Of the two, which would you choose?

[dressagedevon]

Okay, I have another question for the Cothers. If you had to chose between on or the other of these saddles, which would it be and why.(wow, that really sounded like an essay question!!) I have tried a couple of dressage saddles now, and none of them have worked and I am down to these two. So which would you go with, because I really like them both and they are close in price. I need to choose the saddle to try next on my quest for the right saddle. TIA.
http://www.mysaddle.com/MYSADD~3/Steffen.html
&
http://www.equine.com/products-for-sale/product-ad-893965.html
:confused::confused::confused::)

[J-Lu]

You're gonna hate my answer....


These saddles are really different. They put your seat and thigh in a slighly different place and offer "support" in different places (so it will depend on which is comfortable for you). Your thigh to hip measurement will make a big difference since the second saddle has a straighter flap cut than the Advantage. The leather quality might also be very different. If the billets are similar to a Hennig in the second saddle, I'm pretty sure the billeting is different in these saddles and I can see that gussets are very different, both of which can make a huge difference to your horse if he is short backed or has a curvier rather than a straighter back or has a good "girth groove" or is prone to the saddle slipping up on the shoulders.

You can only know if you like it when a) you put it on your horse and see how it fits and b) you climb into it and see how you like it.

There's a reason that people hate saddle shopping!

[Invite]

Of the 2 saddles, I would have to go with saddle #2. My only reason is that the Steffen is not comfortable for me.

I just bought a saddle for my youngster a couple months ago. I am disabled and am easily pitched forward, so I went to the tack shop and sat in literally every saddle they had. The saddle fitter and I narrowed it down to about 6 saddles. The following week she brought the saddles that kept me in a secure position to my barn to try on Miss Beastie. Amazingly, my #2 saddle choice fit my girl as though it was custom made for her. My favorite saddle just perched on her back in the widest tree available.

It is totally worth having a saddle fitter come to you...preferably one who does not represent only one line of saddles. If you can't have a fitter come to you, try working with a tack shop like Trumbull Mountain. They have great success in fitting saddles long distance from tracings and photos.

Good luck and don't rush in to anything :)

[dressagedevon]

Thanks guys for the answers, and your both right I just need to try them. The advantage is here in town so I can take my horse over and try it out, but the other saddle I have to order.

[Invite]

You will be very happy about trying before buying! Sometimes it's a royal pain in the butt, but it is worth it in the end!

[TBDQ0328]

I just got the Advantage and love it! Its very comfortable, and puts me in the right spot. But saddles are very individual - to both horse and rider. Try both, espeically if they are near by. The more you sit in, the more you figure out what you like and don't like as well as what your horse likes and doesn't like.

[caddym]

A couple of questions.

What level do you ride?

Do you show?

What age and breed is your horse?

Is your horse more green or more schoolmaster?

How do you deal with criticism?

Would you be frustrated if the clinician spent time talking to auditors?

What would you say is your biggest problem?

[AnotherRound]

Caddy - I think you are you in the wrong part of the building.

[caddym]

Oh god you are so right - I meant that for the poster that was deciding between lendon gray and michael barinsone.

[swgarasu]

Yes, you absolutely need to ride in both saddles before deciding.
If you had ridden in both, and liked both, I would go with the advantage because I think they are more popular and if you needed to resell you would have a better chance of doing so.

[Valentina_32926]

Steffen saddle says narrow twist - which I personally hate. :no: It also does NOT say the tree can be adjusted. :eek:

Based on those 2 factors (without having ridden in either) I'd say saddle #2 (the Hennig 'want to be') would be my choice. The tree is adjustable (so it says) although I don't like the fact that it's a plastic tree :confused: - but as it has a 5 year warranty I'd go with that saddle.

[dressagedevon]

Valentina, you hit on what I like and dislike on saddle #2, the "plastic" tree is kinda weird, don't really know much about them. But some narrow twisted saddles I like and some I don't. I can't do a wide twist either, they hurt! Well I quess I'll start with the Advantage since it's here, and then go from there.

[Invite]

As far as the plastic tree, I wonder if it is a polymer similar to that used in Prestige or Kieffer saddles. If that is the case, the plastic tree wouldn't worry me one bit.

The Steffen is a very nice saddle. You might be able to purchase a used Steffen right through Custom and they will fit it to tracings of your horse's back. I have heard that Custom has fantastic customer service. The customer service is worth a million if you run into a problem!

In talking to a saddle fitter who happens to be my friend, even saddles with adjustable trees are not all that adjustable. Do not let the adjustable tree be the deciding factor, as adjusting the tree later on might not make the saddle fit your horse if his shape changes.

[CelticRiverDance]

I had a Custom Saddlery Advantage and loved it but mine was the high end adjustable tree one. I don't know anything about the other model but the Advantage was wonderful. I also love the narrow twist, deep seat and buffalo hide leather. It was also very easy to resell because it is so well known. You might want to consider moving up to the adjustable model. It is more expensive but if you are willing to buy a used one in excellent condition, you can get it for the same price as the used non adjustable tree version. Just a thought. Custom Saddlery will appraise a used saddle for you and they often have used or demo saddles themselves. That's how I bought mine. Good luck.

[WBLover]

I'm in saddle shopping he** right now, and trust me, you CANNOT take other people's opinions on which saddle would be best for YOU. Every saddle fits every person and every horse differently, they are such a personal choice. One person's narrow twist is another person's hip buster, one person's comfortably deep seat puts another person on their crotch and hollows their back. Trust me, I know from where I speak.

The best thing to do is find saddles (used if you can so you don't have to worry about ruining a new one and being stuck with it) and RIDE in them. It's the only way you will know for sure.

[cute_lil_fancy_pants_pony]

Oohh! I've never ridden in either, but I would go for the Titan II!! I like how high the cantle is and how deep the seat looks, and I like how it looks like your thigh would hang straighter in it. The Steffen Peters one looks like the thigh block is too far forward to do anything. I've never seen the Titan II, now I WANT ONE!!

[NJRider]

I agree that the quality of the Euroriding saddles are very nice, but they have very poor resale value. They are not a "name brand" and difficult to sell if you ever need to. That is something to consider. Ask me how I know- I just sold a used Euroriding for $500 and it was HARD to sell. Ask the Horse of Course who has had one on consignment for years for under $1300. It is a like new, beautiful saddle but won't move like a Kieffer, Albiom or County, etc