# Problems with the abetta endurance saddle



## RoadRider / Rios Dad

I love leather saddles, I am annal about their care but BUT they weigh far to much so I can't use one.
I rode for 20 plus years in a trooper saddle, a highly modified one, fantastic leather, light weight and in a moment of weakness sold it and regret it alot. To replace it is about $1500 plus all the hand made parts.?

That troop had about 300 square inches of contact, flexible contact. My riding weight with gear, me is about 220 pound. 300 into 240 is .8 PSI

The good western saddles are lucky at 60 square inches or 60 into 220 is 3.67 PSI

A indeal running PSI is 1 PSI maximum.

I might go back to the trooper. I have made a few offers on used ones. I keep only the leather parts and remake the tree.


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## snoggle

I just got an Abetta Endurance saddle and I love it. I read somewhere that you need a wider cinch for endurance saddles, is this true? What kind of cinch do you think works well with this saddle? I ride a couple of times a week, sometimes all day rides (but not nearly the amount of riding that you do). We ride on a lot of steep mountain trails. Thanks a bunch!


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad

snoggle said:


> I just got an Abetta Endurance saddle and I love it. I read somewhere that you need a wider cinch for endurance saddles, is this true? What kind of cinch do you think works well with this saddle? I ride a couple of times a week, sometimes all day rides (but not nearly the amount of riding that you do). We ride on a lot of steep mountain trails. Thanks a bunch!


I like the saddle also or I wouldn't spend the time on them but stock they have problems. A big complaint is the swing of the stirrups back and forht?? They don't swing. The rigging in western and you have the rigging right under your leg. This becomes iritating and slowly wears a hole in the fender and your leg. The inner strap on the sturrip catches on the billet or long western nylon strap.
there is a small cross strap under the seat that also limits forwards motion of the stirrups, cut this right away.

I don't run the western girth. I have custom billeting made to replace the western rigging and it is dead center in the saddle moving the girth back from the elbows.
I run a 24 inch dressage girth with elastics for breathing.
I also run a big fluffy bad under the girth to protect the horse.
Your stock western girth will be fine, again it is the rigging that bothers me. The rigging is too far forward for my comfort.
It would be considered full or 7/8th rigging while I like more along the line of 50.
I do spend alot of time in my saddle and over the last 7 days he was been out 8 days, so yes my saddle sees alot of use. I also find my butt gets sore after too many hours so I run a really nice sheep skin stretch tight, screwed down and custom fit for a really soft seat.
So I do like the saddle, the girth is fine but you could consider a nice cheap pad and if the lack of swing of the stirrups doens't bother you then you are good to go. I am heavy, about 193 pounds so wear on mine will be alot more then you.
In 4 years I am still on my first saddle but with rebuilds and modifications. 
I also strip the saddle down to the bare tree and custom fit the tree to the horse but that is not necessary. I am just annal about his fit but BUT if you ever notice him humping his back when you first mount him, if he acts the least bit broncy when you first mount then look into it.
Good luck and beside my ortho flex it is one of the best saddle I have ever owned.


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## Scoutrider

RiosDad said:


> *I found the fenders wear out in about 1 1/2 years of about 3000 miles.
> They wear holes right threw.*
> The riging is the problem. The knot is located right where the fender passes throught the tree limiting movement of the fenders.
> There is also a little strap limiting the fender movement forward and backwards. Remove the 2 screws on each side holding the seat down , peel it back partly and cut this strap off. This allows more swing of the stirrups.


I'm finding that the fenders on my Abetta (not the endurance version, but very similar in design) are wearing through from the back from the buckles on my cinch. Mine took 6 years to wear, with the last 2 being light duty since I switched to primarily English, and each year certainly lighter duty than your rides, Rios. I caught it early, and the wear isn't in a safety-compromising spot, so my current plan is to stick a strip of duct-tape on the back of each fender to protect it a bit more, and keep an eye on it to make sure that additional maintenance isn't needed. 

The Abetta is a darn good saddle for the money, and quite a bit more comfortable than either of my (heavy!) leather western saddles. After a couple of years of primarily English riding, though, I do feel the lack of swing in the fenders. Even after 6 years of use and some starting wear in the calf-area of the fenders, I can still hose it, scrub with my horse's shampoo, and it looks like the day the UPS guy delivered it.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad

I had a pair of black leather fenders built for the saddle. They are good quality heavy smooth leather that have been shaped to hold the stirrup on the correct angle.
They cost me $150 and another $60 for the english billeting. Those two modifications really fixed the saddle.
I considered a ortho flex and the local harness shop has a used one for $3000 but honestly I hate the way it is constructed. I think it is poor workmanship. 
The one I want is $4300 but I can't justify spending that much for a saddle A $4000 saddle on a $2000 horse?????????

The abetta is the best saddle I can find . The trooper is another great saddle , I rode in one for 20 plus years and sold it when I had a brain fade. It was highly modified but served my purpose. I put of 30,000 miles in that saddle without it breaking down but a serious bucker threw me off and I couldn't ride a good buck in that saddle, thus the abetta at the time.


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## Alwaysbehind

Riosdad, where did you get the billeting to convert it from western to English?


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad

Alwaysbehind said:


> Riosdad, where did you get the billeting to convert it from western to English?


I made up my own templete years ago and the local harness shop makes them for me. They are good leather and cost me $57. It is a simple thing to remove the screws from the stock setup and put this english billetting on.
I will find a picture and post it.
This allows me to run a 24 inch dressage girth and keep all buckles well away from the leg.

The pictures are on my home computer. I will post them later tonight.


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## Alwaysbehind

Thank you.


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## mls

Abetta's do not hold up. Very uncomfortable to ride in for any length of time.

I used a Big Horn synthetic on my black gelding for thousands of miles. Never a problem with it for him (no white hairs, sore back and even sweat pattern). No sore back or legs for me. The saddle is tinged gray from age and wear.

The saddle fitter/maker that I have out once a year to check fit on our horses said it was the best synthetic saddle he has come across.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad

mls said:


> Abetta's do not hold up. Very uncomfortable to ride in for any length of time.
> 
> I used a Big Horn synthetic on my black gelding for thousands of miles. Never a problem with it for him (no white hairs, sore back and even sweat pattern). No sore back or legs for me. The saddle is tinged gray from age and wear.
> 
> The saddle fitter/maker that I have out once a year to check fit on our horses said it was the best synthetic saddle he has come across.


 
I agree they don't hold up but as for comfort?? I don't agree. I find mine comfortable. I do weigh 193 pounds and put about 3000 miles on it before the fender wore out. You can buy replacement fenders from Abetta

As for fit I again agree that mine never fit very well. It bridged, meaning it didn't touch the horse in the center, only the 4 corners.

I posted on this in A Cold Backed horse
Check out this post along with the pictures of the english billeting in post #6

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-training/cold-backed-horse-39630/


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## jamesqf

RiosDad said:


> A $4000 saddle on a $2000 horse?????????


But you might also want to factor in the worth of what's on the other side of the saddle


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## snoggle

I think my Abetta is very comfy - I think different body types, etc. have something to do with that. I loved my Aussie saddle - but my husband hated it. 

My horse seems to like the Abetta much better than the Aussie. It fits her pretty well overall. Of course, rider weight impacts that too. She didn't do too well when I rode her in the Aussie, but I wasn't sure if it was the saddle. When her trainer rode her in it (he weighs about 75 pounds more than I do), she went nuts. It made the poor fit really obvious.


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