Hope you enjoy this video! Please let me know what you think below 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽 Want to follow more of my adventures? Check me out on Facebook too: facebook.com/adayinthelifeofasaddlefitter

@aprilherrett3457

2 жыл бұрын

great review, just a bit difficult to understand..

Thank you for making this video! I ride a very wide, fat, American quarter horse with a wintec wide model saddle. I have worried for some time that I did the wrong thing purchasing it for her, because I went through a lot of hassle to get it to fit correctly, but after watching your video and working with a person who was helping me get it set up I now realize I have the best saddle that I can afford for this horse. Thank you for your time and information in the video.

Thank you and as other posters already wrote, I also would love to see a video on the Bates/Wintec shims and how to use them for adjustment for us saddle fitter amateurs. I have a Bates Elevation and a Wintec 2000 VS both relatively recent models for the one horse and am still fiddling around with both trying to make them fit better. I love the Bates/Wintec concept of being able to self adjust your saddle without necessarily having call a professional saddle fitter every time, but they offer precious little hands/ in depth instruction on how to actually do that. Thank you again for doing this in the first place.

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

I have a video like that, in the pipeline...

@PonyTrotsky

3 жыл бұрын

I'd like to see a shim video too! Just bought a Wintec Pro Dressage for a brand new mare who's very hard to fit, and am enjoying this content SO much.

I don't know if anything has changed on the GP saddles since you've posted this awesome video, but I will say that the Pro Stock saddle I recently purchased DOES have leather billets!!!! YES!!! I was so happy to see that! Because, you're right, the other billets are a pain and I always wondered about the safety aspect as well. Keep up your good work and keep us informed. Much love from across the pond!!

i have an older wintec and the improvements are most definetly noticable! looks like a much nicer saddle now with alot of my concerns bout it fixed.

I bought the HART version of the Wintec ProDressage based on this video, and I'm very, very glad I did. It fits my new hard-to-fit Arabian mare perfectly, and is very comfy for me too. I added a shaped girth, and adjusted the billets as explained above, and bingo! Fit problems solved!

Just the video I needed to see to help me make a decision on purchasing one. I am very glad to see that you aren't influenced by any company with your videos.

Hi poppy, once again you didnt disappoint. Very informative and yes, they look much better. Thank you 😘👍

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

Aww Thank you! And yes! So much better!

I just bought my first saddle, a bates saddle with the HART/CAIR system and this video was very helpful and really interesting to see!

Really engaging and informative - Thanks!

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks so much for making this video for us! I am so glad you did, too! Actually just decided that I am going to go for a Wintec HART dressage 500 after watching this video!

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

2 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful! Hope you LOVE it!!!

Thank you so much for this! I had a previous generation of the Wintec 2000 for awhile and both myself and my horse at the time were comfortable in it, but I did have some of the same concerns you did which is why I hadn’t gotten around to buying a new one before he retired (one of the tree points broke on the old one-shocked Pikachu face, I know). It’s great to see Wintec has made so many improvements! Also, I just checked and it looks like you can now buy leather quick change billet straps and swap out the synthetic ones since the technology has also been introduced in the Bates (leather) saddle line. Will have to sit in a new Wintec next time I’m at the tack store.

this is awesome! thanks so much! makes me more confident in a decision to buy a new Wintec in the near future, rather than one a few or so years old. Those extra few hundred dollars seem well and truly worth it!

Brilliant job thank you very much, really appreciate your effort.

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome! I am glad you enjoyed it

Yay !! I bought a new HART saddle for my rescue TB last year and he instantly went better in it. I didn't realise it was cair but it has been super . Totally agree about the girth straps tho. My saddle fitter is coming on Thursday to check it so I'll report back . Thank you for the video , really enjoyed it

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

that's fabulous news! Good luck with the fitter!

@lexistratton6871

3 жыл бұрын

yes! this saddle fits my appedix so good! witecs gets such a bad name..

