Corriente Saddle Company
Reiner
Reining Saddles
Manufacturer: Corriente Saddle Company
Model: Reiner
Category: Reining Saddles
Purchase: I purchased this saddle over the phone from Corriente Saddle Company for around $700. It came with the guarantee that I would like the saddle or my money would be refunded NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Believe me, there were questions!!!
I had purchased a previous saddle from Corriente and it was very comfortable to sit in, even though technically it wasn't a reining saddle, as described. But the seat was comfortable and my trainer liked sitting in it.
It did not fit my horse, which was to be expected, as he is narrow and high withered and I had to pad the saddle especially for him. I knew the saddle would probably fit my other horses, so that was okay.
Then I ordered another saddle from Wayne and asked for the same saddle with a bit more silver so I could use it in Western Pleasure. I asked for it to have no rear billets and for the little pleasure show buckles in the back. No problem, I was told.
Likes: I guess what I liked about it was the color and the silver.
Dislikes: When I got the saddle, it actually DID fit the withers of my horse, which told me right off this was not the same saddle. It had a tag on it "Mexico" which told me that Corriente actually has their saddles made in Mexico, not by themselves here in the USA. Saddle looked fine, figured it wouldn't fit the other horses, but maybe I finally had a saddle that fit this tall guy! Yea!
Took it to an indoor seminar to sit in for a couple of hours. At the last minute realized that it had rear billets instead of the show buckles, like Wayne said he would do. I had literally just taken the saddle out of the box and put it in the back seat to leave, so hadn't noticed. So I removed the rear billets before going into the arena.
Because of the large turnout, only about three times did I get to try a maneuver for about five minutes. Most of the time was spent sitting and watching on the rail. My aged, sweet, placid horse was a nut job the entire seminar. Tail swishing, backing and going forwards, side to side. He didn't have to tell me he was UNCOMFORTABLE !!!
When I got out of the saddle when we were done, I was almost crippled from the nerves being cut off in the girl zone! Plus, this seat had a smooth seat instead of rough like my other and instead of leather it was more like naugahyde -- meaning my rear was SWEATY! Not pretty!
As it turns out the only thing worse than the saddle was trying to return it.
I initially just wanted to trade the saddle for a saddle like I previously was quite happy with. I was told "I don't think we would make a saddle you would be happy with." Mature. I was only left with returning the saddle, which cost me $42 in UPS shipping. I told the girl that I had removed the billets, since I ordered them without billets and she said to put them in the box. Fine.
Upon their receipt of the saddle I get a phone call wherein I am verbally overpowered, cannot get in a word edgewise -- like fighting with your little brother when you're eight -- scolded and berated over the altered saddle and the muddy stirrups (indoor arena on a dry day). Of course, if they were actually saddlemakers, threading the billets back on wouldn't have been a big deal.
My choice I was given at this point was to have it shipped back to me -- over my horse's sore back! -- or to pay $75 to replace the stirrups and billets. I chose the latter.
It was a very sorry experience.
Quality: I cannot comment on the construction, since I'm not a Mexican saddle maker, all I know is how it made me feel and how it appeared to anyone there how it made my horse feel.
Summary: You get what you pay for.
Rating: 2
Author: Midwest girl
Date: 0000-00-00
Usefulness Rating: 5 out of 5.
2 reader(s) voted.
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