Looking for the impossible... a low cost and high quality saddle?

Your best bet would be to look on Craigslist, E bay, and tack shops for used saddles. Wintec saddles are really good, but they are pretty expensive. I would recommend the synthetic saddles that require very little care.

We recommend buying a used German, French, English or Irish saddle, in one of the top brands or a custom-made saddle. Those saddles often hold their value for decades with only minor repairs, if people take proper care of them. Our favourite is the Stuebben Siegfried, of which we own two. They are 40 or 50 years old or perhaps more, and in fine shape. They have been restuffed and the billets have been replaced.

If you can find that kind of saddle then you can plan on using it forever, and passing it on to your grandchildren. Even at the price for a new saddle the top-quality ones arr really cheap, if you look at spreading the cost over half a century or more. A $2000 saddle, used at $500, is $10 a year if you keep it for 50 years. If you buy the same saddle new, then it's $40 a year. A $400 saddle that is worn out in four years is $100 a year and then has to be replaced.

I would go for a nice leather saddle used. I'm not a fan of wintecs, I think they're cheaply made. However, I'd take wintec over one of those leather saddle packages in a heartbeat! Those things are no good!

stay away from wintecs, they look good in the store, but they're synthetic and hold all scratches/scuffs that touch them, and there's no getting rid or it. try hitting up Craigslist and local tack shops for used saddles, (another good place to look is on the 5th of every month, that's the typical eviction date for most apartments and they tend to dump all the tenants crap at a thrift/goodwill type store) and yes I know a few people who have gotten saddles this way. keep an eye out for stubben, and collegiate brands, they're my faves.

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You can try looking at an HDR (Henri De Rivel (sp?)) saddle. They are nice for their price.

Also, there is one Wintec saddle that I like, and this is the only one that is worth trying. It at least looks like real leather. My friend owns one, and she loves it.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=caramel+wintec+sadd...

Collegiates and Circuits are wonderful!

The wintec are a good brand

I would go for an HDR saddle

There amazing