I wanted to respond to this question, I believe in giving credit where credit is due. It's true, Corriente is at the lower end of PRICE when it comes to purchasing saddles. We have owned and trained horses and mules for over 30 years and between my husband and I, we have ridden in or purchased many good name brand saddles. (I won't mention names) My husband purchased his first Corriente about 8+ yrs ago. It was inexpensive and he rode it to the river, soaked it and then rode it the rest of that day. He continued to ride that saddle and broke out many horses and mules in that saddle for years to come. If you have ever seen a mule buck, you understand how tough a saddle has to be to stay together. My husband still rides that saddle to this day, even though we have purchased 4 more Corriente's since that time. It is worn and has seen better days, but it has not spent one day in the shop for repair. If that isn't a testament to the construction of a saddle, then I don't know what it.
I just purchased another Corriente for his Christmas present this year, the price hasn't changed much, and yes the saddle has. The leather is thicker, the construction is the same. The tooling is even and precise. The quality for the price is, in my opinion, unmatched by any other saddle company. Yes, you can buy a good, well made, name brand saddle that will hold up just as well. But you won't do it for $700. I would highly recommend this company to anyone, no matter how you ride. Good luck and God Bless..