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  Discussion on Wintec saddles
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Member:
Petsu

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 15, 2002 - 9:17 pm:

It has been over a year since I bought the Wintec Endurance saddle, and I love it. At first it seemed that I was sitting on a shelf, but after 2 weeks I realized that the equisude just needed to comform to my butt. It is like sitting on a cloud . My upper inner thighs and seatbones are not sore after a long (or short) trail rides as with my Stubben. The saddle fitting was a breeze since the saddler let me borrow the gullet guage to measure the wither area. When I picked up the Wintec I brought the Stubben in order to compare . Was I surprised in the difference of gullet sizes. But since I also brought the wire hanger I used to measure Mickey's wither area I could see the Wintec was more his size -wide. The Wintec was a close fit , I could only get one finger under the gullet. I was concerned , but monitored it frequently. The saddle was so comfy it was all I ever used. Well, 5 months later the Stubben just didn't fit , and now the Wintec has 3 fingers clearence in the gullet. My guess is he had more shoulder movement and filled out in that area.
Well I just thought I would share my Wintec experience since I brought it up last year and have given it a good test period. AAAA+
Member:
Hwood

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 15, 2002 - 11:56 pm:

Debra,
I use all synthetic saddles on my horses. I have three or four different brands. Two of the saddles are Wintecs. One of the Wintecs, the oldest one and a style no longer made, is the most comfortable seat I have ever had on a horse. I can ride for hours in it with no ill effects. Unfortunately, it is getting really well-worn after 12 years of hard use. Do you know if the material on the Wintecs can be replaced? If you don't know, I can call my tack shop, but I was just wondering if you or anyone else has ever had a Wintec rebuilt.
Thanks, Holly
Member:
Sross

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 16, 2002 - 8:48 am:

Holly-I don't know of anyone who's had a Wintec rebuilt, but I am thrilled to hear that your Wintec has held up to 12 years of hard use. You might want to contact Wintec (I think it's wintec.net.au) about that.
Debra-I know what you mean about conforming to your butt! A friend of mine recently rode in my Wintec 500 Dressage and compared it to wearing someone else's Earth shoes, as after several years of steady use, my saddle matches my butt perfectly.
One question-my saddle is the Equileather not the Equisuede, and now has nice shiny flaps from all the wear. Has anyone else encountered that?
Member:
Petsu

Posted on Monday, Oct 21, 2002 - 2:35 pm:

Holly , I see quite a few older model Wintec saddles in great shape on E-bay. I don't know if the Wintec can be rebuilt , good question. I would like to get another Wintec for my lessons and ring work and am wondering if the close contact or the all purpose would suit me. It would be nice if I can go to the tack shop and try them all on , HA! As it is I have to special order and then drive 100 miles to the tack shop that carries them. :-(
Member:
Hwood

Posted on Monday, Oct 21, 2002 - 4:12 pm:

Thanks, Debra and Sandra. I'll check both sites out.
Holly
Member:
Beasley

Posted on Friday, Jun 25, 2004 - 5:38 pm:

Wintec Riders - I have read the discussion about the Wintec saddles- very interesting and helpful. Specifically, I am wondering if any Wintec riders with the changeable gullet actually use the white (widest) gullet and if so, on what breed horse? I have a foundation quarter horse who is WIDE. I have been using the red gullet that is next to widest but he is beginning to show some stress marks behind the withers on each side about 2 in. long. I see from the discussion that I should probably move the saddle back a little, but I am wondering of any other QTR horse riders have had to use the widest gullet and am wondering if the saddle is too narrow or wide? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Member:
Nathalie

Posted on Friday, Jun 25, 2004 - 5:51 pm:

Hi Jo, Can you maybe post a picture of the way the saddle fits your horse? (better without saddle pad).
Nath
Member:
Hwood

Posted on Friday, Jun 25, 2004 - 6:23 pm:

Jo, I have several synthetic English saddles, all different styles . . . two of them are Wintecs manufactured at different times. The older sport saddle is no longer manufactured, and it is definitely wider, and the panels are not stuffed as much as the other Wintec which is called a "sport," yet seems much like a dressage saddle. I believe I have heard that none of the gullet change forms are quite wide enough for some horses. I have used the Wintec Measuring device for a couple of horses who were WAY off the chart . . . no withers and very wide just behind the withers. If the white gullet form is not quite wide enough for your horse, maybe you could have some of the panel stuffing removed?? to make the gullet even wider.

