# Wintec 500 personal opinions



## CQTAN

Hi guys,

Recently I purchased a Wintec 500 AP synthetic saddle(17 inch) CAIR , with for my boy and i , I was wondering if any one would like to share their thoughts on this beautifully put together saddle and its matching girth and leathers and irons? I have included a link to the saddle below as it may help you distinguish the one Im talking about . Thank you 

Wintec 500 All Purpose Saddle Brown 46CM Flock & Easy Change, Saddle, Saddles & Saddlery at Horseland


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## mildot

I have a Wintec 250 and find it is a steal of a deal. 

It seems to be put together well. Its basic fit is correct on my horse, and is relatively easy to adjust since the panels are flocked and the gullet is adjustable.

It puts me in a balanced seat and I have ridden up to three hours in it hacking out without being sore the day after.

My only advice to you is to check the fit of the CAIR air bladders inside the panels after about a year. Unless the design has been changed, each panel has two bladders and the joint between them is basically duct tape. Once that joint comes loose, it creates an annoying pressure spot for the horse and a sore back. Most people in the US who are aware of the issue end up having a saddle fitter rip out the bladders and replacing them with wool flocking.

It doesn't happen to all saddles but it IS a known issue with CAIR. No need to panic about it, just keep your eyes on it.

Here's my tack at home after a good scrub









And with me on it


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## waresbear

My husband has that saddle, he says he likes it a lot.


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## Hidalgo13

subbing as i am looking into wintecs.


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## Sanala

I personally refuse to let my students ride in a Wintec. Everyone who rides in one end up horribly off balance imho, and look like their saddle is throwing them forward. I've never seen one fit a horse right. In one case someone I know had a really bad accident because the billet straps broke - they're made out of something weird.

I can almost tell when someone is riding in a Wintec just from looking at their posture because it's always bad and their balance is off. It'd be one thing if these saddles were cheap but for that price I'd just go for a decent leather saddle. I won't even let my girls ride in them at home because I flat out hate them.

I admit I'm biased in the first place because I'm a HUS/Pleasure trainer and you wouldn't be caught dead riding in a Wintec outside of small, local 4-H shows. However, I absolutely stand by my belief that the balance of a Wintec saddle is not good. I do know there are people who love their Wintecs, but I'm not one of them. The only pro I can tell you about these saddles is that they clean very easily. Though, I've schooled in the same saddle for 10 years now and I can clean it up and have it show ready in about 5 minutes.


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## mildot

Sanala said:


> . Everyone who rides in one end up horribly off balance imho, and look like their saddle is throwing them forward......... I can almost tell when someone is riding in a Wintec just from looking at their posture because it's always bad and their balance is off......... However, I absolutely stand by my belief that the balance of a Wintec saddle is not good.


Yes, I'm about to fall off.






















Sanala said:


> I've never seen one fit a horse right.


Keep looking, or see above.




Sanala said:


> In one case someone I know had a really bad accident because the billet straps broke - they're made out of something weird.


Leather never breaks. Uh huh.......


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## mildot

Sanala said:


> I'm a HUS/Pleasure trainer and you wouldn't be caught dead riding in a Wintec outside of small, local 4-H shows.


Function > looks and snobbery.


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## CurlyIsASpecialStandie

I have a wintec 500 for my girl and i really like it, i am currently looking into/saving for the wintec isabell as im wanting to focus more on dressage.

The 500 fits my girl fairly well, the adjustable gullet has been a lifesaver with her putting on muscle/topline.


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## Sanala

mildot said:


> Function > looks and snobbery.


Thank you for posting pictures, but I don't want to comment on them because I'm afraid I'll offend you further. I will keep in mind that responding to a thread about personal opinions makes me a snob. I respect your opinions though they may differ from mine, but I guess it's not mutual. I was asked for my personal opinion, and it is simply that I dislike them and for the same price you can get a nice leather saddle. I'm glad you like your Wintec, but for me they do not fit the bill.

OP, I hope you are happy with your purchase. We all differ in needs from our saddles and I hope yours is everything you could ask for.


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## themacpack

Sanala said:


> Thank you for posting pictures, but I don't want to comment on them because I'm afraid I'll offend you further. I will keep in mind that responding to a thread about personal opinions makes me a snob. I respect your opinions though they may differ from mine, but I guess it's not mutual. I was asked for my personal opinion, and it is simply that I dislike them and for the same price you can get a nice leather saddle. I'm glad you like your Wintec, but for me they do not fit the bill.
> 
> OP, I hope you are happy with your purchase. We all differ in needs from our saddles and I hope yours is everything you could ask for.


I don't think it was the opinions that may have caused the response you received, but more the delivery of those opinions. It would be just as easy to say, "I don't care for them. In my experience they can create balance issues in the rider and I have seen unsatisfactory fitting of horses. My preference is a quality leather saddle." -- which is what you may have meant, but is not at all what you said. The snobbery came in with the very intentional dig regarding those "small, local 4-H shows" - which very much read as coming down the tip of your very high nose. It is very obvious that the OP is quite excited about their purchase, so the apparent need to go out of your way to express your opinions with extra disdain was unnecessary.


