Buying/fitting a saddle

squidsin

squidsin

Well-Known Member
Feb 16, 2013
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Would you choose a brand that you think would suit, measure your horse yourself, buy one off eBay then get a saddler to come and fit it? Bearing in mind that money IS a big issue for me at the moment and much as I'd love to book a saddler and buy the right saddle for me regardless of price, that simply ain't gonna happen (unless I want a divorce. And I really don't.)
 
I dont think it matters so much as long as its being professionally fitted and checked over by said professional !
 
I think that there are so many variables involved in buying a saddle that unless you really know what you are looking for I would avoid ebay. You could so easily buy something that either doesn't fit the horse or you, or that is a load of rubbish and end up losing money. Also you never really know what will suit the horse best until you ride in it. Different sized people suit different saddles best as well and at the end of the day it's all down to personal preference. You might strike lucky with ebay, but I have to say that it's a very risky approach. Plus, you will have to pay for a saddler to come out and fit it anyway. My last saddle check cost £65 and I only needed a slight reflocking. For any major adjustments you can expect to pay about £100. If you purchased a saddle direct from the saddler you wouldn't have this additional cost.

Not all saddle fitters deal in brand new saddles - there are lots who offer a good selection of second hand at reasonable prices. You must have a tack shop near you where you can buy second hand tack. These places normally have a fitter who will take the saddles out to you so you can try them. I know that it costs money, but the saddle has to be the most important bit of riding kit you own and you want to get it right from the start.
 
Some saddlers will come out and fit a variety of saddles to you and the horse then tell you what to look for 2nd hand. It does mean you have to then get them back to fit it again but still less costly than a new one if you dont have a saddler that carries and sells 2nd hand. I would get a saddler first if it was me and then you know what fits you both and what to shop for.
There can be issues though as you will never really know how honest a seller is being or how much they actually really know about the saddle they are selling. Be amazed how many have the seat size wrong or the width and also things like the tree been sound are things you cant guarantee off ebay. Synthetic new are not too pricey and,thorowgood for example are popular and alot of saddlers seem to fit them/sell them up here :)
 
I'd probably buy something like a Thorowgood off Ebay, and have bought a Native Pony Co off Ebay. The latter I did with the help of Steph Bloom (from Native Pony Co) though, she could look the saddle up by its 'reg number' and stuff.

The trouble with fitting is that it's not just about the width of the saddle. Yes, you can measure this with eg a flexicurve at home but it does not mean the saddle will fit with a rider, that the tree shape will suit etc.

Mine for example ... a 'wide' gullet fitted picture perfect on the ground, matched the template etc.

Once I got on board, it became a little too tight so she is now in an X wide with thin shims in the front of her corrector pad instead.

So if possible I'd try out the very model you have in mind, then buy one just like it on Ebay, just in case.
 
I bought my first saddle for Storm from Derby House a looooong time ago and had a saddle fitter come out and fit it and make any adjustments. Second saddle I bought second hand and had a fitter come out and sort - it fits her like a glove but makes my ar*e sore it's so darn hard!:redcarded:
 
Mary Poppins said:
I think that there are so many variables involved in buying a saddle that unless you really know what you are looking for I would avoid ebay. You could so easily buy something that either doesn't fit the horse or you, or that is a load of rubbish and end up losing money. Also you never really know what will suit the horse best until you ride in it. Different sized people suit different saddles best as well and at the end of the day it's all down to personal preference. You might strike lucky with ebay, but I have to say that it's a very risky approach. Plus, you will have to pay for a saddler to come out and fit it anyway. My last saddle check cost £65 and I only needed a slight reflocking. For any major adjustments you can expect to pay about £100. If you purchased a saddle direct from the saddler you wouldn't have this additional cost.

Not all saddle fitters deal in brand new saddles - there are lots who offer a good selection of second hand at reasonable prices. You must have a tack shop near you where you can buy second hand tack. These places normally have a fitter who will take the saddles out to you so you can try them. I know that it costs money, but the saddle has to be the most important bit of riding kit you own and you want to get it right from the start.
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If you don't like something you buy on eBay - you can always sell it on eBay. That's the beauty of eBay! ;) I want a Thorowgood Hi Wither GP and think that would suit her well. Having spent so much money chucking good money after bad with Poppy, I am not at all convinced that spend, spend, spend is the way to get everything right, horse-wise. My last saddle was properly fitted, second hand, cost £500 - tbh I was never that convinced it was a good fit, either. And I don't have £500!
 
