# Morning - are wintec saddles any good?



## R2R (17 May 2010)

Morning! 

I was wondering if you could tell me if wintec saddles were any good? I am thinking of getting a wintec 500 with cair for my youngster who has changed shape a million times in the past year...and hasnt finished growing yet. 

Is it worth it, or shall I spend the cash on a decent 2nd hand leather? 

He is just about to start doing low end rc level...2"3 s/j, walk and trot dressage, a bit of xc...

Thank you


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## ThePony (17 May 2010)

I personally don't like them - not comfy for me and the shape doesn't suit my horse. There don't seem to be too many horses that the shape suits well.  Though as with all things, if the shape is good for your horse, and you find you sit well in the saddle then I would go for it.  With the cair though I would be careful as it is often over inflated which leads to the panels being far too hard and causing back probs.


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## R2R (17 May 2010)

Am I better off going for flocking? I know they fit as someone at yard has one.


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## galaxy (17 May 2010)

I used Wintec saddles on youngsters.  I don't hugely like them, but they are light and adjustable and perfect for the job.  I always stick a polypad under them (also have it fitted by saddler).  I find them much nicer to ride in than Thorogoods.  Once they are in full work and look pretty mature, I get a proper saddle.

Cair saddles are stuffed with foam by the way.... not air.  Clever marketing!


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## teddyt (17 May 2010)

The first saddle(s) of a horses working life are arguably more important than any other.I dont think you can expect a horse to learn and the rider be safe in any saddle that is a compromise.

i personally wouldnt use a wintec if i was given one- i dont like the design, the tree is banana shaped and the cair panels are hard. Yes, theyre adjustable but that is just one part of fitting and the rest of the saddle isnt good enough.

I think Thorowgoods are a great start, they are much better designed and adjustable- including the girthing arrangement. this gives you more chance of the saddle lasting longer. Other than that its just part of owning a youngster that you have to accept they may need several saddeles in the first 2 years or so of work.


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## R2R (17 May 2010)

Galaxy - thats my plan. My big horse has three saddles (!!!!) all fitted to him, and baby horse borrows his gp at the moment, which saddle fitter said was OK but not ideal - also means if I want to go for a hack with someone else aboard youngster I go in my jump or dressage - not ideal on spooky horse (jump) who you want to pop over the odd jump (dressage) 

Plan is to keep him in a wintec till he matures then buy him a decent gp, until I decide what to do with him!!! 

Its it easier to ajust cair or shall I just stick to flocking?


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## lachlanandmarcus (17 May 2010)

thorowgood a thousand times better than  wintec and with a youngster you really appreciate the 4th bracing girth strap to keep everything in place when they go boing!


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## ThePony (17 May 2010)

if the wintec fits the best then I would go for flocking as it will be more easily adjustable by your saddler and assuming it is done well it will be better for the horses back (imho) - (just changing the gullet often isn't enough to help the saddle to fit when the horse grows). This website has more info, though of course it is pretty much a big ad so will only say good things http://www.cairpanelsystem.com/whatIsCAIR/index.htm!  I do prefer the thorrowgood, but again, only good if it fits your horse! Can your saddler come out with a load and see what is suggested?  How about a second hand leather saddle? I do prefer leather covered panels than synthetic as they conform to the shape of the horses back better. If it is second hand and well looked after then you shouldn't loose much on it when you need to change it. That would be my choice tbh.


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## Kenzo (17 May 2010)

Another vote for Thorowgood.

Having said that, just because they are adjustable (gullet/fish) and have various girthing options, doesnt mean to say it will fit your youngster, there only as good as the next saddle if they fit well and no amount of changing the front end of a saddle will make it fit better if the rest of it doesnt, so there not suited all despite having the HW/Cob/Mr Average range etc so keep an open mind.

You can get them re-flocked like any other saddle and you can also get the tree adjusted slightly (for the fixed ones without gullet change) however for the cost and the price of the saddle...it would make more sense just to change the saddle. but you have the option there 

I've ridden in few wintecs (GP styles) and found them hard and it bit tacky.


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## LaurenM (17 May 2010)

I've got a wintec - bought it with my boy. I've been using them for 2 years now and find that it fits my boy well. Regardless of the type of saddle - it's the comfort for both horse and rider that is most important.


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## canteron (17 May 2010)

I had a wintec for my youngster and didn't like the way it seemed to sit above the horse (it fitted OK just I think I prefer the way leather moulds to the horse.)

I bought a Bates off Ebay, which has been great and I like the fact it is adjustable.  I am assuming that it will hold its value reasonably well as when I feel he has stopped growing plan to resell and buy a 'forever' saddle.

The flock Wintecs are harder to resell if you are thinking short term investment


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## peanut (17 May 2010)

I absolutely love my Wintec 2000 which has been a real godsend with my youngster changing shape/building muscle over the last few years.  Anyone who sits on her is astounded at how comfortable it is and I would have no hesitation in buying another.