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## mildot

Sanala said:


> Thank you for posting pictures, but I don't want to comment on them because I'm afraid I'll offend you further.


Nothing could be further from the truth. But since I don't pay you to be my coach, that probably tells you how much weight I will put on your comments.



Sanala said:


> I was asked for my personal opinion, and it is simply that I dislike them


No. You made absolute statements about the suitability of Wintec saddles. Remember this?


> Everyone who rides in one end up horribly off balance imho, and look like their saddle is throwing them forward. I've never seen one fit a horse right


My equitation is not perfect, but if you call that horribly unbalanced and looking like I'm about to fall forward, your ability as a trainer is highly suspect.

And you have no way of knowing how well or how badly that saddle fits my horse. 

But thank you very much anyway.


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## BigBrightGreenEyes

I have one and I love it!!! It works well for my jumping and my dressage lessons


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## Sanala

I'm sorry you saw my post as a threat, but there's no need to attack me over it. Sorry for the trouble I've caused, I'll be moving on now.


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## mildot

You're no threat to me, trust me.

I'm just showing you that making absolute statements on something as variable as saddle fit to horse and rider is never a good idea.


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## Allison Finch

Sanala, I don't agree with your blanket assessment of Wintecs. Yes, they are not as easy to fit as many think, but I have seen them work really well for some horses. And, your comment about EVERYONE being put in a bad position is, well, not my experience at all. I have a couple of students who do very well in their Wintecs. They are still considered "unconventional" in the hunter ring, which is why you don't see many of them. That does not mean they are not good, useful saddles.

I think your post could have said the same thing but in a much more *professional* manner, as Themacpack said.


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## CQTAN

when purchasing the wintec , i decided on an all purpose for the fact that i didnt have any exp in jumping or dressage and was looking for something that was a decent all rounder type of saddle. I was looking for fit (horse and i) , a changable gullet system to accomodate to be growing gelding and something that was light wieght as carrying a leather saddle can sometimes be a little hard to maintain. The price was decent ($599 down from 799 aus dollars), and although it didnt come fully mounted it was perfect i felt for my gelding and i (him more so as he was used to a light wieght jockey pad). I got a wintec girth - the strechy one in a 36'' which i found quickly didnt fit so i went back and they happily exchanged for a 50'' (i really underestimated his ribs etc). I am disapointed that I havent had a chance to ride in this yet as he is too fresh for me at the moment but can not wait for the day that i can relax and enjoy my purchase not just my horse.


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## tinyliny

mildot said:


> You're no threat to me, trust me.
> 
> I'm just showing you that making absolute statements on something as variable as saddle fit to horse and rider is never a good idea.


Sanala did not make absolute statements. She gave her opinion, while in a strong manner, her opinion.
She did not say YOU ride unbalanced or that the saddle type doesn't fit your horse. She said she_ *has never seen one that fit*_. That is still her opinion.
You need not carry that into a personal assessment of how YOU ride or your saddle fits, and certainly not as a judgement on her abilities as a trainer. She has never met you or seen you. She is not talking about you. She is talking about her personal experience.


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## tinyliny

My limited personal experience with Wintecs is not good. but the one I rode in was really old, so maybe the newer ones have better balance.


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## waresbear

I don't ride in one, as I said, my husband does & it was recommended by his coach. I like it for his horse because of the changeable gullets. His horse is getting older & sagging a bit, but when he is ridden lots, he tighens up his topline, so I seem to be measuring & changing his gullets every so often.


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## mildot

tinyliny said:


> Sanala did not make absolute statements.


I quote:


> *Everyone* who rides in one end up horribly off balance


Emphasis added.

I honestly don't need help interpreting that.


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## tinyliny

Her actual wording was ; "Everyone who rides in one end up horribly off balance imho,"

which means it is her opinon.,


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## Mary Liz

I have a wintec 500 dressage and I have two wintec 500 all purpose for my arabian and pony and I love all of them. My dressage saddle keeps my legs in the same position throughout my workouts on the arabian. Also, with my arabian since he does not have the most defined withers having the easy change gullet system is amazing for if he picks up or loses weight/muscle mass(topline). I do not however like care panels. They tend to pinch the horse and I have always taken my horses to saddle fitters to get flocking to insure no painful pinching that would inhibit their workouts.


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## jumanji321

The barn I'm at has a ton of Winted western saddles for lessons. Not the best, but they work for what they do. I have a Tekna, but I can see someone getting a Wintec as I'm sure their trees are different shapes.


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## EquineCookies

I have the Wintec 500 for my Arab mare and I love it. It fits her well and it's very comfy. Very easy to clean and looks really nice too. It's an excellent saddle for everyday riding or a show. My coach and almost everyone at my barn has nothing but Wintecs. Some older ones put you in a bad position but all the ones I've ridden in don't. They're excellent quality saddles.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## CQTAN

thank you huys for your opinions


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## Abbzug

I recently purchased a Wintec 500 AP. I love the look and how easy to clean it is. It doesn't, however, fit me or my horse well. It tips me forward in the saddle when I ride, as mentioned before, and doesn't quite sit right on the horse. I'm still trying to play with the gullets to find the best fit, but I'm not sure it's going to work out. 

