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)