I have used both of my Wintecs on Quarter Horses, Appys, Paints, TBs, Morgans, Arabians, Morabs, Fjords and even one Percheron, but the older model with the skimpier panels definitely fits the wider horses better.

Good for you, that you are observant and conscious of finding the right fit for your horse.
Member:
Canderso

Posted on Friday, Jun 25, 2004 - 9:53 pm:

Hi Jo,
I keep a wintec around for legging up Bailey after he has his lame episodes(can be up to 6 weeks stall rest at a time). He needs the white gullet. His breeding, unfortunately is anyone's guess - most people say Clyde/TB with quarterhorse somewhere (although after my ride tonight, my money would be on some sort of cross with a pig).
A friend used an extra-wide on her arab.

I do know that sometimes with Wintecs the 'right' fits doesn't have the three fingers of clearance at the wither (this was told to me by a professional saddler).
Member:
Ajudson1

Posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2004 - 11:18 am:

I am currently shopping for a new saddle and was considering the Wintec Pro Stock Saddle with CAIR and EasyChange Gullet system, and weighing the pros and cons of that saddle vs a cheaper Aussie Endurance saddle. Unless I missed it, I see most of the above posts are referring to older Wintecs, and more "English" where I am thinking Aussie. Does anyone have any comments on the "Aussie" Wintec? It's very spendy and says the x-wide gullet cannot be used with it. I do want the Poleys. I am used to riding in either a western endurance type saddle(which isn't in very good condition) or a Treeless Circle Y. The treeless seems to be causing some problems for my horses. And I really want something to help stay on!! (older and not as brave anymore on youngsters)

My farrier brought 2 of his saddles for me to try. One, an older Wintec has many, many endurance ride miles on it. It was a 17" seat and fit me and one of our horses good. (we should of tried it on all of 'em) Very comfy!! The other, a Brisbane(?) aussie, same size, was way to small for my seat. But fit the horse good also.

I found out that my Treeless is way too long for my Arab mares. 25" is the length. My one mare has a higher rump than withers and my saddle has been making her sore. The other mare goes lame off and on, maybe from saddle also?

Regarding fit, I've been trying to get that determined from Kates.net, who sells Aussie saddles. I sent 4 wither tracings, and only had a brief follow up (kinda getting to be a cat and mouse game with these people) and the lady said to get the Endurance which had the widest gullet for our widest horse, and just use a thicker pad for the rest of the horses.

Any comments on the use of pads to help with fit would be appreciated. BTW, the tracings seemed close to me. An inch difference maybe, is an inch alot? The 2 Arab mares are older, and wider. The other 2 horses are 5 and 2, and more prominent withers, but the 2 yr old will fill out of course. (A Paint, and Fresian Sport horse)

Regarding saddle placement, again referring to Kates.net site, what they show for saddle placement does not seem to agree with what was posted above, nor did my farrier agree with it. He put the saddles back farther that I was used to.

Eveo, your comment about fitting the the gullet but maybe not the barrel is something to think about.

Liz your info was great, and I too would be interested in any photos you could show us.

Lynne, if I may ask what kind of Aussie saddle do you have? I am torn between trying the Kates models, for less money, and trying the Wintec. I actually want to purchase an Western Poley for my daughter (age 10, who's currently riding in a very inexpensive kids Aussie) and we could use 2 more saddles for my husband and myself. Hmmm, now do I splurge and get a cadillac saddle for me, and a cheaper one for my husband who hardly ever rides? ha, then he'll steal the good one when he does ride!!

I personally think if Dr O., and my farrier (who's put on 1000's of miles endurance riding) say a Wintec is good enough for them, it should be good enough for the rest of us.

Dr O, the neoprene girth isn't slippery? My farrier had that on his saddles too I think. Come to think of it, the saddles didn't move at all when I mounted. I thought that's what I had once and returned...learning more everyday here!

