A pondering - a saddle for life?

daveismycat

daveismycat

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What else would I be doing after midnight on a Saturday evening?? That's right, thinking about saddles..!!

Having just got a new horse, an immature 6 year old TB that will hopefully be here for the long haul, I have been thinking about what to do re: saddles. At the moment I am using one of the many saddles sat in my tack room, and the fit isn't perfect but good enough with a prolite riser until I can get a saddler out. I anticipate she will change shape over time which has got me wondering whether it is worth seeing if I can get a cheap second hand saddle to start us, or should I buy new.

If I am buying new (and shelling out £1.5k plus) is it realistic to expect that saddle to last a long time (horses working lifetime?) and be readjusted to fit accordingly?? I am a bit sceptical of changeable gullet saddles so I am thinking more along the lines of a Keiffer or Barnsby iTree. Or a WOW?

Lastly, anyone had any experience of allsaddlesolutions.com as the website looks interesting.

Many thanks in advance for any input. Can offer a nice mug of hot chocolate 'cos that's how I roll. :D
 
I have just shelled out £1300 for a brand new Black Country saddle for my 5 year old cob x tb. Saddler expects the saddle to last my mare her life time as the Black Country saddles are able to be adjusted width wise to go one width smaller or bigger.
At 5 she should have finished bulking out so in theory it should last her!
 
Passier saddles are adjustable, I know someone who has had one for 26 years! I was chatting to a saddler a while ago who said they are the best made trees on the market.
 
My WOW has been invaluable for this exact thing. I bought it originally for my 6yo TB, he filled out from a M Albion to an extra wide over about 3 months! It lasted us 5 years together and now I'm using it on my WB. For me, it's a saddle for life, I can even use it on multiple horses should I need to in the future, I really rate them.
 
I feel that it should in theory be possible to have one saddle for life once a horse has fully matured as long as workload, weight and routine are kept fairly consistent meaning that only minor changes would be needed to flocking or flair, I was told that most saddles can be altered one width fitting either way and there is also the option of having the tree changed.
 
Not a Wow they are horrible!! I think i saddle should last many years and if its adjustable i dont see why it wouldnt last a lifetime? i have an old barnsby that is a good bit older than me still going strong.
Q
 
Not sure about a saddle for life but I would expect my prestige Gp to fit my youngster until he's old enough and trained to a high enough standard to need a specific dressage or jumping saddle. Even then if its still comfy I'd probs retain it for hacking etc. there are now many types of saddle that come with adjustable trees (not just changeable gullet systems)

There are the ones mentioned above + prestige + kieffer + Schleese although the latter wouldn't be in the price category you mention
 
Interesting you mention Schleese! My, his fame has spread. :) He made a custom saddle for me 20 odd years ago and to this day it's the only saddle I've been really unhappy with! Which is not to criticize him - he's very skilled and makes some lovely saddles for very high end people - but it made me really question significant customisation and very little I've seen since has made me change my mind.

Interesting also, the comment about Passiers. Old ones are like hen's teeth. They are my go to starting saddle for young horses and I've not yet found anything reliably better.

Re age, technically horses aren't finished growing until 7 (backs are the last bit to 'close') but even then there are so many variables. . .

I think it's very hard to say you'll have a saddle for life with a young horse - I've had more than one go through 2 or 3 saddles between backing and 6 ish. Bizarrely, they often end up in the first one they wore, perhaps widened but not necessarily.
 
Just being able to widen or narrow the tree does not mean you have a saddle for life. The curve of the tree, how the panel is set on, how deep the rear gussets on the panel are - all these may need to change over the years. Wow saddles are adjustable but are actually component saddles so I don't see them as traditionally adjustable, but you can replace parts on them that change the fit. It does mean that parts of it will be a saddle for life, but the a % of the saddle will have been changed.
 
Have you looked at the 'free n easy' saddles? They certainly aren't cheap but could certainly last the long term, plus potentially any other horse you may have in the future, I've ridden in the GP and dressage version and they're incredibly comfortable! Currently saving up for one!
 
my Barrie Swain saddles are 'saddles for life', I have a GP (cheap off ebay, whoooppeeeee) for backing, a Madonna dressage, and 2 jump saddles. Okay, they aren't perfect for me but they are perfect for horses' backs, which is a compromise in the right direction, I think. I trust them 100% not to do any damage or cause any discomfort. They are all medium-ish fit, with a flattish BB tree and flat wide even panels. They fit most horses... okay, nothing with a back like a table, nothing with withers like the matterhorn, but most things in between. I wouldn't be without them. They are adjustable and they last and last. The Madonna is ancient and seems to fit just about anything I put it on (within above parameters) weird.
I have a new Barnbsy Milton coming next week and I hope that is going to be another 'saddle for life'. Can't wait to try it.
I love the idea of the WOW and loved the feel of the one I had briefly, but the mare did NOT like it and made that very clear. I don't like the nuts and bolts under the panels at all, or the airbags, I have huge problems with the idea of those - edges of bags etc. I like the panels to be totally uniform.
Really must get my mitts on a Passier next time I see one, see what all the fuss is about.
 
