<<They weigh in at about 27# so are a bit
heavy for endurance. >>
I think any saddle that fits you and your horse
will work best for endurance. :) Firstly, larger saddles have a
larger area to disperse the weight pounds per square inch. So the CI
saddle may actually have less pressure on your horse's back than an english one
would... And as for overall weight, I don't think that matters beyond your
own concern for slinging it on and off a lot at a ride. I mean, we riders
vary from 110 lbs to 210 lbs...but I don't hear anyone say a heavyweight is "too
heavy for endurance". ;-) 5-10 lbs in your saddle, spread over
300-400 square inches, your horse will never notice. Heck, *I* put on 5-10
lbs every Christmas it seems, I don't buy a new saddle for half the year.
Ha, ha. :)
