Should I pay more for a saddle that can fit more horses?

October 1, 2010 8:15 AM

How do I decide between two Pessoa Gen X saddles - one with a changeable tree costing $1349 (which would fit more horses) and one with a fixed medium tree costing $975? Which should I choose?

I am currently in the process of buying a new saddle because my Crosby is very old and pinches the shoulders of all the horses I ride (its too narrow). I am interested in buying the Pessoa Gen X saddle but can buy it in two form factors:

1) Gen X xchange (a changeable tree fitting multiple horse shoulder widths) - costing $1349
2) Gen X medium tree (fitting only horses that can use a medium) - costing $975

Other considerations:

1) I currently do not have my own horse but ride school horses, although I lease one in particular for now
2) The horses I currently ride fit a medium tree (as a large % of horses do)
3) I have two other saddles - a wintec close contact with a changeable tree and a very old crosby with a narrow tree
4) I am not a huge fan of the wintec and my husband who also rides currently uses it.

My current thoughts: The Gen X with the changeable tree is really an option on not needing to buy a new saddle if sometime in the future I get a horse that needs a wide tree. I am not sure if it is worth the extra money though, as I can not assess the probability of needing it, so I need a different way to think about it and decide.

How should I decide - and which should I go with?

posted by gwen1234 to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (6 answers total)

I'd recommend that you buy the fixed tree and, if in the future you decide you need a wide, just get a saddle with a wide tree that fits. Changeable trees are just not the same as a tree built for the tree size. The angle between the points is only 10% of the tree; the other 90% needs to fit too, and generally on an adjustable tree that 90% does not adjust well enough.

I also highly recommend getting flocking, rather than foam. Pessoa saddles have quite nice trees (and leather, and often workmanship), but the foam panels are terrible. You may have to special order the flocked panels, but it is absolutely worth it. I can't tell you how many saddles I've converted from foam to flocking, and every single horse went much better under the flocked panels.
posted by galadriel at 8:36 AM on October 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

IIRC from saddle shopping with my daughter, she was not a fan of adjustable trees for exactly the reasons stated by gwen1234. Also, my daughter was concerned that the adjustable trees may not be as durable as the traditional tree on a saddle.
posted by COD at 9:16 AM on October 1, 2010

I wouldn't buy a changeable tree -- not for any particularly strong reasons against the changeable trees, but it doesn't *seem* like they'd be as sturdy or stable as a fixed. I concur with galadriel, though: get a saddle with flocking! Much more comfortable for horses I've ridden. It's not clear from Dover's website if these Pessoa saddles fit that bill. I rode in a second (or third, fourth, fifth-hand?) Stubben for a while -- it was great, and those saddles last forever. I'm guessing you could find one in a similar shape/purpose, if you were interested, for less than the new Pessoa.
posted by sk932 at 10:27 AM on October 1, 2010

I would go with the fixed tree. There are so many variables in saddle fit that if you do buy a horse it probably won't fit the saddle you already have even with the adjustable tree. Curse of the Saddle Fairy or something. Between your other two saddles you'll have something that will work well enough for occasional use.

I ended up with wool flocking and do prefer it, but I only use the saddle on one horse. From what I've read the foam is better if you frequently ride different horses. I have to admit to not being in love with getting a fitter out every year or so to adjust the flocking, either. One thing I discovered with the wool, though, is it can allow the same saddle to fit surprisingly different shaped horses, especially if you get wither gussets.

Good luck, I hate saddle shopping.
posted by sepviva at 1:24 PM on October 1, 2010

Chiming in to agree with going for the fixed tree. No one I know has been thrilled with changeable trees. If you're still unsure, can you try both saddles? Most retailers will let you have saddles on trial, and you can experiment and see what works for you.

Also agreeing with sk932 about Stubbens, if you're not set on the Pessoa. I used to ride in a Stubben, and man I wish I still had it.
posted by OolooKitty at 5:09 PM on October 1, 2010

Another vote for a Stubben if you can find it. My daughter's first saddle was a 25 year old Stubben that we bought for a couple of hundred bucks. She cleaned it up, used it for a couple of years and took care of it until she outgrew it, and then we sold it on Ebay for more than we originally paid for it. They last forever.
posted by COD at 6:49 AM on October 2, 2010