Re: Re: Wintec vs. custom

["DeSoto Saddle" <desotosaddle@voyager.net>]

Please let me add to what Sue has said. You can adjust width on these
adjustable panel saddles but you can't adjust pitch of the bars. The pitch
of the bars is as important as the width. Many horses do not take the same
pitch back in the loins as they do in the withers. Also if you have a horse
with a extremely straight back you can't straighten out the panels or tree.
It will still rock in the middle of the back. I specialize in fitting the
extreme. High withers, very mutton withered, down hill and just plain odd
shaped horse. On the average the saddle I build weighs 16 lbs and is
extremely close contact.

Marilyn Horstmyer
DeSoto Custom Saddlery
(231) 775-5612
desotosaddle@voyager.net
----- Original Message -----
From: Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Cc: <RhndLev@cs.com>
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 11:41 PM
Subject: RC: Re: Wintec vs. custom


> >I have looked into custom saddles by Anne George and Desoto saddles, so
any
> >comparisons to those two saddles vs. the Wintecs would be helpful.  Thank
> you.
> >
> I teach riding so I have quite a few saddles (#16 (I think) currently on
> order) which have gotten various amounts of use (mostly *a lot* <g>) over
> the years so I've had a chance to "test drive" a good variety.  I own 6
> Wintec Saddles (1 Pro, 2 2000, 1 Aussie, 1 AP, 1 Sport...none in the
> endurance style but have ridden in them.)  These saddles are of various
> widths and seat sizes since they're used by various sized people on
> different horses.  I also have another very high quality Aussie saddle
> (Towoomba Campdraft Special -- for sale, btw, since it doesn't fit my
> current selection of widebodies <g>), a couple of western saddles, a nice
> leather dressage saddle (also for sale since it's never used), 3 Big Horns
> (just sold one so down to 2), and 1 leather AP saddle (and 1 old broken
> down jumping saddle that I can't throw away for sentimental reasons. <g>)
>
> When I started getting involved in endurance training, I needed decent
tack
> for entry level horses and riders...and, for various reasons, the current
> inventory wasn't going to work.  I bought the Big Horns at that time --
> they were pretty decent for the price, sat you in a fairly well balanced
> seat, were comfortable, and were a good enough fit for the current horses
> doing LD and training rides.  As the horses got into better condition, it
> became more evident that the Big Horns were not fitting all of the
changing
> shapes.  Blaze lost a lot of fat off of his back and, subsequently, decent
> withers appeared as well as a "dippy" back and big shoulders.  Nothing fit
> him!  I had only used the Wintec dressage saddles a couple of times on the
> trails but didn't like them since I couldn't attach much with so few D
> rings (and they didn't fit Blaze anymore either.)  I rode with shims in
the
> Big Horn until I could research the saddles available (since it was
> apparent that he would need a custom fit.)  I settled on the DeSoto after
> trying out David LeBlanc's saddle and finding it comfortable, nicely made,
> very good quality, and a reasonable price.  Blaze now has a happy back
that
> doesn't get sore and his gaits are much freer.
>
> The next one on the docket for this saddle was supposed to be Darby, my
> tanky Arab/Welsh mare (her picture is in August of the Endurance Riders
> Journal <g>) -- but, since she's not being ridden as much as a couple of
> the others right now, she got put third, behind Cabby.  Blaze is currently
> being ridden by a couple of students who will probably compete on him next
> year.  Darby has a couple of students that will be riding her out in the
> hills in the *spring*, but she's mostly in the arena right now.  I'm
riding
> Cabby now (and just adore him <g>) and getting him ready for 50s this next
> season.  While the Big Horn fits him better than Blaze, it's still not
> great...and, since I'm the one with the aching, aging body <g> and paying
> the tab, I voted Cabby next! ;-)  (Which reminds me...I need to get my
> templates in.)  Darby will be third -- and then I'll want one for
> Billy...and who knows about Blue since she'll be doing some LDs this next
> year, so I guess we'll see with her as she gets in better shape.
>
> I really like the comfort and the security of these saddles.  They sit you
> in a nicely balanced position and have lots of D rings and ties for
> attaching stuff.  Since we ride in the mountain foothills and the rain a
> lot, we tend to carry a fair amount of stuff with us.  I couldn't do this
> with the dressage saddles without adding more D rings.  They would
probably
> work fine if they fit the horse well, the rider was a lighter weight, and
> they didn't need to haul much along with them.  I prefer more substance, a
> bit more security (deeper seat...altho I don't use a deep seat for arena
> work), lots of place to hang stuff <g>, and a bigger surface area on the
> horse's back to distribute the weight they carry.  (I scanned the picture
> out of Marilyn's catalog if anyone is interested and hasn't seen what the
> saddle looks like.)  If the Wintec saddles (and their various
> interchangeable widths) fit the horse and the rider (don't forget to check
> for overall back fit and not just the pommel area) and the panels are
> appropriately sized for the weight of the rider, they would probably do
> fine.  The endurance model has more Ds and looks like it has bigger panels
> that the Pro or 2000 so it could be a reasonably priced, decent choice --
> at least for lower distances.  I haven't heard any reports on users who
are
> doing 75s or 100s.
>
> Sue
>
>
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