Kincade
Close Contact Saddle
Close Contact Saddles
Manufacturer: Kincade
Model: Close Contact Saddle
Category: Close Contact Saddles
Purchase: I purchased this saddle at State Line Tack for $300. I was looking for my first saddle and I was on a budget, but I wanted something nice.
Likes: I like the color of this saddle. It is very lightweight, the seat is fairly soft, and the leather is stiff at first, but becomes nice and soft with good care and oiling. The saddle has broken in well and I like the way it fits me. It gives me good freedom of movement on the flat, and I don't feel like I have unnecessary layers of leather between my horse and my leg.
Dislikes: When the saddle is new, the color rubs off a little bit. The saddle looks very nice even with wear, but it did stain my breeches a little at first. The seat is a little hard and could be more comfortable. When I bought this saddle, I wanted to use it for low-level eventing and jumping. With that in mind, I probably should have picked an all-purpose saddle. The close-contact has nothing in the knee rolls and isn't very secure over fences out in the field. It makes it much harder to grip the saddle and keep my seat. It certainly hasn't helped my position over fences, but it's nice on the flat.
Quality: The saddle seems fairly well-made. It features printed burgundy leather and off-white stitching. The leather is very stiff when it comes out of the box, but with cleaning, oiling, and breaking in, it becomes much nicer. I've only had my Kincade close-contact saddle for a year and a half, but it seems to be holding up well so far.
Summary: This is a nice saddle for the price. For $300, I would not have expected something this quality. I would probably only recommend this saddle to the beginner or amateur rider on a budget - I've done some low-level showing in the saddle, which is perfectly acceptable, but the color is not traditional as in the hunter ring. For someone looking for a nice saddle that won't empty the bank account, however, this saddle is a great purchase!
Rating: 4
Author: Laura Becker
Date: 2006-03-22
Usefulness Rating: 3.97403 out of 5.
77 reader(s) voted.
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