Pessoa
Traditional Children's Stirrup Leathers
English Saddle Fittings/Pads
Manufacturer: Pessoa
Model: Traditional Children's Stirrup Leathers
Category: English Saddle Fittings/Pads
Purchase: These came with a $600 pessoa saddle I got off eBay, along with peacock stirrups. Dover sells them for $100.
Likes: They're sturdy and fairly flexible. They clean up pretty well for shows and take oil without discoloration. They show no marks, nicks, dents, anything like that. They match the Rodrigo Pony Saddle perfectly and are a good size with a good range of adjustment - I'm fourteen and still have 6 holes to go down to if I grow.
Dislikes: The backside of the leather is just ugly. It is rough and a weird color. They oil up to a normal brown, but as soon as it starts rubbing against the other part of the leather or against your boot, it turns to this weird light pinkish-brown color and feels even rougher. Even the smooth front side leather has turned a bright pink where my calf rubs against it after just two years of regular riding. I've oiled them so many times and I put some stuff on them to guard against the elements (which worked on the crappy leather of my saddle billets) yet they've just kept on turning pink. It is annoying and ugly to say the least.
Quality: They are very well constructed. Good length, finished edges, nice holes and very tight stitching. They are a very attractive color. However, the leather quality is not what I would expect from Pessoa. Though the front side of the leather is smooth, it still discolors from regular rubbing even after being oiled extensively. The backs are just terrible.
Summary: I think Pessoa should put a little more effort into making sure that all sides of their products are of good quality, not just the side people see. I like these leathers as far as construction and sturdiness, but will probably end up getting a different pair for higher-level showing as these are getting uglier with every ride. I've tried all sorts of stuff on them - Leather New, Leather CPR, Lexol, Neatsfoot Oil, and some really good protect-against-the-elements stuff that I forget the name of but which usually helps leather like this. It didn't. I'd give these a 2.5, but because they are durable and the only major problem is the ugly leather, I'll go with a 3.
Rating: 3
Author: Pink Leathers
Date: 2009-12-17
Usefulness Rating: 5 out of 5.
1 reader(s) voted.
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