Are they a respected brand/product in the dressage ring?
Very much so. They don’t sponsor riders so the ones you see using them are doing so out of choice / preference. (At least that’s my understanding).
I went through months of saddle fitting nightmares until finally discovering the DAC would work for both me and my horse and that they would customize flap length and other elements for me at no additional cost. As well the customer service from our local Childeric retailer was exceptionally good and that made a refreshing change from the service I’d experienced elsewhere.
That being said, like all saddles they aren’t for everyone. The basic shape must fit your horse well with minimal to no adjustment. You have to educate yourself about foam vs wool and decide which is right for you.
The quality and durability is excellent, so in that way yes they are a respected brand. In other respects, however, I wouldn’t pay too much attention to what is popular / respected in the show ring. Find a saddle that fits your horse well, allows you to be comfortable and sit in a correct, balanced position. That’s all that matters at the end of the day, not brand name, price point or popularity.
Love that saddle. We bought one for our PRE (short backed) and it ended up fitting every horse in the barn as well. We then bought a second one because my husband and I both like how it feels. We had a friend from Germany come out to visit and she tried the saddle. Loved it so much, she went back and ordered one too. You should work closely with the rep on this saddle to make sure you get the right size for you though. I ended up with one smaller than I thought. Did lots of pictures back and forth on the fit when mounted.
After spending 100s on shipping saddles back and forth to try and fit my impossibly shaped Arab, turns out someone at my barn had one in their trailer. Fit him like a glove and has the best center of gravity of any saddle I’ve ever ridden. Have used it for trail riding too. It’s been ridden hard the last 6 years and still looks great. Can you tell I love it?
GGStables I see you are in Ontario. Contact www.runningfox.com to demo the DAC and other Childeric dressage models. They also have a good selection of used Childerics on consignment. I found Debbie’s service to be superb.
That’s who I contacted when I ordered my saddles. Debbie is great. The whole process was seamless.
My first dressage saddle was a Childeric I bought for my TB. It. Was. Amazing. And when I sold it (because it was in no way going to fit my next horse) I got a good amount of money for it.
L’Apogee saddles are (or at least were) very similar if you’re looking for an alternative to the Childeric.
I don’t have one, but my trainer let me try hers when I was looking for a saddle, and I really liked it. (Although hers was a little big for me) I would have considered trying one more my size, but I was looking for something with a deeper seat and a lower price tag. (Could not find one used under $3,000). I will second what others say about the fit. It seems to fit a lot of horses of varied shape. I’m fond of the french saddles and ended up with a used voltaire which I love. If you’re looking for a DAC, I don’t think you can go wrong.