@lexistratton6871

3 жыл бұрын

wintecs**

Whatva windweful Video ,thank you a lot!

I'm so glad I found your videos. My saddle fitter actually told me this morning that after trying 5 saddles on my 5 yr old clydesdale, (😳) that the one that fit the best was a Wintec 500 GP. It will be here in about a month & I thank you so much for doing this. Hamish is 18 hands & still growing 😳🤣. 👏👏👏

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

2 жыл бұрын

Glad I could help! Hope your new saddle has arrived safely and you're LOVING it! ps 18hh? WOW! :o

Never though i would consider buying a synthetic saddle but now I am.

Brilliant video! Thank you. I am currently looking to buy a new version of Wintec 2000 for my arab, cause the previous-old version wasn't fit his flatter back at all. So hopefully this one will. I wish there's more good saddle fitters in Ireland.. It's really frustrating when you have just one saddle fitter that are well informed about wintec saddles, sadly :(

Ooooh thank you, I was waiting for this! Very interesting. My very first saddle was a second hand Wintec in about 1994. It was fabric and neoprene which had faded to blue and the panels felt like styrofoam, no give at all, my poor horse!

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

Oh yes, they've REALLY changed since those days - i remember when the synthetic saddles first came out - i think it was thorowgood - and they came in blue or red and i was DESPERATE for a red one... and my mum wouldn't let me have one! I was a teenager then, so it must have been late 80s/early 90s. Now i'm in my 40s, I have pink on my saddle instead... i seem to have gone backwards in my sense of taste ;)

Fab video and lovely to see the improvements by Bates (Wintec). Years ago I bought a nearly-new Wintec that was fitted with Flair and asked my fitter to replace with traditional flock before I used it. I'm so glad that I did because the Flair pockets were horrible and rock hard. So it's great to see the new pockets 👍

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, definitely much improved!

Thanks for the video, great timing as I have one currently being couriered to me. It would of been great to see how the shims work. Cheers.

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

Hi 🙋🏼‍♀️ thank you for your comment - I’ve got more Bates/Wintec videos in the pipeline so I’ll do a shim one 💕

Wow! You are THOROUGH. :) Subscribing right now.

I'm really glad you did this video as I've just purchased one of these for my youngster however the first time riding in the arena in canter and she continually bucked....so I am wondering whether it is the air/foam that she doesn't like as otherwise the saddle looks good.

Your videos are sooo helpful! Could a saddle fitter change the girth straps for leather ones?

Thank you so much, that was very helpful. Could you do a video for how to insert the riser pads into the panels? I am trying a Wintec wide 500 for a 18HH Draft Friesian cross. Can't seem to find a saddle to fit his wide shoulders and skinny back. 😞

Such an interesting video seeing as this is the one I have for Kari, which you might remember. I agree about the girth straps holes plus I find synthetic straps harder to do up - I still regularly punch myself in the face when girthing up 🤣 I could do with the holes starting lower down.

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

Ah yes, the 'punch yourself in the face' problem... i know it well! haha 🤣 #moveyourholeswintec

@kiwi_cornish_dream1421

3 жыл бұрын

As. Master saddler could you not go into manufacturing leather straps as replacements?

This is brilliant. I have just watched a few of your videos, starting with 'which girth straps/billets straps to use' because I have just bought a Wintec 500 All Purpose Wide - Hart saddle and had forgotten the principles of which girth straps to use. I live in France and it is very difficult to find a saddle fitter due to the distances needed to travel, so it is very much a question of having to help yourself. Your videos are so informative and in-depth. I have a question though - I think I am going to have to use the point strap, as my mare is so full-barrelled at the moment - do I move the third strap to position 2 so that I am using straps 1 & 3 albeit I am using point strap and third strap moved to position 2? I think I've thoroughly confused myself now. Thank you once again for such helpful videos.

