# close contact saddles - comparing a few brands



## crimsonsky (Feb 18, 2011)

personally, i think i'd pick a tekna over a wintec because i find they fit better. but that's just me.


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## LetAGrlShowU (Mar 25, 2009)

You know i'm still selling my 17.5 passier. If you want to look up shipping costs, it would be coming from zip 28173

It has knee and calf blocks for a good position.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

My horse is a bit of an odd shape... long and straight, but he's got a bit of a wither. Not huge, but enough to consider it. The pre-quikchange Teknas were way too curved, but I've had a look at the latest model and it looks straight enough for him. I haven't found that so much with Wintecs, THEY seem to be getting more curved and the 500 has always been too curved so I'm actually not a fan of them for boofhead's shape... it's just easier to get a wintec than a tekna, and I've been wrong about fit for Monty before, so I'm still thinking about trying the latest model on him to see.

I need to talk to my saddle fitter about bringing out some jumping saddles to try on boofhead. Benefit is, he and my yearling are very similar in shape, so anything I buy for him is likely to fit her pretty easy with maybe a change of gullet plate. Downside is, the only local saddle fitter doesn't stock anything Bates makes (that's wintec, collegiate and bates, perhaps others), so getting her to fit what I get kind of rules out those brands :/

Oh well! I actually really would like a Tekna, have heard that they can be horrid to jump in but everyone likes different things in a saddle, the person I've talked to that hates them also hates my dressage saddle which I absolutely adore, so I guess it's worth a shot anyway.. plus at only $750 brand new, I could potentially have a beautiful saddle almost right away, rather than having to wait ages.

...of course then I'd be tempted to buy matching Tekna mounts etc so would likely end up spending over $1000 anyway but hey, if I get it in black, I already HAVE matching mounts...


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Grl, unfortunately I think your saddle is probably the wrong shape for Monty, and I don't have anything local the same shape to try on him. I don't want to spend that much money on a faint maybe... which is a huge shame because it looks like a lovely saddle. I have the wrong shaped horse!


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## LetAGrlShowU (Mar 25, 2009)

I'll take some pics of it on my horse (with quite a wither) this sunday. I think the chair I had my saddle on gives it an odd shape.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

I was looking more at gullet width to be honest... Monty's quite wide, for an anglo (have had him measured by a saddle fitter, he is a red in the Wintec range) and your saddle looks a lot narrower than my dressage saddle... looks closer to the ancient wintec jumping saddle that came with boofhead but that's 2-3 gullet sizes too narrow and awful for my position, thus needing a new saddle to jump in. I still don't want to buy from the US if I can't try the same thing on him here in Aus, I probably won't be able to sell it for what I end up paying and then I'd end up back where I started.

It wasn't the money so much that was the problem for me, it's the risk involved in a) buying a saddle I can't see with my own eyes first, and b) not trying it or something like it on my horse before buying. We've bought a saddle from the US that we were certain would fit Mum's QH, but when it arrived, it wasn't even close to a good fit, all the mounts were enormous (talking draft horse enormous and 6'+ rider huge for the fenders) and it made the horse buck like a rodeo bronc. So I will never again buy a saddle without trying it, or the same make and model, on my horse first... especially if I don't think it's going to fit in the first place.


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## LetAGrlShowU (Mar 25, 2009)

I completely understand. Good luck on finding the right saddle!!


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Thank you! Looking like a Tekna is the most likely at the moment, but I have to get the fitter out and ride in one before I know for sure.


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## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

I haven't had any issues jumping in my Tekna. It is really easy to jump in for me actually.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

The one I sat in was at least half an inch too small for me and I loved it - but I haven't tried one on my horse yet! It was so comfy, and it had squishy  I like squishy


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## twinholm (Aug 22, 2011)

I have a new only ridden in 6 times close contact saddle with front and rear blocks I will ship 
[email protected]


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Hi there Twinholm, I have already bought a CC saddle. I hope you find a buyer for it.


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## kindraeventing (Jun 10, 2012)

I have a Bates Elevation in leather. I don't have any experience with their synthetic saddles, or the models you're talking about, but I love my saddle! Wintec in general is a nice synthetic brand, and they offer the adjustable gullet.


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## Black Beauty 94 (Dec 26, 2011)

I would try to buy a saddle where you can see it and ride in it before you buy it. I always only buy saddles from local tack shops, or EBay- with 100% positive feedback only.

I have been through 3 saddles because I did not try it on my horse first-- it can become very stressful. I would make sure you can ride in it.

Wintec is a very good company, and with the adjustable tree, you can usually find a size to fit most horses.

Good luck!


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

Guys. I already bought one. I will never buy a saddle without trying it (or the same make/model) on my horse and riding in it first. I am very happy with my CC saddle. The next step is to upgrade my dressage saddle and obviously get some more dressage lessons, the better to utilise a good dressage saddle!


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