Courbette
Magic
All Purpose Saddles
Manufacturer: Courbette
Model: Magic
Category: All Purpose Saddles
Purchase: I bought this saddle from my local tack shop in 2000, for $800. I know you can find them for much less now.
Likes: It's a very, very durable saddle. I feel like I can really vouch for this having owned the saddle for 12 years.
The waterproof has very good for the first 5 or 6 years.
The deep seat puts me in a great position. The overall balance of the saddle is great. The leather is very secure, it holds you in well. The knee blocks are closer to ones on a dressage saddle.
A never noticed a change in the E-motion tree, it always fit like a Medium-Wide to me. Fit many horses well.
Dislikes: For an AP saddle, it's very dressage-like. So much so that I switched out the billets to dressage billets last year and now use it as a dressage saddle. This was actually a good thing for me, but if you're looking for an AP saddle to do jumping over 2'6 in, this is not for you.
The billets are very short. Invest in a girth extender.
It took a while (over a year) to break in decently. I will say, it's not in too much worse shape now than it was in then, though. It has held up very well.
I'm not overly fond of the large scratches my young horse put into it after taking off and getting stuck behind a well house, but that has nothing to do with he manufacturing of the product, just the silliness of my horse.
Quality: Overall, very good quality considering the price. The leather is a little "odd" at first, it feels a bit different than regular leather, but this is because of the waterproofing. It seems stiff at first, and did not accept oil. Let it break in, and it will soften. The leather has held up very well.
The stitching started to separate under the cantle about two years ago. Still, it held up very well until then, and even now, it's not bad enough for me to stop riding in it.
The billets, short though they were, held up VERY well.
Summary: This is a very durable saddle that works well for the price, for a rider who is mostly doing flat work. Taken care of, it will last you many years.
Rating: 4
Author: Sara
Date: 2012-06-21
Usefulness Rating: 3 out of 5.
20 reader(s) voted.
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