Abetta Cordura

[FatSpottedAppy]

I posted this before on the other forum but I'm going to post it again in hopes of getting more replies. I already got an excellent review from a girl on the Horse.com forum(Thank you!), but I'd like to hear some more opinions.

Does anyone have experience with the Abetta Cordura? Is it worth the price? I was planning on getting 2 once I have all the money from April.. one for Tyke, one for Melee.

I mainly do 1-3 hour trail rides 3-5 times a week Spring-Fall and do pretty much nothing in the winter. Could it hold up to that? I will also be lightly barrel racing with it in the summer(I know its not a barrel saddle).

http://www.chicksaddlery.com/page/CDS/PROD/1004/20501W

[Palogal]

I'm not a fan of synthetic..AT ALL. IME, they don't last and I can't imagine this one lasting too long with that kind of use, espcially if you're barrel racing on it.

[FatSpottedAppy]

Well, by light barrel racing I mean only 2-3 times a year. :)

[vicklynn]

OK, pros and cons, from me and a tack guy who rides only in that saddle, he even breaks horses in them.

I dont like the feel of them, gives me the shivers, and most of them have belt type stirups, I dont like that.

The tack guy hurt his hips yrs ago and can not sit a wide seat saddle. That saddle gives him the narrowness he needs for riding and breaking horses. He is a believer.

He does not like the Big Horn, and there are many of us who love them. His only expierence with the Big Horn though is, Dixie Stampede buys them and they get trashed. Well if you have seen the way they ride, and Im sure the care after wards is not good, then Id say they would get trashed, they are replaced every 2 yrs.
Im a fan of the Big Horn, have ridden many many many miles in them, barrel raced, ect, and I took good care of it. Five yrs after I had it, I sold it with the horse who wore it, still looking, seating like a new saddle.

Id get the Big Horn Cordura over the Abetta Cordura. May want to check both out and get which works for you the best. PS. If ya get a Big Horn, dont get one under 400, unless you check with us first...lol..the Big Horn folks here know which ones are worth the buy.

Happy shopping.

[AUEquine]

I'm completely antisynthetic myself, but that's a personal choice!

However, a good friend of mine just bought a Weaver Synthetic saddle from Jeffers, and loves it! It's made by Weaver, and I've never gotten a bad piced of equipment from them! They are $224 and come in 3 ostritch accent colors! She says it's very comfy, and she's got one heck of a boney butt!

[Blue]

I bought mine (same exact one) over 4 years ago for barrel racing. That thing went through h*** with me! I threw it on the ground, ran through water with it, etc etc, I still have it. =] I don't use it alot now because I ride english, but I use it on the occasional trail ride. It's comfy, it just attracts hair (what synthetic doesn't though?).

[moka]

I always had leather saddles, but English saddles. So I was skeptic about the synthetic saddles. And then I bought an Arabian abetta trail saddle. I put on different stirrups. It is very easy to clean, no problem when it rains etc. I used to use it 4 to 5 times a week at least for an hour and up to a whole day for one year. The "strapy" thingies are really not well attached. I lost two of them going through bushes but the saddle is still o.k. Now I friend has used it for an other year and she rides quite a lot too, with some light jumping even etc.
I rode in a Big Horn and did not like it that much but I think that is just a personal opinion I am sure they are as well made.
All in all I would buy one again but do prefer leather.