The Horsepower Homestead

Sponsored review of Barrister Custom Tack's stirrup line.   **Disclaimer: I am a part owner of Barrister Custom Tack, I helped fund their initial start up program. And continue to support their products online.   I have 3 pairs of stirrups from Barrister Custom Tack . I have a set of Korsteel standard fillis in BaseTeal. I use these stirrups on my Wintec. I have had them for 6 months, I jump with them, have performed hours of flat work, etc. The color remains flawless. They are easy to clean. Can wipe off with a damp cloth, and good as new. The finish is rust proof. And of course the color is fun. The powdercoat pigments that Barrister Custom tack use are UV resistant and high quality.   BaseTeal stirrups   I also have a set of stirrups in Blueberry Red. These stirrups were my own, and Barrister Custom Tack powder coated them for me. These stirrups were rusted and scratched. I decided that adding a pop of color to them was the perfe...

I purchased my Collegiate Hunt Seat saddle through a Craigslist ad. I paid $120 dollars for it. I then paid $70 to have the Billet straps replaced, as they were very well worn. I had an extra set of stirrups and leathers on hand. The knee rolls are a little worn, but I will likely replace those down the road as well. Collegiate saddles, in my opinion, are a step up from the synthetic and other "cheaper" saddles. But they are not quite as popular as the higher end brands like Stubben and Pessoa. Overall, I quite like this saddle. It is comfortable, and the leather is already supple. It had been stored inside for most of it's life and was in great condition. It's a large seat size, 19 inches. I prefer a larger seat size than most. It has foam panels which still have a good amount of give to them despite their age. The new Collegiate Hunt Seat saddles range from $1000 to $1400. A quick online search shows used Collegiate saddles available ranging from $200 to...

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 Wint...