Great review, glad they sent you a new one to look through. I'm also interested to see what comes of your exploration of the kinked gullet shape issue. And to discuss the wintec standard vs wide version and the Kent and Masters standard vs cob saddles. I found my wintecs and bates saddles were great on horses with thoroughred/normal (is there a "normal"?) shaped riding horse but then even the white plates just weren't working for the wider shouldered WBs/Morgan/Iberian/Arab-ish sorts. Another thing I noticed with the new saddle you showed was that it is gusseted panel in the rear with a "downswept" vs upswept shape. How does that affect fit and what kind of horses go well in those panels that come almost to points in the back? I noticed that was similar to older wintec/bates saddles I've had. Like some of the other viewers, these adjustable saddles are sometimes great when you are living nearly a thousand kms from a SMS fitter or a tack store, but hard to figure out if they are the right general shape for horse and rider to work well.

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

I think the panels work ok - there is a lot of talk of 'upswept' panels at the moment, which can be good for short backs - or horses who are sensitive at their thoracic/lumbar (back of saddle) area. But, in reality, I don't think as many horses need them, as the manufacturers of them would have you think. Pressure testing has shown that the pressure on the panel is minimal behind the part that is attached to the tree. Whereas the 'downswept' ones create more surface area. So there are pros to both. The panels themselves are so soft, that the 'points' at the back don't feel pointy... haha, does that make sense? :)

Great video , are the Bates / Wintec saddles still made in Indonesia ?

Hey Poppy, fabulous video. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Really hoping Thorowgood sees this and sends you a T8! Really feel their design has gone really cheap! Whereas Wintec has listened and saddles look good!

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

Oooh yes, I'd love a Thorowgood to look at too... **hint hint, nudge nudge**

@mazziek6595

3 жыл бұрын

@@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter I can send you an older style one and maybe they send you a newer one??

Could you do a review on the premier equine mono flap and the shires hi-lite saddles please ?

@thearansom6099

2 жыл бұрын

Yes yes yes, I really want to see someone have a look at a premier equine saddle

Thank you love your videos, please can you tip your camera down a bit tho I would love to see more of the saddle and what your hands are doing.

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

I thought that as i was editing it! I blame my husband who clattered into the camera half way through ;) I'll make sure i check next time!

This is wonderful. Any chance you’’ll do a WintecLite? I’m riding in one, and it’s good, and I wonder what the tree is like? I’m going to make a seat cover with poleys and wonder if I can screw it on.

Hello from San Antonio Texas! I have question after watching this video: How do you use the balance billet strap on the new Wintec saddle?

I just purchased the saddle you reviewed and I can't mount or dismount without pulling the saddle off of my horses back. Should I change the position od the girth straps? I ordered a half pad at the advice of a friend. I'm too old to fall off like this. Thank you!!

Hi Poppy, I love your video, as I have a very big cob that I have struggled with getting a saddle for her, I like the winter 500 but I feel I like the winter 2000 better as she is very very wide, plus it has the suede seat can you advise me this one is right for my girl thanks avril yard

They changed the name because those of us who have had saddles where the cair was removed and flocking put in have talked about how horrid cair was and how we wouldn't do it again. Synthetic cracks so easily that the buffer is ideal for those saddles. Get a longer girth if it's that bad. or a girth extender or even a tightener

Can you get the girth straps changed out for leather ones, or will it still affect the synthetic materials? Thanks

What do you think about the shape of their gullet bars? I’ve heard they have a slight kink to them so they cause pressure points on most horses. Thoughts?

Do.u fancy taking an Arena saddle apart? Theyre a recent addition by Bates .i was concerned about staples at the front that i found changing the width. Also, poppy, could you explain about 4 girth straps? Ta,

I’m so pleased you did this video, as I said in the previous my youngster only goes in the air panelled saddles and hates flocking, so this is reassuring that it’s made well and made to last! I’m pleased they’ve listened to previous opinions/issues, here’s hoping Bates listen more and make a wider range of saddles in Wide after asking many times! Thanks for as always, your informative video but staying totally neutral in opinion!

