We have nothing but good things to say about Wintec saddles. Ron Bates, the managing director of Bates, Australia, (the parent company of Wintec) is a rider and horseman. He has worked to design an incredibly user friendly saddle for both horses and riders that offer a changeable gullet system that really works, as well as the “Cair” air panel. Our experience has been that it takes about 10 minutes and a little effort to change the tree plate in these saddles. The plates range from ‘narrow’ to ‘extra wide’. A gullet gauge is available to measure your horse if you are not sure, or it is very easy for us to determine the tree width from a wither tracing. Whether you chose the traditional flocked panels or the “Cair” panels, we find they offer good weight distribution and a nice wide gullet. The saddles come with a medium tree plate, and extra plates are available for $19.95.

The ‘Cair’ panels consist of a very strong, thin sealed airbag. The saddles have four bags, two front and two rear, that softly mold to the horse’s back. The beauty of the air system is that it virtually eliminates pressure points and dry spots. We have had horses that had been very back sore respond amazingly well to this panel. One fitting note is that these saddles can tend to look a little perched up on the horses back until the riders weight settles it down, so be sure to make some of your fitting judgments while you are on board! It is possible to add flocking to these panels, in the event that more adjustment is needed, but we have found that the air system can correct many of the fitting problems that previously required re-stuffing.

The saddles have a ‘flexibloc’ system which allows the thigh block to be moved on a Velcro panel under the flap. It allows a very customized fit, and is particularly helpful for allowing a bit of growing room, or if the saddle needs to be shared by several riders.

The Wintec Close Contact Saddle

 This is the synthetic version of the Caprilli Close Contact. The saddle comes in a caramel color that is so leather-like that sometimes we get the two saddles mixed up on our racks. If you are looking for a good quality, good fitting saddle that will give you years of service at a reasonable price, don’t over look the Wintec.

15” – 17 ½”

Trumbull Mt Tack Shop Offers its clients a 10% discount on the fittings of their choice when they purchase any new or used saddle from us.

Wintec Pro Jumping with CAIR and Changeable gullet system