Courbette
Pandur A/P
All Purpose Saddles
Manufacturer: Courbette
Model: Pandur A/P
Category: All Purpose Saddles
Purchase: I paid $350 to a private seller I found on Craigslist in the Seattle, WA area for the saddle and a large box of miscellaneous martingales, bits, and girths for my larger riding students to use.
Likes: The seat is very comfortable and roomy. It has just enough support through the seat that you can do some cross country work in it but still have enough flexibility to move around. It places my riding students into a position that is correct, but comfortable for them; it is also a fairly easy saddle to learn two point and posting trot in. I have had many adult students prefer this saddle over a deeper dressage saddle because of the comfort it provides them. It also works fairly well for lower jumps and flat work, and fits a very large variety of horses well (wide tree). The 17 1/2" seat and flap length of the saddle fit a longer legged rider very well, and the knee roll gives a good sense of security to the students who ride in it. The two tone seat and flap is also very aesthetically appealing.
Dislikes: Since it is an all purpose, the jumping that can be done is limited; however, a rider with a strong leg position could school most of the dressage movements in it fairly easily. I also feel like the quality of the Swiss made Courbettes aren't quite as good as the quality on my older German made Courbette. The lighter colored leather also seems to stain easily.
Quality: The stitching, billets, flocking, and tree in this saddle is very solid. Even though the saddle is over 10 years old, and has been the recipient of a great deal of use, it is still in very good condition. The billets on the saddle are original, yet they show very little wear and tear. I feel like it will be a very long time before I even need to consider upkeep work being done to this saddle, but it will definitely be worth the money to make repair work on it.
Summary: This is a pretty solid saddle. I have always been impressed with the Courbette line. The quality is pretty good, and the horses and students who use this saddle are comfy in it and perform well. It is definitely not meant for jumping courses, unless at the novice levels, but would make an excellent saddle for riding cross country jumps because it keeps you locked in nice and tight but has just enough flexibility for you to move out of the saddle when you need to. It is a very good saddle for taller adult students who are just beginning to ride.
Rating: 4
Author: Cassie
Date: 2010-06-16
Usefulness Rating: 2.93836 out of 5.
146 reader(s) voted.
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