Tack Review: Wintec 2000 AP Saddle
I have Two versions of this saddle.
The first version of this saddle was purchased in 2005. It was a gift from my parents, ordered from StateLineTack.com in bulk, so I got it at a discounted price of around $600. I bought the "package", Stirrups, girth, and leathers included.
It was a black Wintec 2000 AP with the Cair cushions and easy change gullet system.
Seat size 17 inches.
I rode in this saddle religiously from 2005 until 2009.
When this saddle was not in use, it was stored inside my house on a saddle stand.
When I picked up riding again in May 2016, I began to use this saddle again quite regularly until I cracked the tree in late May of 2017. The saddle was 12 years old at this point, and therefore past its warranty.
The Wintec range of saddles for a period of two years against faulty materials, or workmanship. Further, the Elastiflex tree in the saddle is guaranteed against breakage for the lifetime of the saddle deemed to be 10 years* (5 years for the Wintec Western saddle).
So, over all the saddle was routinely used for about 5 to 6 years.
To be fair, the last year of its life, this particular saddle spent a fair amount of time loose in the trunk of my car. I learned from this mistake and have since crafted a trunk mounted saddle stand to transport my saddles.
In 2008, I purchased another Wintec 2000 AP, again in black, this time an 18 inch seat. This one cost me about $790 from StateLineTack.com during a seasonal sale. Again, I purchased it with the girth, leathers, and stirrups included. This saddle was for my mother to use, she had taken an interest in riding with me and liked my saddle.
This saddle got used from 2008 to 2010. Then my mother quit riding.
Iinherited, stole, borrowed this saddle from her after I broke the tree on mine.
I am still presently riding in this saddle at least twice per week.
I have changed the gullets on both of these saddle multiple times. I have ridden OTTBs, Morgans, QHs, Draft crosses, Saddlebreds, and Warmbloods with my Wintecs. The Wintecs worked great for me, since I was riding so many different horses, none of which I owned, to get one saddle to fit most of them. With this saddle, I typically did flat work, Hunter jumper, Equitation, and low level Dressage.
With that said, let's get into the nitty gritty.
I find Wintec saddles to be comfortable. The provide a deeper seat than other AP saddles I have ridden in. The suede does "break in" a little to fit the rider, but it will never break in the way that Leather does. The knee rolls on these saddle are great though! They come with the adjustable knee blocks. The synthetic material is weatherproof. They are extremely easy to clean. Never need to be oiled. I've never had any problems with "rub-off" coloring. And I've worn a fair amount of light colored breeches in these saddle.
The interchangeable gullet system is not a "fix-all" for fitting problems. The gullet system adjusts for wideness at the withers/shoulders. If your horse is uneven, suffers from back problems, etc. this saddle will not magically fix, or be able to adjust to these issues.
The Cair panels do not require re-flocking like traditional saddle. However, it is important to note that their integrity, in my opinion, can be compromised by extreme temperatures.
I feels as though a Wintec saddle's useable life span is 10-15 years.
Overall, I feel that for their price point, this is a good saddle purchase for beginners, teen girls, and the budget conscious rider. They do not have a very long lifespan compared to many leather saddles that can last for generations. Some people do not like the look of synthetic, especially in the show ring, so that may be a consideration. For those that can afford the nicer variety of saddle, I would encourage you to choose something of higher quality. But for those who can't spent thousands on saddles, Wintec is definitely a good place to start.
Summary:
★★★☆☆
3/5 stars.
The first version of this saddle was purchased in 2005. It was a gift from my parents, ordered from StateLineTack.com in bulk, so I got it at a discounted price of around $600. I bought the "package", Stirrups, girth, and leathers included.
It was a black Wintec 2000 AP with the Cair cushions and easy change gullet system.
Seat size 17 inches.
I rode in this saddle religiously from 2005 until 2009.
When this saddle was not in use, it was stored inside my house on a saddle stand.
When I picked up riding again in May 2016, I began to use this saddle again quite regularly until I cracked the tree in late May of 2017. The saddle was 12 years old at this point, and therefore past its warranty.
The Wintec range of saddles for a period of two years against faulty materials, or workmanship. Further, the Elastiflex tree in the saddle is guaranteed against breakage for the lifetime of the saddle deemed to be 10 years* (5 years for the Wintec Western saddle).
So, over all the saddle was routinely used for about 5 to 6 years.
To be fair, the last year of its life, this particular saddle spent a fair amount of time loose in the trunk of my car. I learned from this mistake and have since crafted a trunk mounted saddle stand to transport my saddles.
In 2008, I purchased another Wintec 2000 AP, again in black, this time an 18 inch seat. This one cost me about $790 from StateLineTack.com during a seasonal sale. Again, I purchased it with the girth, leathers, and stirrups included. This saddle was for my mother to use, she had taken an interest in riding with me and liked my saddle.
This saddle got used from 2008 to 2010. Then my mother quit riding.
I
I am still presently riding in this saddle at least twice per week.
I have changed the gullets on both of these saddle multiple times. I have ridden OTTBs, Morgans, QHs, Draft crosses, Saddlebreds, and Warmbloods with my Wintecs. The Wintecs worked great for me, since I was riding so many different horses, none of which I owned, to get one saddle to fit most of them. With this saddle, I typically did flat work, Hunter jumper, Equitation, and low level Dressage.
Wintec 2000 AP with BaseTeal Standard Irons from @BarristerCustomTack
With that said, let's get into the nitty gritty.
I find Wintec saddles to be comfortable. The provide a deeper seat than other AP saddles I have ridden in. The suede does "break in" a little to fit the rider, but it will never break in the way that Leather does. The knee rolls on these saddle are great though! They come with the adjustable knee blocks. The synthetic material is weatherproof. They are extremely easy to clean. Never need to be oiled. I've never had any problems with "rub-off" coloring. And I've worn a fair amount of light colored breeches in these saddle.
The interchangeable gullet system is not a "fix-all" for fitting problems. The gullet system adjusts for wideness at the withers/shoulders. If your horse is uneven, suffers from back problems, etc. this saddle will not magically fix, or be able to adjust to these issues.
The Cair panels do not require re-flocking like traditional saddle. However, it is important to note that their integrity, in my opinion, can be compromised by extreme temperatures.
I feels as though a Wintec saddle's useable life span is 10-15 years.
Overall, I feel that for their price point, this is a good saddle purchase for beginners, teen girls, and the budget conscious rider. They do not have a very long lifespan compared to many leather saddles that can last for generations. Some people do not like the look of synthetic, especially in the show ring, so that may be a consideration. For those that can afford the nicer variety of saddle, I would encourage you to choose something of higher quality. But for those who can't spent thousands on saddles, Wintec is definitely a good place to start.
Summary:
Pros
|
Cons
|
Easy to clean
|
Synthetic material
|
Adjustable knee blocks
|
Life span of 10-15 years
|
Budget Friendly: Price for new ~$700 depending on
sales.
Price for used varies. Many can be found on Craigslist
for ~$200+.
|
Limited Warranty
[The Wintec range of saddles for a period of two years against faulty
materials, or workmanship. Further, the Elastiflex tree in the saddle is
guaranteed against breakage for the lifetime of the saddle deemed to be 10
years* (5 years for the Wintec Western saddle).]
|
Weather hardy
|
|
Easy change Gullet system
|
★★★☆☆
3/5 stars.
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