Goldilocks and the 50 Million Saddles Episode 1

Back in April I had a saddle fitter check the fit of my two saddles. The whole experience was wonderful! D is extremely knowledgeable and does not work for a saddlery or tack shop which is great because I didn't feel pressured in the slightest to buy anything. Currently I own two saddles: a Wintec 2000 All-Purpose and a Wintec Pro dressage saddle. Both saddles were purchased new around 2001 (so they are over 10 years old), have been meticulously cared for, and have served me well. I explained up front that I was interested in making both saddles work for the meantime if possible since I'm not looking to buy a new saddle until at least December. She took Kwik's measurements and made tracings, evaluated the fit of both saddles on Kwik and while I was riding, and we experimented with different pads, shims, and tree widths. While she was poking around in my saddles, we discovered that they are so old they are synthetically flocked and do not have CAIR panels! All in all, she was satisfied with the fit of both saddles, although I'm going to try a MW blue gullet plate in my dressage saddle to see if that gives him a little more clearance since she did not have one on hand. We also tried some of the boarders' jump saddles on Kwik (with their permision!) to evaluate fit. The Amerigo was an instant NO, but she loved the fit of the Stubben Zaria and the Black Country Quantum (gulp, of course she did!). She emphasized the importance of purchasing a wool flocked saddle over something with CAIR or foam panels, and she let me feel a CAIR panel she had on hand. I really was suprised at how janky they look and how hard they are!

My problem right now is that I've ridden in the same two saddles for over 10 years and I really don't know what I do and don't like. Ann and I talked a bit about what I should look for in a jump saddle, and here's what I think I want at this point after talking with Ann and my saddle fitter:

1. Wool flocking
2. Front and rear blocks
3. Medium deep seat

With my budget in mind (~ $1,500), I've started to look around at my options. The Stubben Roxanne looks like something I'd like to try as does the Duett Bravo. While Duett is known for making saddles for wide horses, I'm curious if they could narrow a tree to fit Kwik. The Bravo just looks like a very nice saddle for the price, and Stacy over at The Jumping Percheron has two Duett Prestos and raves about them! I may email Duett to see if they have demos available.

Anyhoo, I mentioned that I got to ride Sierra the other day, and subsequently I got to ride in J's Fairfax monoflap dressage saddle. Although I'm looking to replace my jump saddle first, I'm definitely filing that experience away for when the time comes to replace my trusty Wintec Pro because I LOVED it! The external blocks were strange at first, but they really kept my leg in place and the deep seat was awesome. It really felt like the saddle put me in the proper position, and I felt secure but flexible at the same time. Lovely!

Fairfax Monoflap Dressage

PL brought her old Collegiate (I think it is similar to the Collegiate Senior Event saddle) out for me to try as well. I like the fit on Kwik- it seemed to make nice contact and gave him enough wither clearance. It smelled great (I'm not used to a saddle smelling like leather!), and I couldn't wait to ride in it. While I think the seat may have been a tad big for me, I felt like the seat was a little flat for my taste. It was also very loud!! I don't know- Wintecs don't make noise. This creaked and made noise with each step. I don't really think I felt all that secure in that saddle either, although it did not have the rear blocks. Will I just know what's right when I feel it? I sure hope so because purchasing a saddle is an investment. I definitely want to make the right choice!