Founded in 2000 in Saintes, France by five horse industry professionals, Antares built their reputation on combining luxury with function. They offer three tree options - standard, medium wide, and two wider styles (A01 and A02) - and like most French saddles, use foam paneling to fine-tune the fit to your horse's back.

The stamp is on the billet flap or the back right of the sweat flap.

 P Flat Seat

 SC Half-Deep Seat

C  Deep Seat

 00-5  Flap Lengths

N Standard (Straight)

 A-AAA  Progressively more Forward Flaps

 AB Lower Point with a more forward Flap

 NB  Lower Point with a straighter Flap

M15 T1  Pro Panels (Standard)

 M10 Decreased amount across entire panel

M20 Increased amount across entire panel

RAR +/-  Front of pommel near wither increased or decreased

 RAG +/-  Back of panel near gusset increased or decreased

DTA  Larger contact area of overall panel

 T  Angle of the panels // As the # gets bigger the angle of the panel becomes more a framed

CWD is one of the most recognized French saddle brands out there, and for good reason. They're built with wide, concave integrated panels for better pressure distribution, a 3-point girthing system, and a higher-cut sweat flap to reduce bulk under your leg. Leather options include grain (most durable), calf (soft and grippy with solid durability), and buffalo (the softest and grippiest of the three).

One thing worth knowing before you shop: CWD billets run short. Most riders need to go up one, sometimes two, girth sizes from what they'd normally ride in. Don't let that catch you off guard when you're comparing listings.

The stamp runs three lines: Line 1 - model, seat size, and flap Line 2 - foam panel configuration Line 3 - year of manufacture and serial number

Example stamp: SE01 TC 170 3L PA 715 205 205 06 560

Most French saddles are built on a similar base tree then shaped to the horse through the foam panels. Since tree size doesn't vary the way it does in other brands, understanding the panel stamp matters more than people expect.

The standard CWD panel will either have no stamp or read 700 / 200 / 300. The 700 refers to the front of the panels, 200 runs from shoulder to cantle, and 300 is the rear. The pro-panel version reads 705 / 205 / 305.

CWD flaps come in fewer shapes than most other brands - C is their forward flap and L is their straighter standard style. Sizes run 0 through 5, with 0 being the shortest.

Childeric (you'll see it written Luc Childeric) is one of the older, quieter names among the French makers. Less flash than some, but riders who find one that fits tend to hang onto it. The seats generally run true to size, which you can't say about every brand on this page, and the twist sits on the wider side, closer to an Antares or CWD than a Butet. The best-known model is simply the "M," a close contact saddle, though they also build a monoflap dressage saddle called the DAC.

The thing to know is that Childeric's stamp format shifted over the years, so two of them can read a little differently. You'll generally find a flap code, a tree letter, a seat size, and a year.

The stamp is under the sweat flap.

Example stamp: 2 1/2 M 175 / Z 23 2000

• 2 1/2 = flap (regular length, forward)
• M = tree width (medium)
• 175 = seat size (17.5")
• Z 23 = internal build reference
• 2000 = year of manufacture

Flap codes, with the older style using a half number for "forward" and newer saddles swapping in an A:

• 1 = short, 1.5 or 1A = short forward
• 2 = regular, 2.5 or 2A = regular forward
• 3 = long, 3.5 or 3A = long forward
• 4 = extra long, 4.5 or 4A = extra-long forward

Tree width shows up as a letter: N narrow, M medium, MW medium-wide, W wide.

One buying note: even though Childeric seats are usually honest to the stamp, this is an older brand with a lot of pre-2010 saddles on the used market, and faded stamps are common. Measure the actual seat and check the tree rather than trusting a worn number.

Butets are known for their close contact feel and narrower twist, which is part of what makes them so popular with riders who want to feel every conversation with their horse. That narrow twist does mean they tend to fit narrower - they're not the best match for horses with large shoulders or a convex area behind the shoulder, but they work beautifully on thoroughbreds, French-breds, and horses with normal to narrower shoulders.

One thing that catches people off guard: Butets come in whole sizes only in North America. Half sizes exist but you'll mostly find them in Europe. More importantly, Butet seat sizes can run 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch off from the stamp - more consistently than most other brands. Always measure the actual seat, both the one you want and the one you're considering buying.

Tree width options: E - Narrow N / S - Standard W - Wide XL - Extra Wide (No letter in the serial number means standard tree)

Seat depth: P - Flat L - Half Deep C - Deep

Flap lengths: 1 - Standard 2 - Long 3 - Extra Long 1/4 - Slightly Forward 1/2 - Forward

Year of manufacture is the number above MIF on the stamp.

Devoucoux saddles come in whole and half seat sizes with flap lengths running 0 through 5. Leather options include grain/calf, full calf, and buffalo. One thing that sets Devoucoux apart is their four levels of flap forwardness - D being the straightest, standard having no letter, A being forward, and AA being very forward. That granularity is genuinely useful when you're trying to match a saddle to a specific riding position.

The stamp runs like this:

Example: 18S42019888 002 2A D3D 4.0 3-5

18 - year of manufacture (2018) S42019888 - saddle reference number 002 - seat size 2A - flap configuration D3D 4.0 3-5 - panel configuration

Seat sizes: 001 - 16" to 16.5" 002 - 17" to 17.5" 003 - 18" to 18.5"

Flap lengths: 0 through 5

Flap shape: D - Straight A - Forward AA - Very Forward B - Lower Curve

Panel note: D3D panels have a wider weight-bearing surface area - about 30% more contact than the previous generation. Worth looking for if your horse needs better pressure distribution.

Voltaire's an interesting one, because it didn't come out of nowhere. It was started by former Devoucoux people, so if a Voltaire feels familiar in your hand, that's why. They went wider in the tree with a half-deep seat, and their "second skin" sweat flap is cut thin to get you close to the horse through your lower leg. They're also one of the lighter French saddles, usually in a dark chocolate leather, and you can often spot the signature blue stripe on the gullet or billet guards.

The billet setup is worth knowing before you shop. Instead of three fixed billets, Voltaire runs two billets on three rings that loop on and off. In practice that means a worn billet is something you can order and swap yourself instead of shipping the saddle to a saddler, and you can shift where the billets sit to fine-tune your girthing.

What to check when buying used: that wider tree suits a lot of warmbloods, but a narrow, high-withered horse needs fuller panels to work in a Voltaire. Look hard at the paneling before you fall for one.

The stamp is under the sweat flap, like most French saddles.

Example stamp: 462 15 17 3AA M/M 15

• 462 = saddle maker's reference number
• 15 = year of manufacture (2015)
• 17 = seat size
• 3AA = flap (length 3, AA forwardness)
• M/M = tree width (medium)
• 15 = panel configuration

Flap forwardness runs standard, A, AA, AAA, with a B added when there's extra forwardness in the bottom third of the flap. Flap lengths run 0 through 5.

Models you'll come across: Palm Beach (half-deep seat), Stuttgart (deeper jump seat), and Calgary (flatter seat), along with a few others. Like all the French brands, the panels are foam rather than flocking, and a "Pro" marking on the stamp means the pro panels.