Fellas the question is coming from down under. Would like to hear if anyone has opinions on this saddle for general trail riding

Thanks
Johno

I know a few people who ride them. Mostly just Sunday riders. I guess they would do if you don't expect to much out of them.
I couldn't honestly give them a good or bad review since I have never ridden one.

I can't say anything for certain about that particular saddle but I will say the worst and least comfortable day riding I ever had was in a synthetic.
A friend convinced me to try one and I decided to give it a go with an open mind but after three hours in the saddle I felt like I'd done about 20 hours.

The situation is that my wife is mid 50s, with arthritis being a real problem. The saddle she uses Combo Poley, half breed, swinging fender. Made by Toowoomba saddlery. A great comfortable saddle, but heavy. She is now having trouble throwing it on her mare.

Maarty, we lived at Taihape for a number of years and she used it mustering and competitive trail riding, it really is an arm chair to ride in.

Any opinions on a good quality lighter saddle would be welcome, going to be tough finding something leather I think

Johno

The country round Taihape can be pretty vertical.

With arthritis I can see the need for a lightweight saddle, I think Syd Hill makes a synthetic stock saddle that might be worth a look. Wintec have always been a well known brand, but then that was the brand of saddle I had trouble with.
Perhaps see if you can find out about the Syd Hill ones and compare them to the Abetta saddles.

Just like with leather saddles, if you want quality you have to pay for it, even though synthetics are still cheaper than leather in most cases.
Either way I'd probably swap out the straps on a synthetic for leather straps, including stirrup leathers and girth straps because I've seen a lot of them that become cracked and frayed, they may still retain their strength but I don't trust the look of them once they crack or fray.


My daughter wanted a synthetic saddle when she started riding and I refused, I wanted her to learn to care for a saddle and to know her saddle inside and out not have one she could just spray with a hose and leave to dry (which is how a lot of people clean synthetic saddles)

Clean a saddle? Doesn't it ever rain there?