Wintec`s anyone??

[jakesmum]

well still searching in vain for a saddle for jake initially just to wear if that makes sense. So do not want anything too special in case he jumps on the floor. But of course must be sound and safe
So jake is wide flat backed and short coupled

Ideally I would need a 17" something with a flat tree.
It has to be cheap for all of the above and of course he will grow out of it. So my thoughts have turned to wintec. Now is a wintec with a wide plate wide enough for these boys??
Wintec now do a wintec wide with 4 girthing straps and a selection of special gullets but they are hold the price at the mo. I also considered a wintec dressage to allow for shoulder clearance.

I`m interested in your thoughts anyone who has gone down this route

[harleydales]

I have one of the Wintec Wide saddles for Harley - it's designed for short coupled flat backed cobby types. Mine is a 17 inch one and has an XXW gullet in it. It was £400 new including extra flocking. I've never seen one for sale second hand. It's a lovely saddle, and I've had no problems at all with it. Harley had a bit of wastage behind his shoulders before I got it but this has come back up now.

I tried a dressage one, but found the flaps a bit long. It was great for shoulder movement though. The other saddle I had was a Wintec 500 which was OK but a bit of a banana shape. I had an XW gullet in it and it was OK until H was 5 and then he just got too broad for it. I spoke to the saddler about getting an XXW gullet for it and he reckoned it wouldn't work because of the dynamics of the saddle.

[NFK Dumpling]

I've got two Wintec saddles - The first one started to get a bit tatty so I got another one "for best" this year.

The newer one has cair panels (air bags) which seem to work well. It isn't a dressage saddle but a GP cut with a cob shape in mind so it gives more room at the shoulder.

I like them because they are light and easy to clean and don't soak up the rain. They also have a "suede" (I wanted to spell it swede) bit that your helps to keep your leg still (it means I don't go out the side door every time!).

James has the extra wide plate too.

[Daftmare]

I have a wintec for Amber and I love it, I am also thinking of getting one for jake one of the wintec wide ones I just have a normal 2000 one for Amber with the wide plate in it.

[julie]

Have a look at the thorowgood cobs as these tend to fit the flat backed ponies better and the fish inserts mean you can change from wide to xxw easily. On e bay about £200 second hand and usually much better fit than iwintecs which are a bit banana shaped for a native

[julie]

Have a look at the thorowgood cobs saddle as these tend to fit the flat backed ponies better and the fish inserts mean you can change from wide to xxw easily. On e bay about £200 second hand and usually much better fit than iwintecs which are a bit banana shaped for a native.

[The Moo]

I have used Wintec normal ones and bought a Wintec Wide 2nd hand for £210 last year for Moo.
I love it. I find it very comfortable for me, nice broad seat, nice straightish panels that clear big shoulders. It has lovely wide flat panels to fit table table tops and they are not like the normal Wintec 5000 (?) which are more shaped.
You can also use the normal Wintec gullets down to the red size if your pone is not such a barrell. I used my with a red gullet on Cherry when she first came till I got a saddle sorted for her and found it suited her really quite well, in fact I preferred the fit to the saddle that was actually made for her and it now away being 'sorted'.
As i am so pee'd off with her proper saddle not being right I have been thinking about the Wintec VSD - special offer at Equestrian Clearance at the mo - but would only want it if it had the flat panels like the Wide and not the GP. (I have lent the Wide to a friend quite a way away so can't really just swipe it back for a few weeks.)
I know the real issue is to get her proper saddle sorted but it is so frustrating when the saddler can't come for weeks, I work full time so have to take time off, it costs another £30+ for a visit etc etc


Phew, after all that (scuse the rant) - yes - Wintecs are good though have to admit that the only Thorowgood Cob saddle I sat in didn't really fit the cob which is no fault of the saddle. If you are buying off ebay, consider the Thorowgood endurance as I was told by the Thorowgood lady that it was the same tree as in the Cob - would be wise to check first though.

[Deleted]

We had a thorogood cob xxw, was great fit for flat backed Buzz, think we paid £240 new from the saddler.

[Biggerside Benwell]

Duke has a wintec 2000 gp with a wide plate in at the moment until next year when he will have either a wintec pro dressage or a wow saddle.

[mostlysunny]

I had a cair wintec for Teddy before we went treeless. It was too flat for his banana shaped back and caused bridging, but had it not been for that it was quite a comfortable saddle

[bevbob]

I had problems with the wintec wide for Bobs as it sat off his back at the cantle and moved around too much despite having 4 girth straps. This also gave him lumps where it was moving around too much.... but I can see why you dont want to spend loads at first and Bobs is super wide, much wider than Jake will be.
I couldnt get the thorowgood to fit as they were too narrow.

[jakesmum]

thanks for that bev
karen has sorted me out with an ironing board ;D its lovely and wide and straight just had to use one of the lovely pics

[bevbob]

Hehe, Iv had dealings with 'ironing board' saddles lol but you do get used to them! in fact some of them ride quite like a treeless.