What to get: CWD or Antares Saddle?

[anyanicholson]

So, I’m in the process of selling my saddle [edit]

And since it’s been a while since I’ve sent it out to be put on the market, I’m looking to order another saddle since riding in schooling saddles is getting quite tiring.

A few days ago I was given the chance to ride in my trainer’s saddle, which I didn’t realize was a CWD. It’s probably the most comfortable saddle I’ve ever sat my butt in aside from Antares.

Currently, the barn I ride at is sponsored by Antares (so everybody has them) but a few people here and there also have CWD’s. I like the Antares, but I think the CWD is more comfy

Personally, I think the CWD was a lot more comfortable than any of the Antares saddles that I’ve ridden in, theres something about them which gives more support and balance that I like.

I guess it all comes down to personal preference though, so here are my questions:

I’ve heard Antares tree’s break quite easily and I’ve also heard the horror stories of sending them back and whatnot, does CWD have that rep?

How much would a typical used CWD saddle cost?

Has anybody been fitted for a CWD, and how much does it cost to have a rep come down to sell/have you try out saddles?

Do the CWD’s like the Antares, have the trainer-tree or the type of saddle which fits a lot of horses since I don’t own my own horse?

[AdrenalineJunky]

1. I personally haven’t heard of CWD having a problem with trees breaking or anything of the sort. My custom saddle did somehow come to me with two completely different panels but they took it back right away and made me an entirely new one which I couldn’t be happier with.

2. On their website they have a used saddle section and they seem to run from 2900-4k. http://used.cwdsellier.com/saddle/sport/jumping/ I’m sure that your local rep would also be able to give you an idea as well if you want to get a used one through them.

3. I don’t recall it costing me anything to fit a saddle to myself a my horse, however I think they have a fee if you don’t buy one (but I’m not 100% on that) maybe someone else will know, but I’m sure you can just call a rep and ask.

4. Yes they do, I got mine with “pro panels” and it’s great, a little wide so I can just put whatever pads I want under to fit it to whichever horse I want. So far I haven’t come across a horse that I couldn’t put this saddle on.

I got my CWD with buffalo leather and I love it. Super grippy and tough, cleans up great. Super comfy saddle and my experiences with the customer service has been nothing but good. It took about 6 months for my saddle to get to me once I ordered it but I think that’s pretty typical. From my experience, they do have plenty of used and demo saddles so if you can get one that fits you and your horse that way then you should definitely go for it. My barn is sponsored my CWD but one of the girls has an Antares that she loves haha so whatever your preference I hope you find a great saddle!

[Lix_Tetrax]

I adore my CWD. I haven’t had it that long yet, but the whole process of getting it was simple, quick, and easy! No complaints here. Horses like it too.

[BAC]

I tried both and went with CWD. They do not have tree issues like Antares although any tree can break under the right circumstances. If you buy it brand new as I did there is a lifetime warranty on CWD’s tree. My rep came out twice and never charged for the visits and I was at a local barn, not a fancy show barn where he might make more sales. The rep had a bunch of used French saddles for me to try not just CWD which was nice. I had great customer service from them too and highly recommend CWD.

[ElisLove]

I have a CWD. Rode in my friend’s Antares once and it was way to friendly with the crotch so was not comfy at all.
Mine was a year old, in good condition and cost $3000. Not the best color (I like the havana type colors in tack and this is more tan), but for that price I could live with the color. Not sure what type of leather mine is.

[anyanicholson]

Wow! Great price.
And that pretty much sums up my biggest problem with the Antares, they’re so up and in that area that I feel unbalanced.

Mind you I’ve only ridden in one CWD, compared to the 6+ Antares saddles I’ve ridden in belonging to other people at the barn I ride at, the CWD felt way more stable and comfy.

