Product Review: Wolfgang Expression by Custom Saddlery

Buying a dressage saddle can be a frustrating process-finding the right saddle to fit your hard-to-fit horse that meets your needs as well is a daunting task. When I was shopping for a dressage saddle for my Arabian mare, Molly, I found that the saddles that fit her wide back and were set back far enough to accommodate her shoulder did not fit my ample seat and long thighs. Finally, I decided to shell out the money for a Custom Saddlery custom dressage saddle and I am glad I did.

The Custom Saddlery Order Process

When ordering a fitted (custom) saddle from Custom Saddlery, you do not just fill out a form, fork over your credit card information, and wait for it to come in the mail. Instead, a representative will come out to your barn with a truck full of saddles, helping you to pick just the right one. You can ride in as many as you like until you pick the model that has the perfect seat for you and the right tree your horse.

Next, Custom Saddlery's representative will measure your horse's back in several places, drawing diagrams to get the right shape. She sends all of this information to the saddle maker, who then spends about three months (sometimes longer, but mine came in three months) making the saddle and then ships it to you.

When you receive the saddle, you will have 10 days to ride in it and try it out to make sure you are completely satisfied. You make a down payment when you order and pay the balance at the end of the 10 days. Fitted saddles come with a free Custom Saddlery saddle pad, saddle cover and a small jar of "saddle food".

After riding in the saddle for one or two months, the representative will come out again to check the fit and make sure all is well. If you get a different horse or your horse's musculature changes enough to alter the fit, the saddle can be re-fitted.

The Custom Saddlery Wolfgang Expression

The Wolfgang Expression is one of the newer Custom Saddlery models. It comes in bufflalo hide, which has an extremely grippy texture. It also has a deep, center balanced seat that puts you in the correct spot in the saddle. I feel invincible in this saddle, like I can stick on through any of my horse's antics without a care. It is very comfortable, and I feel like I can ride in it all day.

The flaps and knee rolls are designed to keep your leg in the correct position without feeling confining. The tree of the Wolfgang Expression is designed for medium wither to flat backed horses, so it works well for those hard-to-fit Arabians.

The Wolfgang Expression from Custom Saddlery is comfortable, keeps you in the right position and fits flat-backed horses well. Combining this Lexus of saddles with the high quality of service from the company makes this saddle well worth the price.