Amazon.com Reviews
Average Rating: 5.0 out of 5 Stars
The following review received 17 helpful votes out of 17 total votes:Review Date: 2004-09-14"The Wintec Isabell Dressage Saddle..."This is the most comfortable and correct saddle I've ever tried! I bought an Isabell a couple of years ago and, though I own several saddles, this is the one I use all the time! The stirrup bars are correctly positioned farther back than on many other saddles I've tried, making it very easy to keep a correct vertical body alignment, which reduces my fatigue and improves my communication with the horse. The recessed stirrup bars and extra long billet straps eliminate bulk under my legs, especially when used with Wintec Webbers stirrup straps. I never have bruises or chafed areas on my inner thighs when I use this combination, like I did with other saddles. I use my Isabell for trail riding as well as arena work and it works equally well for both. Once you've tried an Isabell, you'll never want to use any other saddle! 5 stars The following review received 6 helpful votes out of 6 total votes:Review Date: 2007-12-20"An incredible saddle for many disciplines, and a GREAT bargain"I have ridden dressage in my Wintec Isabell for several years and honestly unless I become independently wealthy and buy a Bates Isabell (the leather one) I can't see myself ever switching saddles again. This saddle has an incredibly deep and correct seat, which really improves contact and communication with the horse. Riding in this saddle is the only time I feel as close to my horse as I do bareback, only it allows me to have a correct seat and leg position that I could never get without a saddle.
This saddle has the ride and build of the leather Bates Isabell, while maintaining a steady price around $1000 new (the Bates Isabell retails for approximately $2400). I have even bought a couple of used isabells for my school horses so that my students can have as comfortable and correct a ride as I have.
The only drawback that I can find to the Isabell is that because it is a synthetic, some people might not find it appropriate for the show ring. Still, there are a number of Olympic medalists who show in synthetics, and honestly I feel that if you're showing at a level where you may be looked down at for using a synthetic, than you and your horse's performance should really be what the judge is seeing- not the saddle.
One additional great thing that I have discovered about the Isabell is that it's so comfortable that I can ride virtually any discipline in it. Alright... jumping is difficult because of the deep seat and the placement of the stirrup bars, but as for trails, gymkhana and western... it's a dream! It's the kind of saddle that allows you to have a good stable seat, whether you are doing rollbacks, galloping across fields, maintaining a passive seat over difficult terrain or passaging down the centerline.
The Changable Gullet system is also a final bonus with these saddles. I used an Isabell with a horse that I rescued and when I first got her she had very little weight on her and absolutely no muscle. As she grew and filled out I was able to keep the same saddle while changing the gullet from a medium to a medium wide to a wide.
I love how you can change these saddles to suit your horse, and they come in several sizes to help fit the saddle to any breed or stage of life. I have friends that use them to ride their mares part-way through pregnancy, specifically because of their lightweight comfort to the horses and their gullet size versatility.The pommel is also cut back so that you can use the saddle with high withered horses.
I'd say that if you're looking for a saddle that's going to give you the same feel as one that retails for $2000+, consider the Isabell. I can't praise it enough. 5 stars |
