Your favorite brand/type saddle and why

[gallopinggelding]

Can i ask as above
Do you stick to a paticular brand?
what type of activities do you do with your horse ?
What type of horse do you have , is he/she fine /med/heavy built ?
anything you like to add .
I bought a new saddle last year a synthetic one which served its purpose so now i might look into a leather better synthetic one
please add horse/ponies age when you did if young,my boys changed shape since last year im thinking if i do, will it be no good next year or should i go for a cheapie again ?
Thanks

[Smurf]

ATM im looking at synthetic ones. My boy is due to be backed at some point through the year so his ever changing shape means a good fitting cheap saddle is the way to go for a few months until he needs a new one. I like the look of the changeable gullet ones, i think that might be the way forward for ever changing youngsters :)

[doodledoo]

I tend to stick to buying Stubben saddles and bridles. At the moment both my loan horses, (part thoroughbreds-medium build) have stubben dressage saddles, 1 is an Excalibur and the other is a Genesis, ive also had a second-hand Maestoso too. They are all very comfortable with deep seats and close contact, just expensive! I did buy a second hand Kieffer Kiel dressage saddle once that was very good and also had a Garnisch general purpose one too that was ideal. At first though i just buy thorowgood or wintec synthetics until they are at least 5years old( except for the ponies which stay with synthetics.) The only other saddle brand ive ever bought was an Albion GP which was cheaper and very good but not as hard wearing or elegant as the Stubben or Kieffers. It depends what you are going to be doing, ive always competed in dressage so like the extra smartness of these brands. :)

[coloredred]

I'd go with a well fitted cheaper saddle for a young horse. I've had Magic since he was 4, he's now 8 and i've had 10 saddles for him (some outgrown, others were just a temp thing until i could get what i wanted - i know i have a problem), I'm currently looking for his 11th saddle and i'm hoping that now he's 8 he won't be changing shape anymore lol.

As for fav types i love dressage saddles, so comfortable and easy to ride in and i also love close contact style jump saddles, not ideal for flat work but the gfs one i had was lovely and i wish i had it back :(

[My Crazy Clan]

Not really brought many, Maxma is one i have, I like it, use it for jumping and hacking.

[CityLights]

There are a few makes that are leather that saddles can change easily, so even if he does change shape your saddler could alter the width, Bates, Kents and Master and Saddle Co are very easy to change and there are a few more makes that are adjustable

I love Ollies Albion its lovely to ride in its just such a bad fit on him its a med and he needs a med/wide or wide fit saddle

I rdie him in my kents and Masters now and its a decent saddle for him fits well enough and is ok for me to ride in but isnt what i would of chosen for him was i buying him a saddle as i find it difficult to ride him in, but it was Dennis' and was brilliant for riding den

[gallopinggelding]

Thank-you for replies , this horse is young, and i think ill wait a few month when hes in a bit more work and get him a new synthetic one <im going to end up with lots arnt i ?>

[Bay Chaos]

I have a saddle compnay saddle for champ and had one that I recently sold for Bridie. Both are/were lovely saddles. I'd really recommend them for horses that are likely to change shape as they are so adjustable.

Dina has an ideal working hunter. Saddle company didn't fit her and she needs one that is suitable for showing.

[Lorraine]

I had a second hand saddle (don't know the brand) for Apache, and Poppet, a Jeffries for Tibbs when they were younger. Now they are all older Apache has a Stubben GP and an Albion dressage saddle and Tibbs an Albion dressage saddle. Poppet still has her second hand saddle for now.

It's not really worth buying an expensive saddle until they are 6+ years old as they change so much before that age.

[gallopinggelding]

Thank-you everyone i do love the stubben ones but ill wait until hes older and stick to new synthetics i think for now ive a feeling hes probably going to have a new one every year until hes a bit older .

[lilholley]

I use Saddle Company Saddles. My mare is a wide new forest. I bought my saddle 4 years ago for my other pony, its still looking pretty good, except for a few scratches on the cantle (I led her under low brambles) and some scuffs on the pommel when someone had put it on the floor!
I've had it adjusted so many times I've lost count, its been reflocked once. If it wasn't adjustable then I would have been through so many saddles by now. When I bought it the saddler said to me that'd I'd keep it for life and she was right :)
They've gone up loads in price, mine was £275 but they're now about £500 I think, but then thats only 2 or 3 cheaper saddles, so if you get it adjusted twice its worth it
Oh and its also very comfy! We do dressage, jumping, hacking and long rides in it. Would love one of their dressage saddles one day

xx

[WeeB]

wintec all the way! Loads of people on my yard have wintecs.

I just love how easy they are to look after, the changable gullets are great and synthetic saddles look so much better now than they did when i was a kiddle. Mine fits B like a glove (13.2hh 28 year old welsh x gelding) I get it fitted twice a year.