Bates
Caprilli Close Contact
Close Contact Saddles
Manufacturer: Bates
Model: Caprilli Close Contact
Category: Close Contact Saddles
Purchase: I got a great deal on this wonderful saddle....I got it for only $850 from a local tack shop as it was a demo saddle...never used. They retail for around $1700 I believe. I grew out of my old saddle and took it there for consignment.
Likes: The construction is wonderful...better than a lot of the more expensive brands. It still looks brand new even though I have had it for over 3 years, and I will admit that I didn't really oil it often for the first year and a half or so. The leather is wonderful, and the stitching is so tight. I will also say that this is the absolute most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden in, and I've ridden in a lot (from devocoux and butet to pessoa and stubben). I just love how you can change the gullets as well to fit different horses. This was the ONLY saddle to fit my impossible to fit horse. I recently sold him, and the people I sold him to went out and bought a bates because they loved riding in mine so much.
Dislikes: Absolutely nothing. Bates is a new brand..so people may buy a prestige, butet, or devocoux over a bates purely on "name" but this saddle is wonderful and in the same quality range as them with added bonuses---changeable gullet system.
Quality: This is a very high quality saddle, and oils beautifully. The stitching is great...the leather is wonderful. There are even "move-able" leather knee blocks with velcro---how cool! I LOVE that. It is SO comfortable but still offers close contact to the horse.
Summary: Bates is a new brand..so people may buy a prestige, butet, or devocoux over a bates purely on "name" but this saddle is wonderful and in the same quality range as them with added bonuses---changeable gullet system.
Rating: 5
Author: Amanda
Date: 2007-10-29
Usefulness Rating: 3.55556 out of 5.
27 reader(s) voted.
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