Also--I got the 46'' elastic wintec girth which I HATE! It's very hard to get tight enough on the ground and keeps stretching out as I ride. I have to stop every 10 minutes or so to tighten the thing up. I think it would be a great saddle to use if it fits well and keeps you balanced, but it's not the "magic solution" people think it is.


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## RoosHuman

I have had a very good experience with my Wintec 500. If I could afford it, sure I would have a fancy leather saddle. But for now, Wintec works quite well, and fits my Quarter Pony.


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## Skulby93

I have a Wintec 500 all purpose and i love it! I also have an ovation, and i prefer the wintec over it any day. have fun with your new saddle!!


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## blue eyed pony

I had a Wintec 500 AP for my old Welshie. It "perched" on top of him awfully but it was the only saddle we ever put on him that he didn't buck in.

I also had a 500 AP for a TB mare, and it was perfect for her.

The 500 AP doesn't fit my current gelding AT ALL, does the same thing it did on the Welshie, and Monty hates it. But I'm looking at a 500 CC because for some reason the CC and the dressage are a lot straighter than the AP and the CC should fit, or be close enough that it can be made to.

Saddles are a very individual thing, I liked the 500 APs that I had but they were definitely nicer on the TB mare than the other horses I've put them on. My position was only good in the AP when it was balanced right on the horse, and the AP is a HARD saddle to balance right. It either fits, or it doesn't. There's no "almost" about it.

They are tough saddles though, the two I had never got so much as a scratch in the few years that I had them, and they'll stand up to some punishment. Just make sure that if you get them wet, you dry them out properly, because one of mine squeaked really badly after we used it as a beach saddle.


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## flyingchange1991

CQTAN said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Recently I purchased a Wintec 500 AP synthetic saddle(17 inch) CAIR , with for my boy and i , I was wondering if any one would like to share their thoughts on this beautifully put together saddle and its matching girth and leathers and irons? I have included a link to the saddle below as it may help you distinguish the one Im talking about . Thank you
> 
> Wintec 500 All Purpose Saddle Brown 46CM Flock & Easy Change, Saddle, Saddles & Saddlery at Horseland


LOVE IT! Its quite possibly the best saddle my behind has had the privilege of resting upon! Seriously handy for my mare too! She had really muttony withers when I got her and slowly has gotten more strength and lifted her back up so her withers thinned out, so the gullet change system is awesome! You so won't regret it!


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## ABlazingKiss

You can't go wrong with a wintec! when i was younger I saved up all my money so I could buy a wintec 500. It still looks brand new today and has been passed down to a young girl at the barn I work at. That saddle was very helpful to me. I did notice as I got older, that wintec saddles tend to put you more in more of a dressage position.


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## Gidget

Just throwing this out that I have a wintec 500 AP with cair for sale currently if anyone is still looking to get one. 450 OBO..comes with all the goods.


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## blue eyed pony

I just rode in my new saddle today. I LOVE IT. Monty's canter is suddenly really nice instead of flat and strange, and I can finally ride with my stirrups as short as I like them.

I played with gullet size a little bit, he's measured as a red but I put a blue in it and the balance is much better but still a little out, needs to be higher in the front. I think I need to have a saddle fitter look at it but that will be $$$ that I don't have at the moment thanks to the purchase of my lovely new saddle.

My Wintec 500 CC is beautiful, so easy to canter and jump in. Trot is nearly impossible but hey, I don't need to trot for what I want to do with it. So chuffed and even more stoked that it actually looks good on him - all these years of swearing I'll never put brown on any of my horses, and now I'm thinking that Monty looks nicer in brown than he does in black!


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## KnB

Honestly this is the best everyday saddle that you can get at a good price. I bought one about 2 years ago from Horseland. It's really versatile, I've used it at PC, home, competitions and trails. The only thing i have wrong with it is probably it getting really hot if its sitting in the sun, but if you cover it, it's fine.


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## NzFoxxTrot

Is it an all purpose or a specific ?
Ive heard that you become unbalanced when you ride in them , but i think that depends on the rider , i have an awful saddle but i can ride anthing out in it 
I love wintects and specifically the new range comeing in , i so highly recomend the new Wintec pro jump , SUPER comfy i found 
and it has a loverly wide channel , hope this kinda helped ?


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## ohmyitschelle

I personally rode in a Wintec Dressage 500 for about 6 years. I really loved that saddle, and found it personally fitted my horses very well, possibly better than my Wintec Isabell does now. I would definitely own another again


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## Prinella

I have 3 wintecs 2 2000s and an Isabel. I like the 500s too but find between equisuade seat and sticky bums I'm not going ANYWHERE in my 2000. 

I refuse to ride in good saddles until I can afford one!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Speed Racer

I have a Wintec 2000 and an older Stubben. I love them both.

The Wintec belongs to the Arabian and the Stubben to the TB. Both saddles fit their respective mounts very well. I haven't noticed any balance problems in the Wintec versus the Stubben.

Wintecs are decent saddles, and I won't hesitate to buy another one if that's the saddle that fits my horse the best.


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