My biggest problem is the price, since they are more expensive than the Antares

[QUOTE=ElisLove;7379189]
I have a CWD. Rode in my friend’s Antares once and it was way to friendly with the crotch so was not comfy at all.
Mine was a year old, in good condition and cost $3000. Not the best color (I like the havana type colors in tack and this is more tan), but for that price I could live with the color. Not sure what type of leather mine is.[/QUOTE]

[BAC]

[QUOTE=ElisLove;7379189]
I have a CWD. Rode in my friend’s Antares once and it was way to friendly with the crotch so was not comfy at all.
Mine was a year old, in good condition and cost $3000. Not the best color (I like the havana type colors in tack and this is more tan), but for that price I could live with the color. Not sure what type of leather mine is.[/QUOTE]

mine was grain leather with calf seat and knees and it oiled to a very dark color quite easily, it was gorgeous. I sold mine after 7 years in excellent condition for $2950.00 - only a few hundred dollars less than I paid for it brand new. They hold their value really well.

[Come_Shine]

[QUOTE=BAC;7379222]
I sold mine after 7 years in excellent condition for $2950.00 - only a few hundred dollars less than I paid for it brand new. They hold their value really well.[/QUOTE]

Not to derail the thread or be snarky but why wouldn’t someone pay a few hundred dollars more and get a new one?

[jn4jenny]

[QUOTE=Come Shine;7379249]
Not to derail the thread or be snarky but why wouldn’t someone pay a few hundred dollars more and get a new one?[/QUOTE]

Because probably by the time BAC sold her saddle, the MSRP on CWDs had gone up. She sold at $2950, and the MSRP 7 years ago was probably around $3200 or $3300. These days, the MSRP on a CWD with certain options can easily exceed $4000. So to the new buyer, it was probably a perceived price savings of $800-$1200, plus they didn’t have to wait for a new saddle to be manufactured.

[Come_Shine]

Thanks.

[BAC]

[QUOTE=jn4jenny;7379312]
Because probably by the time BAC sold her saddle, the MSRP on CWDs had gone up. She sold at $2950, and the MSRP 7 years ago was probably around $3200 or $3300. These days, the MSRP on a CWD with certain options can easily exceed $4000. So to the new buyer, it was probably a perceived price savings of $800-$1200, plus they didn’t have to wait for a new saddle to be manufactured.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. Plus I included the CWD leathers, original cover and a new CWD waterproof cover that could be used while riding in wet weather and offered free shipping. I got lucky and sold it on eBay at the “buy it now” price less than 24 hours after it was listed because it was in such fabulous condition that the buyer didn’t want to risk losing it.

BTW the saddle was 7 years old but I sold it 2 years ago when I stopped riding, so that would be 9 years ago that I bought it brand new.

[Angelico]

The Antares perch every single rider I’ve ever seen in them. Including myself, own one. I got suckered in by a shady rep. CWD seems to place you where you are more with the horse.

[jody_jaffe]

FWIW…I have both an Antares and CWD, and just switched to an Amerigo which fits my horses better and puts me in a far better position.

As an added bonus, the Amerigo folks take customer satisfaction seriously. They are the Nordstroms of the horse world.

[supershorty628]

Anya, it really, really is personal preference.

I haven’t sat in an Antares (to my knowledge, anyway), but I adore my CWDs. They put me in a great position and help me stay with my mare’s crazy hard jump. I’ve never had issues with their customer service, and I’ve had to special order a fair amount of things from them - I need special stirrup leathers because my legs are so short - so I’ve dealt with them a lot.

I’ve never had an issue with the saddles wearing out over the years. I have the buffalo/grain leather combination on both saddles and they’ve lasted really well. The older one has been in action for 7 years now and aside from a gouge that I put in it when I fell off once, it could be new. That one fits a lot of horses; I use it on pretty much everyone aside from Nikki, and it just has a standard tree. Nikki’s has cut outs to account for her shoulders, so it can be too wide for a lot of horses.

Can’t say enough good things about CWD!

[Royal_Monaco]

I just went trough the buying process with CWD and it was really easy and professionnal. I had try seversl brands such as Devoucoux, Antares, Delgrange…

The CWD puts me in a perfect position. The Rep did adjust every part of the saddle so that it fits me and my horse perfectly. I ended up ordering a 17" grain/calf with half deep seat in a rich dark brown color.

The retail price is 4500$ but I negotiate a free bridle and free stirrups leather with it.