Thanks everyone.
Member:
Hwood

Posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2004 - 12:21 pm:

Angie,

From what I understand, Aussie's are build on an English tree, so the twist is similar to what you would find in an English saddle. If you like the way the English fits you, then you will probably like the way the Aussie fits. As for the panel stuffing . . . It seems different, in looks so I don't know if the saddles are similar in their fit on the horses' backs.
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2004 - 1:14 pm:

I,too, do a lot of riding in a Wintec-older sport model. I think I've had it 9 or 10 years. I did put a neoprene girth on it. I love it and the horses seem to love it too. It is so light weight! I especially like it for training younger horses, and for horses coming back from injury. It seems to fit all my horses. I have several other saddles, including a Stubben dressage and a Circle Y western show saddle, but the one I usually grab is the Wintec, unless I'm showing. The other saddle I love is my custom made western saddle that I've had since I was 14 yr. old.(I'm 61 now) It's the one I usually use on long trail rides as it fits like a glove and has lots of tie strings.

My trainer has a newer Wintec with the adjustable gullet. She uses the "wide" on a couple of her Paints. Her saddle came with a measuring gauge that looks very handy to have. I think you may be able to order it from Wintec seperatly.
Member:
Longhorn

Posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2004 - 3:11 pm:

For Jo Beasley: What a coincidence! I just switched the white, extra-wide gullet for the red, medium-wide gullet on my full Quarter horse gelding. We just got two Wintec 2000 All Purpose saddles with the Cair air panel system for our two quarter horse geldings.

We were having a hard time fitting an English and Western saddle on our one guy, Strat, so I had an equine chiopractor (DVM) and a siddle fitter out to look at him. They both confirmed he'd be a little hard to fit. Strat is about 1,100 pounds, has fairly pronounced withers, is a little lopsided on his shoulders (one bigger than the other), and he has a steep back (not swayed) that tends to cause saddles to bridge. The saddle fitter recommended a Wintec with the Cair air panel system. He said the Wintec's have a wider channel underneath to straddle the spine and the Cair system allows the saddle to conform to the horse's back better without taking a set. Plus we'd have the choice of gullets. He also said he thought the medium (black) gullet would do. Well, when we tried the medium gullet it was clear it was too narrow. We also used the Easy Measure Gullet Gauge that came with the gullet inserts and Strat fell right between the red, medium-wide and white, extra-wide. At first it looked like the medium-wide sat too high on his withers, but after using the extra-wide several times, now (and a major bucking event on cinch up in the arena),} we're thinking the medium-wide will be more comfortable for him.

The very best site we've found for (english) saddle fitting is at: https://www.performancesaddlery.com/report.htm. It has the clearest, simplest pictures I've seen on how to judge whether or not your saddle fits. Good luck!
Member:
Kthorse

Posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2004 - 5:49 pm:

I have a wintec cair 2000. I love it. My horse measures closer to the wide with the gullet gorge. However in the wide he bucks. the med/wide is the most comfortable for him. So listen to your horse as well.It also sits the most balanced on his back. Put you saddle far forward and push back and down till the saddle stops in the correct position. It should slide in the right spot. Put your hand on his shoulder and walk him you will feel his shoulder move and see how far back the saddle is from it. I also stretch my horses head to the left and right his nose to the girth and the saddle slips into perfect position for him. I know longer stretch his front legs as I have been told its not good for cold muscles as is not recomended any more. (who knows)? I run my hands under the girth to make sure the hair is laying flat. I use a crupper also so that going down steep hills the saddle will never slip onto his shoulder and cause pain. I also use a saddle right pad which I totally love. I finally have a happy horse that has not bucked in ages. (he used to buck all the time). Trial and error. Good luck .
Katrina
Member:
Beasley

Posted on Sunday, Jun 27, 2004 - 10:24 pm:

Thank you so much for the advice and shared experiences...very helpful.
I can't post a picture, Nathalie...sorry to say.
I had noticed that I was not getting 3 fingers in the gullet clearance, Cheryl and I appreciate the info on that...makes me feel better about trying to fit my fellow.
Holly, your ideas are always helpful and I enjoy reading your posts. One conern now is that I have already caused some stree markings and I don't know how to be sure when I get it right. He is a trooper and so far has not bucked or complained in any way about my mistake.
I also have the All purpose 2000 with Cair and gullet system. He reads between red and white, but we all know that if you don't get the guage in the right place, well....then the fit is wrong. But, I'll definitely check the web site to help me fit the guage/saddle, Laura. I'll also try Katrina's fitting tips.
He's the best and deserves the same from Mom.
Thanks again for everyone's help.
Member:
Sross