I went for cair over flocking because you then don't get pressure points.


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## teddyt (17 May 2010)

bmb said:



			I went for cair over flocking because you then don't get pressure points.
		
Click to expand...


i would disagree with this- you can get pressure points with any form of panel if it doesnt fit. And cair is not adjustable. Few horses are symetrical and so need flocking to be adjusted accordingly- otherwise pressure points will occur. Cair also cant mould to the horse to the same extent as a properly wool flocked panel can- it is limited by the fact it is a sealed bag containing foam and a set amount of air, with a hard foam layer outside it. And a maturing horse doesnt just need the tree width changed- it has other muscles too!

At the end of the day though its what fits the horse. If a wintec saddle fits then get one!


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## NeilM (17 May 2010)

I like Wintec's, I find them more comfortable than many leather saddles I've tried, but being a man I have...ahem 'additional considerations' to be taken into account!

As far as fit is concerned the Wintec's are no different to any other saddle and the only point of adjustment is the width below the pommel, in every other respect they have to fit properly. If the fit is right then being able to allow for the addition / reduction of muscle is great.

Flock vs CAIR: My boy certainly seems to prefer CAIR, to the point where I am selling my spare (flocked) saddle and replacing it with a leather jumping saddle, as I am not using the spare. It was quite clear from his behaviour while being saddled which one he preferred and they both had the same size gullet fitted. 

Best bet is to try and borrow one, and see if it will fit, but that is pretty much the same whatever make or model you choose.


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## Hippona (17 May 2010)

Depends entirely on the shape of the horse.... Wintecs are rubbish for 2 of mine ( broader, low withered types). One came with  Wintec Wide (cair) and although the fit/width seems ok I feel like I am perched on top of him rather than sitting into him....not keen.

The other horse has high withers (TB type) and actually the Wintec is the best fitting saddle he has ever had- he goes really well in it and has muscled up nicely. I'm not keen, but he is comfortable in it and seeing as he had 3 saddles in the last 18m and this is the best one....then its up to him lol ( actually, thinking about it he came with a Wintec but I didn't like it- but he went really well in that one too)

PS....its flock, not cair.


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## Coffee_Bean (17 May 2010)

Personally I hate wintecs. The banana tree shape fits about 1% of horses. Their uncomfortable for the rider and horse imo. I had a wintec 500 with cair and probably one of the worst saddles I've ever sat on. Will not go near a wintec again.

However, my youngster has a thorowgood T6 high wither GP and it's fantastic. Adjustable, looks like leather, fits her beautifully. Couldn't be more thrilled with it. My saddler offered me the choice of a kent and masters or thorowgood, which are exactly the same but K+M is £200 more expensive as it is leather. So glad I saved myself £200


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## Nickles1973 (17 May 2010)

I have a Wintec VSD on my Tb. I was so paranoid that it couldn't possibly fit properly after reading threads on here about Wintecs being terrible that I paid a HHO recommended saddler to come out and check the fit. When she came she said that as much as she would like to sell me a new saddle, she could find nothing wrong with the one I already had. Which goes to prove that reputation alone should not be the deciding factor when choosing a saddle. I happen to to find my Wintec very comfortable to ride in and love the fact that it doesn't need much cleaning, and I now have confidence that for now it fits my boy perfectly.


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## ROMANY 1959 (17 May 2010)

I got a wintec for 15 h high withered TB in feb, it was the only one that fitted nice and I must say she does go well in it and it feels good to sit in, so ive been told. The saddle fitter tried 8 different ones and in the end the 16.5 VSD was the one with a narrow bar


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## Kallibear (18 May 2010)

Of you've got a narrow-ish (but not hollow) TB type (with the sloping loins) a wintec will probably fit - it fitted my friends classic TB really well. But they're the only type of horses they fit well. I cringe when people on forums enthuse about how they're so lovely on their HW cobs 

If you've got a fairly broad but not table top horse the wintec WIDE will possibly fit - they can be a good fit on fairly wide, well muscled or undeveloped 'average' horses. But not on flat table tops.

Cair is great if the saddle is a perfect fit and ONLY if it's _perfect_. If it's not quite perfect there is no 'bedding down' and the panels spring back into the incorrect shape every single stride, eventually causing sore points. The flocking at least beds and moulds to the horse.

I'd still go for a thorowgood first though. Much better designed saddle all around and with the new adjustable gullets they have a high resale value and will allow for a fair bit of growth.


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## HollyWoozle (18 May 2010)

My ISH came with her Wintec saddle and I've had no need to change it. It seems to fit well, suit us both and is fine for the light schooling and hacking that we do (and perhaps a lot more).


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## kateknights (18 May 2010)

Another vote for my wintec, i love it! It is comfy, it is fitted to my horse, easily adjustable, i have my saddler out every six months to get mine checked as i have a 3yr old who is constantly changing shape!
Kate x


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