Stubben
Maestoso Deluxe Biomex
Dressage Saddles
Manufacturer: Stubben
Model: Maestoso Deluxe Biomex
Category: Dressage Saddles
Purchase: Purchased online for $2,015 brand new from a tack shop's website. Previous dressage saddle was a Stubben Romanus, 25 years old. Still in great shape, but needed something more "show worthy". That was the excuse I gave Santa anyway - I really just wanted a new saddle! A girl has needs.
Likes: First new saddle I tried was an HDR, which seemed to have less than quality leather & did not even begin to fit my horse. It was frog-mouthed. Second was a Bates Innova w/ the large thigh blocks. Fit horse, but was so ugly I just could not live w/ it. Also the leather was not the quality I was looking for. I did not want to spend the $$ on a new Stubben, but I was so happy w/ my old Romanus I decided to go for it. It is beautiful, fits my Friesian like a glove, and me too. It does ride quite differently than my antique Romanus - very springy, and stirrup bars are a little more forward. The Biomex seat is very nice, the seat is nicely deep but not too much so. The Romamus was a 17 inch, but I ordered a 17.5 b/c of the deeper seat, very glad I did. I did put my old stirrup leathers on, realized immediately that I will have to buy new ones b/c they have stretched so unevenly, which for some reason I did not notice so much on the old saddle. My fault - one leg longer than the other. My Friesian is more of a modern type, though she is a big girl with a huge shoulder - this saddle seems to fit her very well w/ no shoulder impediment. She has very good withers - not huge but there. I think the HDR was made for a TB type horse with very pronounced withers. She seemed to enjoy the saddle though she was a little surprised the first time we trotted - she has a huge trot & the springy tree will take some getting used to (for me). Needless to say, my husband is now a big fan of the spring tree.
Dislikes: Maybe the price! But, you get what you pay for. I get it.
I don't really like the way they stamp the Biomex seat with wording - it is clearly obvious that it is a Biomex seat, it does not have to be spelled out. Also, the Stubben nameplate is tarnished - come on guys, you put that much effort into making a saddle, then put a crappy nameplate on the back? I think Stubben can do better than that. But, it would never stop me from buying the saddle again.
Quality: Beautifully constructed, the leather is amazing. I wavered on getting the deluxe version, b/c softer leather tends to wear more quickly. But after feeling it, I would definitely recommend the deluxe version, if you can take care of your tack. Just what I would expect from Stubben. The Biomex seat is very nice. The sweat flap is very thick. The girth straps are made from something (leather?? synthetic? not sure) that seems very strong, has not even marked yet. Sits me in the sweet spot w/ no effort. Balanced.
Summary: Love this saddle, would recommend it to anyone. Beautiful, quality leather, typical quality Stubben construction. I am not a professional rider, but even amateurs and hobbyists need to experience quality, even if it just for our horse's sake. This saddle is a good way to experience that w/out paying $6k. I hope this saddle lasts the rest of my life, if not, I hope Stubben reads this & feels motivated to repair it!! :)
Rating: 5
Author: Friesian Fanatic
Date: 2010-12-14
Usefulness Rating: 3.11486 out of 5.
148 reader(s) voted.
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