Thoughts? I’m looking for some solid opinions on the best new (best brand) saddles out there. close contact, jumping…etc.
After exhaustive saddle shopping at WEG and subsequent test rides and research, Devoucoux and County came out on top for me – but what was best for my horse first, and me second, might not be what is best for another horse/rider team.
I ended up ordering a County, but it was a very close call. Devoucoux might have won out if they did not have such a horrible reputation re: customer service if something happens to go wrong with your custom saddle.
I had an Amerigo Vega that I was seriously in love with. I sold it when I moved to Europe and have since replaced it with a Tad Coffin. I LOVE the Tad Coffin, but I would buy another Vega in a heartbeat.
I know everyone loves Antares, but I haven’t sat in one that I actually liked. Of the French brands, I really prefer Devoucoux.
You might also look at the Luc Childric. If you like the French style close contact, you will like this one even better. Very similar to the Butet-Childeric worked for them. However, it has better weight distribution across the back ands is easier on most of their backs, it does come in several tree widths and is a hardier leather then the glove soft Butet.
It sits you a little more upright from the back, similar to an Antares.
County all the way!
My new ADT is wonderful so far. From the same people that brought you Arc de Triomphe bridles, which have a great reputation. www.mortack.com or ADT Tack on Facebook. Customer service was above and beyond what I expected. Saddles are French made and come in grain leather, or softer calf. My trainer just bought one for himself.
Saddle fit and preference is such an individual thing, I think. Just like horses… you don’t really know until you’ve had a chance to test ride all the different options!
I have had most of the high end brands - Hermes, Devoucoux, Antares, Tad Coffin, etc. I now ride in a Butet (one with the newer FB2 tree and more durable leather.) I prefer it to anything else I’ve had, and interestingly enough, so does my horse.
But what suits me might not suit you at all. You just have to ride in a bunch and see what works for you.
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I have ridden in a bunch in my recent saddle search, I really liked the new Stubben portos, great job on a close contact saddle by Stubben. I also liked the Antares but it didn’t fit my leg the way I wanted. I ended up with a Prestige Hunter and I LOVE it, I feel really balanced but it doesn’t lock my leg in like the prestige nona did. As a PP commented, it’s such an individual thing you have to sit in a lot and ride in a lot… you might love where a saddle puts you on one horse and hate it on another… to say nothing of the saddle’s fit to the horse.
The best saddle is the one that suits you, will fit your horse and the one that is in your budget.
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[QUOTE=findeight;5396340]
You might also look at the Luc Childric. If you like the French style close contact, you will like this one even better. Very similar to the Butet-Childeric worked for them. However, it has better weight distribution across the back ands is easier on most of their backs, it does come in several tree widths and is a hardier leather then the glove soft Butet.
It sits you a little more upright from the back, similar to an Antares.[/QUOTE]
I love my Childeric, those and Butet’s are definitely up there for me. It all made sense once I found out Luc Childeric used to work for Butet. My Childeric fits everything, keeps me secure in the saddle, comfy as a cloud, I love it, I would only trade it if some one can get me a Butet version of it. 
But you will get a variety of results on this, depending on personal preferences.
LOVE my Antraes and CWD.
Also really like Butet, Devoucoux, Delegrange, Prestige, Amerigo and above all EquineFit. They can do ANYthing.
pj delgrange
Like SNL, I was SERIOUSLY in love with my Amerigo Vega.
I currently have an Antares, and while it is LOVELY, it is not the saddle for me.
I love what fits my horse and it fit the next one too! My L’Apogee…they have been ownderful over the years that I have had my saddle and I love it…
In Dr. Pangloss’s Best of All Possible Worlds, I’d have one made to my specs by these guys, probably in this order:
That Paul guy who works out of Broken Horn in Baldwin Park, CA.
A SoCal COTHer had one build for her and had a thread about it. Beautiful saddle, tree chosen for her and the horse, a great guy who worked on all parts of the fitting and building process from beginning to end, as I understand it.
David Stackhouse
Lauriche (not sure these are still made)
Maybe a saddle made by Richard Castelow or a Mike Corcoran in here somewhere
CWD
County
Black Country
These are very different saddles. Widening my search even further, I’d take a
Smith-Worthington buffalo thing (I forget the name)
Tad Coffin
Del Grange
L’Apogee
Antares
maybe a Devoucoux if I had the right rep.
But to me the “best saddle” is the one that can be customized and made well. I have ignored the question of price and value here. I have paid attention to the problem of getting the right fitter as the “middle man” between horse, me, and saddle builder.
I personally love the Albion Jewell.
Albion pays tremendous attention to fitting each saddle to the horse as well as the rider, the saddle is wool flocked instead of foam so you can make fitting tweaks along the way, and it is a much better saddle for less money than some of the ‘high end’ foam brands that have been known for their poor fit to the horse and decidedly lacklustre customer service.
I also like Black Country saddles.
My personal rule is to run, not walk, away from anything that is foam filled and French. JMO.
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I’ve sat in just about everything, and my favorite are Stackhouse. I have two right now that were both made for my horses (and me). I also still have my ancient PDN that I still adore
My second fav was my Childeric. LOVED that saddle, and would have hung onto it but I bought it for a particularly hard to fit horse. I kept it for a few years and it didn’t fit any horse after that so I sold it. I would probably buy another one.
I tried the Antares route for a few years, and after going through several saddles and not having them fit the horse or myself properly I gave up and moved on. Some people swear by Antares though
I really like the Hermes and Butet’s I have borrowed. And sat in a pretty comfoy PJ recently that I liked.
Saddles are such a personal thing, I don’t know if the question “what are the best brands?” can really be answered.
[QUOTE=SaturdayNightLive;5396324]
I had an Amerigo Vega that I was seriously in love with. I sold it when I moved to Europe and have since replaced it with a Tad Coffin. I LOVE the Tad Coffin, but I would buy another Vega in a heartbeat.
I know everyone loves Antares, but I haven’t sat in one that I actually liked. Of the French brands, I really prefer Devoucoux.[/QUOTE]
I bought her Vega and I love it. I would definitely buy another in the future. It fits my new horse pretty well too, which is an added bonus. 
I tend to gravitate towards the French saddles. DelGrange, Antares, CWD and Butet are my favorites. I have a Tad Coffin which is a great saddle, but a little to hard on the hiney to suit my tastes. My horse loves it, though.