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

3 жыл бұрын

Aww thank you for your lovely comment, I'm really looking forward to seeing what else they come up with, they certainly feel like they're making a shift and changing how things are done. Which is fab. x

Does the outdoor temperature effect the airbags at all? I have a huge ball for our boy and it deflates during the winter but expands quite a lot during the summer. Will the airbags also change like my inflated ball?

What about the wide version of this saddle??

Hello, please can you tell me if the wide would suit a big shouldered horse? Or is very straight cut flap better? Mine is very straight backed, big shouldered and can only take a 16.5 inch seat

I love wintecs. I believe my horses do too, but what is your favorite leather saddle or top 10 best saddle for horse and rider. Splurge and affordable, all aspects when making a purchase. Please and thank you!!!

Im in an odd situation and could use your opinion: I live in Ecuador and buy saddles and that in the USA (cost maybe 3 times less). It means that its a real hit or miss thing buying a treed saddle and expecting it to actually fit. this HART wintec rig appeals to me but what other flexible fit or fit on the fly system would you look into? I have 3 andalusian (PRE) horses. I ride mostly for pleasure and for exercise, and I only weigh 160 pounds on my 1100-1400 pound horses.

Can someone please explain the difference between the Wintec 2000 All Purpose and Wintec 250 All Purpose and the Wintec 500 All Purpose

I recently ordered a wintec 500 dressage that says it's flocked with no cair. What kind of flock does wintec use in their newer version?

@ADayInTheLifeOfASaddleFitter

2 жыл бұрын

Wintec no longer flock their saddles. All of the newer ones come with the CAIR. If it's flocked, it must be an older model, it will have synthetic flocking in it. :)

Hi Poppy, I live in South Africa and we have very limited options for affordable saddles. One brand that is very common and I can easily buy and buy accessories for is the Wintec. I love the idea of Wintec, but got put off from them coz of all the flaws in the older saddles. I am starting to consider them again (the new design), but one thing they haven’t changed is their gullet bars - what is your opinion on the gullet bar design, and do you think their kinked gullet design creates two angels and results in pressure points? I saw a blog from another saddle fitter that brought this issue to my attention and every time I consider a Wintec, this is what makes me hesitate 😊. I have a baroque built Friesian and I worry about pressure points on his round shoulders.

@isanybodyoutthere9694

3 жыл бұрын

I have this same concern. We must have read the same blog. I love the idea of the new wintecs but i can't get past those gullet bars.

@bronxxx9479

3 жыл бұрын

@@isanybodyoutthere9694 for sure! I am actually trying to sell a brand new Wintec that now doesn’t fit my boy anymore (as he is now in top condition and the white bar is too small) and i want to go for the Wintec wide option, but I’m terrified it wasn’t just the gullet size that caused him the pain, but that wretched pressure point too and that buying a wide saddle wont sort out that problem!

@isanybodyoutthere9694

3 жыл бұрын

@@bronxxx9479 I feel your pain! Good luck with finding something to fit your boy. I recently purchased a Thorowgood cob (which is their wide version). I like their gullet bars a lot better than wintec. Poppy has a video on the Kent and Masters saddles (same company) as well. I don't know if they are available in your part of the world. I had a bit of a hard time finding them here in the US. It might be worth looking into though.

@bronxxx9479

3 жыл бұрын

@@isanybodyoutthere9694 thanks so much for the suggestion. That’s the other option I have been investigating. I have found two businesses that supply them here in SA. Been looking at the T4 Cob GP. The more I delve into saddles and saddle fitting, the deeper down the rabbit hole I go 😝. I live in the middle of nowhere and dont have easy access to a saddle fitter (Poppy, are you keen for a holiday in South Africa 🤣🤣), otherwise I would leave this all to them.

@isanybodyoutthere9694

3 жыл бұрын

@@bronxxx9479 saddle fit is definitely a DEEP rabbit hole. Our situations sound very similar. Glad you were able to find a supplier!