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squidsin said:
If you don't like something you buy on eBay - you can always sell it on eBay. That's the beauty of eBay! ;) I want a Thorowgood Hi Wither GP and think that would suit her well. Having spent so much money chucking good money after bad with Poppy, I am not at all convinced that spend, spend, spend is the way to get everything right, horse-wise. My last saddle was properly fitted, second hand, cost £500 - tbh I was never that convinced it was a good fit, either. And I don't have £500!
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To be honest as long as you are willing to resell and possibly lose (or gain, if you are very lucky) some money on a saddle then I don't see the issue. I bought Rubic's first saddle off ebay and it was great and did the job reasonably well. It wasn't perfect but the saddler was happy with it for the most part and he didn't think there was anything that would cause major issues either. If you know what you are going for and have a good idea that it will fit then I'd say go for it! I'd definitely buy a saddle off ebay again.
 
I would find a saddler who has a huge range of second hand stock and get them to bring out a van load to try on and ride in.

Ebay is ok if you have a saddle of the same type i.e. I had an albion here that was too wide for bud, but got another albion which was narrower, then got the saddler to check it and flock it.

If you have to resell it can take ages, as a lot of people won't buy a saddle from ebay and you often don't get much for them.
 
I hate ebay anyway - have never bought or sold anything on it. It just seems such a hassle to me. I like to see what I am buying before I part with my money.
 
I can see both sides, I have bought a WOW saddle from EBay before and then got a saddler out to fit it, also have a great saddler here who has a huge stock of second hand saddles.

The thing with eBay of course, is that you don't know that the seller is scrupulous, I overheard someone boasting about how she was going to put a saddle with a broken tree onto eBay!
 
I love eBay - have all sorts of bargains from there - but I wouldn't buy a saddle: you don't know what state it's in, you don't know if it will fit, and postage is expensive, especially if you want to sell it again. All my saddles for years have come from a good local saddler who deals in second-hand saddles.
 
GingerRuby said:
I can see both sides, I have bought a WOW saddle from EBay before and then got a saddler out to fit it, also have a great saddler here who has a huge stock of second hand saddles.

The thing with eBay of course, is that you don't know that the seller is scrupulous, I overheard someone boasting about how she was going to put a saddle with a broken tree onto eBay!
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Eeek! I have listed my saddle on eBay (with a reserve price I would accept) but I wonder if it might be easier to get a part-exchange with a local saddler?
 
I've bought lots of saddles from eBay - Infact all bar two saddles to be precise!

Never had an issue but you take a gamble on them fitting (or not!!)

It's fantastic for unusual stuff - local saddler doesn't carry saddles small enough for rascal
 
I too have purchased saddles from Ebay, if they don't fit I sell them on but I do always get a saddler to fit saddle for me. My previous saddler was very impressed with my Ebay saddle for daughter's pony and said he couldn't of done any better!!! But I have also purchased a saddle from my saddler at great expense to find that it doesn't fit and I had great problems :stomp: (previous posts) I purchased my current saddle from an on-line saddler as I researched make and model and then got current saddler just to check the fit, and I saved my self over a hundred pounds doing this !! :dance:
 
Helen and Oggs said:
I too have purchased saddles from Ebay, if they don't fit I sell them on but I do always get a saddler to fit saddle for me. My previous saddler was very impressed with my Ebay saddle for daughter's pony and said he couldn't of done any better!!! But I have also purchased a saddle from my saddler at great expense to find that it doesn't fit and I had great problems :stomp: (previous posts) I purchased my current saddle from an on-line saddler as I researched make and model and then got current saddler just to check the fit, and I saved my self over a hundred pounds doing this !! :dance:
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Oooh, which online saddler? PM me if you like!
 
It was Ride-away, It was a T4 High wither GP. I also purchased stirrup leathers and an extra gullet bar along with the saddle and it was still cheaper than my local saddler quoted me.
 
Helen and Oggs said:
It was Ride-away, It was a T4 High wither GP. I also purchased stirrup leathers and an extra gullet bar along with the saddle and it was still cheaper than my local saddler quoted me.
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Thanks - that is what I am looking at for my mare. She has really high withers.
 
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