back!
[QUOTE=Elkie;7181020]
Voltaire and CWD are made in the same factory in Morocco, in AFRICA. L’Apogée, Antares, Butet, etc. are truly Made in France - legally to enter through US Customs, the country of manufacture/origin must be stamped on the saddles. Try and find a “Made in France” on a Voltaire.[/QUOTE]
How would it matter what country the factory is in? Wouldn’t you care more about the quality of leather, skill of the manufacturers, design, etc.?
[QUOTE=Elkie;7181020]
Voltaire and CWD are made in the same factory in Morocco, in AFRICA. L’Apogée, Antares, Butet, etc. are truly Made in France - legally to enter through US Customs, the country of manufacture/origin must be stamped on the saddles. Try and find a “Made in France” on a Voltaire.[/QUOTE]
Having “Made in France” stamped on my saddle never made me ride better, nor did it make my horse move better. The perfect position that my Voltaire saddle puts me in and the way it fits my horse does both of those things. Dunno which is more important to you? 
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