English saddles? Synthetic? CAIR system? HELP!!!!?

Question

i need help once again, i have a horse with an narrow wither

( very narrow) , i need 17-17.5 seat. We need a wintec so we can change the gullet as i build up his topline, is there anyother saddle that i can change the gullet in? I really dont like the all-purpose but ill put up with it if i have to, i really like the hunt seat saddles. Wintec only has hunt seat saddles/ close contact ( which is what i want) with the CAIR system. my instructor says the air leaks out unevenly hurting my horses back, so i need help finding a saddle with a gullet change system, close contact or hunt seat, and no cair system. any advice will help! no nasty comments please, this is the first time buying a sadlle , i dont know everything about them! haha

Answer 1

the air doesn't leak out of the wintec CAIR system saddles. I've ridden with them and they last for a while. None of the ones I have used leak, unless you really trash them or pop the gullets or whatever. So go ahead and try the CAIR. And if they do pop (which they shouldn't), then they always have a warranty.

Answer 2

I'd take my money and go find a used Crosby or Crump with a medium tree and pad up accordingly until he fills out (This will happen).  Look for one of those old fake sheepskin pads that have a flat channel.  That way he's got padding on both sides of the backbone and as he fills out you can simply change pads.

Answer 3

ahh good absolutely don't get the cair system it is a horse ruiner. I think Pessoa makes a new adjustable saddle with foam flocking. Collegaite (sp?) also makes an adjustable but it might have the air panels.

I would suggest getting a used county. When you switch horses they will change the tree for you.

Edit: Once again explaning the problem with CAIR... Okay air panels= no pressure pts. They also equal no shock absorbtion and therefore you get horses with sore backs. The gullet system isn't all it is cracked up to be either but i make sure it fits my horses properly. If you need to get the Cair panels buy a Mattes half pad made of sheep skin to counter act the design flaw of air panels.  The wool basically creates a wool panel and absorbs the concussion.

Answer 4

Try a Collegiate Convertable. They are reasonably priced and last forever.

http://www.doversaddlery.com/product.asp...

Answer 5

I have a bates caprilli CC, with CAIR, and i love it.  no proplem with air leaking.  As for CAIR being a "horse wrecker" i really think that people may put a little too much faith in the changeable gullet system,  thinking that it is meant to fit every horse and force their saddle to fit a horse that it simple does not, and then blame it on the CAIR.  I have three friends who also show and ride in a Bates with CAIR, and  all love their saddles and have sound happy horses.

Anyways, i do believe you can order bates (possibly wintec) cc with wool flocking instead of CAIR.

Best of luck.