Posted on Monday, Jun 28, 2004 - 6:57 pm:

The round little Arab that I used to ride took the wide gullet. My friend's incredibly wide Arab took the extra wide gullet, but it still wasn't quite wide enough. She ended up with a different saddle. (On a different note, I rode in a friend's Wintec Isabell dressage saddle yesterday and didn't much care for it.)
Member:
Ajudson1

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 29, 2004 - 7:15 am:

Speaking of little round Arabs, I am finding our 2 Arabs are hardest to fit. A youth saddle I wanted for our daughter, won't fit on the Arab mare she rides (Western Poley saddle with semi Qtr horse bars) Thankfully I found this out before ordering it.

Friday I will be trying an older Wintec with poleys on all our horses; I am sooo hopeing it fits me and at least 2 of our horses. I think this saddle is Wintecs first "aussie type" saddle they made a few yrs back.

Or is this what you are all refering to as the Wintec Endurance? Off to Wintec.com, refresh my memory here.
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 29, 2004 - 9:46 am:

My older, favorite mare is one of those round little Arabs you are talking about. Built like a little tank with a pretty head and four legs attached. My older Wintec fits her fine.
Member:
Beasley

Posted on Saturday, Jul 3, 2004 - 6:18 pm:

Wanted to give an update on my saddle fitting. I tried the widest (white) gullet and it seemed to do better. Unfortunately, he has quite a bit of rubbed area on either side of his spine, but no complaining. I was thinking of a gel pad...has anyone used that? I read a lot about the pads, but it is difficult to decide which one would give the most relief for my particular problem. They all claim to "fix the saddle fit."
Also, is there any reason why you would girth up with billets 1 and 2 or 2 and 3? My saddle is a little unstable, so I tried the 2 and 3, but didn't like the feel when riding?? I again would appreciate all comments. Thanks. Jo
Member:
Kthorse

Posted on Saturday, Jul 3, 2004 - 6:50 pm:

Hi,
I have never tried the gel only because of have heard a few not so great things , even with people wearing gel in there shoes. I have heard it could? make the problem worse.
I love a plain pure lambskin/ sheepskin pad or the saddleRite pad. My horse loves both. my horses always had pure sheepskin when I was a youngster and no horse ever had rubs or pain. It conforms to your horse better than synthetics. Its cool in the summer and warm in the winter, It evens out pressure. Just wear a pair of uggs and you will know what I mean. (I am an Ausie by the way). As for the billets always use the first 2. Christos explained that to me and I have never had a problem since. I never use the 3rd any more and he is much more comfortable. I spent the last almost 3 years in seach of making my horse comfortable and have finally done it. I never gave up. Learn , learn learn from people and most of all your horse. Nothing fix's saddle fit except good saddle fit.. A good pad however will make a sensative horse happy. Before you take a companys word for a product, get info from others not connected to the company.
good luck.
Member:
Beasley

Posted on Wednesday, Jul 7, 2004 - 4:55 pm:

Thanks for the input Katrina. The white (widest) gullet seems to be working better and I think I will try a sheep/lambskin pad....but need to investigate a litte more.
Thanks again. (I had posted a reply, but don't see it in the discussion, so forgive me if this is a repeat). JO
Member:
Ajudson1

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 20, 2004 - 5:08 pm:

I finally bought (used) the Wintec Pro Stock, or Aussie type. Seems to fit 2 outa the 3 horse pretty good.

Here's what I need help with: What girth goes with this? One catalog shows an "Aussie" type girth, not a Wintec brand. Sizes from 30 to 36.

Wintec girths, have 2 size ranges depending on dressage or regular if I understand it correctly. (I don't know alot about this English type stuff)

The saddle has long billets..I am trying to ride with girth convertors, using western cinches and it is aweful. Alot of bulk, my arab mare wants to bite her sides.

She measures about 33" to about the 2nd hole up on the billets. Our gelding is measuring 42".

The one catalog saleslady said to order the 36" Aussie girth, and an girth extender for another 6". A more English saleslady recommended 2 different girths if I want to go with Wintec, which I do as I never heard of the other one, even though it sounds close to the same material.

Any help would be appreciated.

O yea, I have to learn how to ride different too!!!! What a change from Western.

thanks as always everyone.
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