[EVnMo]

I am doing hunter classes at shows and apparently you have to have a brown saddle so i have to buy a new one. Has anyone ever owned a Wintec close contact saddle? and how did you like it?

[Lise]

There is currently a thread going on about this current as of yesterday.... Many opinions already:

Wintec Close Contact, Anyone Have One?

[xlilxonex]

I rode in the brown wintec close contact when I tried out my horse... It was okay..

[crayon]

To be honest I don't know how I'd feel about using Wintec at a hunter show. They really do look at your tack and overall appearance. So it depends on the level you are showign at. Open should e fine, but at anythign else you might be better off with a collegiate or something.

[HoofPrints11]

I wouldn't use a wintec in a hunter show EVER. Ickk. It can definitaly be a tie breaker. Or worse depending on the judge

[crayon]

Originally Posted by HoofPrints11

I wouldn't use a wintec in a hunter show EVER. Ickk. It can definitaly be a tie breaker. Or worse depending on the judge

You're probably right. Unless you're just dhowing for the fun of it, stick to leather. Collegiate and HDR have some fairly affordable models. Or you could buy a niced used saddle. The brown Wintec CC isn't really even the right colour brown. Too light IMO.

[EVnMo]

well the thing is i always ruin the leather so i don't want to go down that road again. and i have seen other girls ride in them at shows for hunter. i do the limit hunter right now and i only show at local shows so...... and other people say that it looks just like leather so if you are 10ft away the judge can't really see the brand i am using. so........

[jumpfordreams]

I've heard that you can take off the Wintec words on the stirrup leather keeper. I've seen photos of the Wintec close contact with someone actually in the saddle and riding and it looked just like a regular Collegiate or Bates from far away.

[EVnMo]

yeah you really can't tell the difference one of my friends from the barn has one and the only thing you can tell is that the wintecs don't wear as easily as leather saddles do. my friends still looks brand new and my other friend has a leather saddle that she got about 2 weeks before and hers is looking terrible and she takes really good care of her saddle

[morgannut]

My Wintec is the all purpose, not close contact, it's a darker brown more like chocolate. I like it, it's comfortable and looks nice (IMO). I think you're right, it's hard to tell from a distance what your saddle is, and you can remove the big plastic Wintec word from the stirrup keeper pretty easily without damaging the keeper.

Here it is at a local show (which happened to be dressage, however since we were showing at the lowest level the saddle didn't seem to matter):