[anyanicholson]

Wow, that’s a lot of $$! But since it was $4500 I’m guessing it was custom and new.
I’m looking for a used saddle fitted to myself and a pro-panel so that it generally fits a lot of horses since I don’t own my own.
So if it was $4,500 for a new one, I’m guessing that a used saddle by CWD (give or take the condition it’s in and the year it was made), could be anywhere from $2,500 to $4,000?
I am getting somewhere around $2000 off of a saddle I’m selling right now and I’m not so sure how thrilled my parents will be when they find out they’ll have to find another $1,500-$2,000 for a CWD.

[QUOTE=Royal Monaco;7380932]
I just went trough the buying process with CWD and it was really easy and professionnal. I had try seversl brands such as Devoucoux, Antares, Delgrange…

The CWD puts me in a perfect position. The Rep did adjust every part of the saddle so that it fits me and my horse perfectly. I ended up ordering a 17" grain/calf with half deep seat in a rich dark brown color.

The retail price is 4500$ but I negotiate a free bridle and free stirrups leather with it.[/QUOTE]

[Royal_Monaco]

I lokked at the used saddles and they were pretty much in the 2500$-2900$ range.
The G2 is more in the 4000$ range for a used saddle.

Surprisingly, the pro panels didn’t fit my mare as much as the regular ones…

[jn4jenny]

[QUOTE=anyanicholson;7381030]
So if it was $4,500 for a new one, I’m guessing that a used saddle by CWD (give or take the condition it’s in and the year it was made), could be anywhere from $2,500 to $4,000?
I am getting somewhere around $2000 off of a saddle I’m selling right now and I’m not so sure how thrilled my parents will be when they find out they’ll have to find another $1,500-$2,000 for a CWD. [/QUOTE]

CWD is one of the “hotter” brands on the used market, so yes, the used sale prices will tend to be higher than some of the other French/Italian builds. $2500 would be on the cheaper side for a used CWD; for most folks looking for CWDs in the “hot” seat sizes and panel options, I advise them to have at least $2900 and preferably more like $3200-$3500. Have I seen CWDs go for less? Yes, of course. There’s always people who are ready to fire-sale a saddle, or much older saddles, or whatever. But if and when you see CWDs under $2500, they are often “off” sizes or panel options, much older saddles, or they sell FAST (like, within 24-48 hours of being posted).

Keep in mind, there’s a lot of fish in the French saddle sea besides Antares and CWD. At the $2000-$2200 mark, it’s often easier to get into a Delgrange, PJ, Amerigo, Prestige, etc. or some of the lesser-known French/Italian brands like Equipe, Colbert Brothers, Arc de Triomphe, etc. This doesn’t mean you can’t get into a CWD in that price range, just that it’s going to be a more limited selection and you’ll have to move faster.

If budget is a concern, Rachel at iselltack.com often has a variety of French builds at very competitive prices. Her inventory in the $1800-$2500 price range is usually very extensive.

[AHorseSomeDay]

I have a CWD SE01 with buffalo leather and I love it. It is dark brown. It broke in really easy and it fits my horse really well. The plus side is that it is very comfortable. It’s not cheap but worth the money.

[blueribbons]

I ordered my CWD last November and received a call last week requesting the shipping address! (I’m ridiculously excited about it! :lol:) I don’t know where you live, but if you PM me I’ll send you the contact information of the rep I used. He was fantastic! If you are looking for a used saddle, I recommend talking to a good rep anyways. They will know about saddles for sale that aren’t advertised, or if you ask them to come out and let you test ride saddles to get the perfect fit, you can always ask about buying one of their demos.
I really can’t answer you as to whether they charge you for a fitting or not. I don’t think so, but I didn’t ask and I bought a saddle, so perhaps the fee is waved in that case? If you are really worried about this, I would call and ask or go to a show that a rep will be attending in your area.
If you search used french saddles for sale on google, you should find several good websites that carry used saddles. Good luck, and happy saddle shopping!

P.S. I ended up choosing CWD because I felt so secure in their saddles:) (And I’m a rider that really, really values feeling secure. I need physical security more for my own mental security though…:D)