Re: RC: Wintec Saddles

["Tamara Habberley" <tamarahabberley@hotmail.com>]

Hi you wrote

the dressage saddle doesn't really have a tree in the traditional sense.
>It just has a bar in the front over the wither.  I am a bit worried about
>how this will affect the horse going the longer distances.  Does anyone
>have experience with a saddle like this?
>

fear not!!

The saddle does have a tree. The metal gullet at the front slots into the 
trees plastic gullet which is relativly flexible. The trees basically the 
same shape as a conventional one but is in a molded flexible polymer ( or 
something technical like that!). The saddle seat and flaps are all built up 
on this thi tree, hence reason its so light. The stirrup bars are attached 
in to the tree and recessed away from the riders leg. The saddle is padded 
with wool and is very soft paneled.

The reason the gullet can change width is because of the trees flexibility. 
It is not likley to shear across though because of the plastic/polymer used. 
Unlike the old Thoroghgood adjust tree saddles the gullet cannot begin to 
untwiddle and become wider as you ride along.

I was fortunate in that my saddler, who is MR Keen as hes training to be a 
master saddler was so suprised to meet a female cusotmer who expressed an 
interest in the techincal side of saddles that he whipped one out that he 
had stripped down to show me the tree etc! He retails Thoroughgood saddles 
as well. He said he prefered the wintec Gp to the Thoroughgood as its more 
balanced. However, he buys in thoroughgood trees to build his leather 
saddles on.

AS my saddlers about 15 miles from Walsall saddlrey capital of the world etc 
his recomendation of synthetcis speaks for it self!

I hope to do distances in mine next year, I doubt many people have had the 
opportunity this year as the saddles are enw to the market. Wintec have an 
excellent web site which shows you the saddles construction etc as its 
stripped down. One thing I did find with mine was that It tipped a bit ( 
slippy hairy horse) so I use an impact or limpet pad. The saddle doesnt move 
now and the horses hairs are complety unruffled.

Sorry for the mega long email, but for the price Im impressed by these 
saddles.

Tamara


>From: Liz Newfield <lizfield@jeffnet.org>
>To: ridecamp@endurance.net
>Subject: RC:  Wintec Saddles
>Date: Sat, 04 Dec 1999 15:20:12
>
>
>Has anyone tried Wintec's new, adjustable tree saddles? Specifically has
>anyone tried the saddle with one of the wider adjustments? Thanks for your
>input.
>
>
>I recently purchased a Wintec dressage saddle with an adjustable tree.  It
>came with a regular tree which I found was a bit narrow on my 15'1 Arab.
>So I replaced it with a wide tree (the smallest of the wide sizes.)  It
>fits my horse very well and stays in place over all kinds of terrain.  I
>also find it to be very comfortable.
>
>I have been using in on a horse that I am just starting to condition so the
>greatest distance I have ridden with it is 15 miles.   Originally I
>purchased it to use only for dressage but find it so comfortable that I am
>thinking about using it for endurance.  Unlike the Wintec endurance saddle,
>the dressage saddle doesn't really have a tree in the traditional sense.
>It just has a bar in the front over the wither.  I am a bit worried about
>how this will affect the horse going the longer distances.  Does anyone
>have experience with a saddle like this?
>
>
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