Henri de Rivel Vegan-X All Purpose IGP Saddle

We got this via test ride for a pony with a very flat back and deep shoulder. I liked that it has deep gussets (as many saddles we tried had too much of a curve in the tree and lifted off pony’s back, even when properly sized at the withers); a fairly vertical flap (for the shoulder); and seemed to be a very true medium and 17”. Less important to me, but it looks gorgeous and is vegan to boot!! Plus, wool flocking means the saddler can make adjustments. You can’t beat for the price.

I bought this saddle for my ex-racehorse to do a little groundwork/training in. This saddle worked great as he is not overly wide and it even stayed in place as we went over small jumps! Absolutely loved the seat, it was like a cloud. Took him out on a a trail ride and was absolutely amazed with the comfort. The panels fit him nicely and definitely recommend.

I bought this saddle about a month ago, and so far it has been lovely. I feel comfortable in the seat, and feel like it holds me nicely. It's not a terrible fit for my leg, as I am 5'2" and need short flaps. Even though the flap is a touch long, it still compliments my leg. The seat is well padded so I feel like I'm sitting on a cloud, as the saddle breaks in a little bit more it starts to feel less of a cloud and more of a seat cushion. Still comfortable, but I no longer feel like I'm almost floating in the seat. I do have some things I did not like about this saddle. First off, the craftsmanship. I am happy with it for the price, however it is very obvious this product was machine made. Some points I noticed the most were some edges of the synthetic leather being rough and not smoothed out. Some of them were even sharp. The stitching was pretty good though, and I'm not worried about this saddle falling apart on me. I almost didn't like how padded the panels of the saddle were either. The synthetic wool still needs time to compress and conform to my horse's back though. When I first put the saddle on my mare's back, I first thought, "Oh no, this saddle must be too narrow," because I could fit my whole hand and more in between my horse's wither and pommel of the saddle. However, as I hopped on my mare the saddle's panels "compressed" and the saddle slid back a touch to make it fit correctly. It's quite a nice fit actually. I also did not like the removeable knee rolls that came with the saddle. They made the saddle look bulky. I did not ride with though, as I took them off just before I got on. I have no idea if they would offer the support a rider would need. They probably would though, I just personally do not like bulky knee rolls or blocks. I'm not sure what you could call them. The saddle is also quite long, so if you were to try this saddle I would most recommend going with a wide tree 16.5" if you're a equestrian that normally rides in a 17". There's loads of room in the seat, and half an inch isn't going to hurt you. It's also better for the horse as to help ensure the saddle sits on the supporting rib cage. I would also like to mention that if you wear tall leather boots for riding, this saddle will squeak. I had no problem with using real leather leathers, but the squeak came from my tall boots. For a saddle that is completely synthetic, I'm quite happy. I would almost prefer this saddle to a Wintec for the price and quality.

It actually does look nice but a bit wonky to ride in. Maybe because it did not fit my horse. I ordered a medium tree but fits like a narrow.