Wintec Pro Dressage

You’ll find that what differentiates this old Pro from the new model is that it clearly embodies a philosophy of close contact dressage: with slim panels and an open seat, there’s little getting in the way of you and your horse.

Wintec have been in the game for a few years now – to be accurate, the Wintec brand began evolving in the early 1980s and have had a profound impact on the equestrian market. As an industry leader pioneering synthetic saddles in the 80’s and 90’s, they’ve grown a name for themselves as lightweight, low fuss tools that can get the job done. Partnering with the stars (Wintec dressage saddles have a long history of association with Isabell Werth) and a reputation for innovative materials (Equisuede, Equileather) has cemented a trustworthy relationship with their loyal customers.

For this road test, we used our favourite Mattes Double Quilted Baby Pad and Wintec Elastic Girth , following carefully the instructions to adjust the y-girthing system to suit our horse.

For the horse

Adjusting the y-girthing system was simple and quick. The nylon girth points sit very flat and the adjustment point is well behind the leg and stays put once set. We’re fans of this rigging setup, because you can clearly see how this system helps to distribute the force across a larger tree area than more traditional rigging setups .

This saddle is also fitted with the flap surcingle – but we found it pretty close to useless. It’s designed to keep the saddle flap in place and stop it riding up or moving whilst riding. Unfortunately the point at which it’s attached to the flap is a little forward – which means that it doesn’t quite sit over the girth, it tends to want to migrate towards the elbow. We thought the strap has limited functionality and you’d probably do well to remove it all together (although the truncated ends would certainly be unsightly).

The girth tabs for this saddle are leather-tipped – stitched to the bottom of the nylon strapping you can see in the picture above. As with all leather girth tabs, you suffer from the holes tending to stretch over a period of time and you’ll need to keep a closer eye on them for safety than you would synthetic strapping.

Flipping the saddle over we need to make some comment on panels and gullet too. Although gullet measurement on our rental is a ‘medium’ it doesn’t really tell you a whole heap about how this saddle is going to fit. You can see the channel width is consistent through the length of the saddle, however it’s probably narrower than the more recent models. That’s ok – it still fits the old ‘3 finger’ rule, but there’s not much additional leeway. You’ll need to make a judgment call as to whether the width is right for your horse’s spine and barrel shape and to suit your personal preference. Overall, the channel looks to be more suited to a narrower-sprung rib cage. The horse fitted here has a really typical, middle-of-the-road sprung rib cage.

As far as panels go, they’re slim and pretty firm (flocked in this case). As part of the review process, we measure the average panel area and work out a maximum carrying capacity for all our saddles. In this case, although the panels are not as wide and cushy as is currently in-vogue, it still achieves a maximum 80kg weighting, based on 2/3rds panel area in contact with the horse (i.e. you’ve got a big safety margin for bridging, rocking or general shifting in motion).

For the rider

Picture below gives an overall impression of the saddle’s styling – no bulking knee rolls, certainly not a ‘deep seat’, mild twist and rather long saddle flaps. The flaps measure 46cm (18″) as the stirrup leather hangs on a 17.5″ saddle, and tend to suit those of us with a longer femur (i.e. distance from hip to knee). There’s enough forward cut to the flaps to allow for the girls among us to get some bend in those knees too.

The waist is medium-narrow, which means the seat was comfortable and you don’t feel perched at all, immediately noticeable though is the lack of knee rolls for this saddle. This gives you the flexibility to experiment with leg position, however some people may find it disconcerting if you’re used to a saddle that ‘puts you in position’. Due to the age of the saddle, the stirrup hangers are probably attached more forward on the tree to newer saddles – more an indication of the changing trends in saddle design over the last 5 years than any great hindrance though.

If you find you really can’t do without nice cushy knee rolls to feel secure, Wintec sells Flexiblocs (available front and also back – blocks for behind the thigh) in a range of shapes and sizes and these can be purchased separate from a saddle to modify the fit of the knee rolls and any support behind the rider’s leg. This does give you a few options for modifying the fit to suit from a rider’s perspective.

Our rental saddle is fitted with Dressage Regular sized Flexiblocs in the front only: For those who like to feel nice and ’snug’ in a saddle, this one is definitely not for you. However, if you’re interested in experimenting with the way you sit, or you prefer the room to move you’ll find with minimal interference of your legs, you’re free to move around and try something new with this saddle. In motion, the equisuede is comfortable to ride in wearing simple cotton jods.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

In short, we’d recommend this saddle for those who like a more open seat, or those who want to experiment with their position a little more. Beginners would probably find the lack of support de-stabilising and slightly confronting, because the you’ll be expected you to find your own balance – the saddle won’t ‘put you in position’. The synthetic materials are easily maintained and although not suitable for high turnout, the Pro really does shine as a training saddle for everyday use.

Carrying capacity: Limited to 80kg
Condition score: All Rounder
Availability: Rent it here