Tbf, k, I'm the only one that's fussing. :D

They don't seem to have the same cache here as in NA. Prices for old Passiers are mad and older horsemen, especially, will bite your hand off for one.
 
TarrSteps said:
Tbf, k, I'm the only one that's fussing. :D

They don't seem to have the same cache here as in NA. Prices for old Passiers are mad and older horsemen, especially, will bite your hand off for one.
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My trainer's been bringing old ones over here for decades and getting Barrie's best guy to strip and reflock them. I really should have paid more attention about 15 years ago to what he was doing, and why! ;) ;)
 
TarrSteps said:
Tbf, k, I'm the only one that's fussing. :D

They don't seem to have the same cache here as in NA. Prices for old Passiers are mad and older horsemen, especially, will bite your hand off for one.
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Not quite the only one... ;)

Have always loved Passiers and I'm so pleased to have a horse again who suits them (and who I think enough of to buy a new one!!)

Just picked up my 3 month old Passier jumping saddle from it's first re-flock; I hope it will last Vinnie his lifetime as I love riding in it and he goes much better in it than anything else as well :)
 
Thanks so much for the input. :)

I hadn't ever heard of Schleese before - some reading for me this afternoon!

Interesting re WOW saddles. I love the idea of infinite customisation but it seems they are like chalk and cheese for the rider and the horse.

I was under the impression that there was more scope for varying the fit of the carbon fibre tree saddles, like the iTree, compared to a changeable gullet saddle like a wintec?

Kerilli, can you report back once you've tried your new Barnsby? Thanks :)

I will try and arrange a decent saddle fitter to come out with a variety to try and go from there. This will be the biggest challenge!! ;)
 
daveismycat said:
Thanks so much for the input. :)

I hadn't ever heard of Schleese before - some reading for me this afternoon!

Interesting re WOW saddles. I love the idea of infinite customisation but it seems they are like chalk and cheese for the rider and the horse.

I was under the impression that there was more scope for varying the fit of the carbon fibre tree saddles, like the iTree, compared to a changeable gullet saddle like a wintec?

Kerilli, can you report back once you've tried your new Barnsby? Thanks :)

I will try and arrange a decent saddle fitter to come out with a variety to try and go from there. This will be the biggest challenge!! ;)
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Yes, will do, of course. V excited about it. Barnsby have been fantastic.

Re: varying fit.. hmm. Afaik the only part that can be altered is the very front so if the trees is the incorrect shape for the horse's back, that's that. (is the iTree the same? I have no idea).
Having said which, though, most horses have a pretty flattish back so I'd always go for a tree that is that shape. Banana shaped trees don't suit so many horse, don't spread the weight over as big an area, etc. That's very simplistic I know, but that's my understanding of it....
It really is a minefield and can be SO expensive, esp if you've had one custom made and it's not right. I know someone who had a very favourite saddle, asked the (well-known) manufacturers to copy it exactly for him, the second saddle fitted nothing like the first one, on any horse...
 
I will also recommend the Free n Easy's. Not conventional to look at I agree, but truly adjustable. I have used them for more than 12 yrs and have not had any problems at all with them. Same saddles have gone from 13.2hh cob, to 14.1 TB, to 16.2 ID x, with all other types inbetween.
 
Ditto what has been said about 'adjustable' tree's compared to adjustable gullets: there's not much difference. All they do is change the width with a special machine, as opposed to just take the bar out and putting a new one in. Only real difference is 1) the changeable gullet saddles are designed to be altered regularly and stand up to it better and b) the more expensive 'adjustable' saddles are usually more expensive but better designed (better shape panels etc). Nothing to do with the material, just the design.

The tree shape (curved, flat, wide head etc) and the panel design and depth (rear gussetdepth, gullet width (esp at pommel), front panel lift etc) is FAR more important and also far more varible that angle on the points. That will make a much bigger difference to fit than being able to change the width or not.

WOW are different but not all horses like them and it works out more expensive in the long run often: you may well need to change the tree/seat, the gullet bar and the panels, which will eventually cost more than just buying a new saddle!

Incidently, most wooden tree'd saddles can be widened/narrowed a width or so with the correct machine, so you'd prob be best buying a well designed saddle with suitable tree shape and panel depth and design, and having it made wider as she growns until a new tree shape/panel design is needed.

Do try the cheaper synthetic saddles first: the new wintec (the old style is the ridiculous 'banana tree') fits many horses well and the thorowgood is often a good fit (the cob esp, with extra flocking put in the front. EASILY adjustable (much less hassle than having to get a saddler to alter the tree), much cheaper, higher resale value and often a good fit.
 
Chellebean said:
I am hoping to get my saddle of a life time! Getting the Solution Smart GP on trial with hope to buy it at the end :)

I can't wait
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Would love to know how you get on with it. I'm seriously considering one for my mare when she comes back into work after 6 months off, as otherwise I fear she'll need a refit / reflock / news saddle every other week because she's changed shape so much through not being in work ...
 
philamena said:
Would love to know how you get on with it. I'm seriously considering one for my mare when she comes back into work after 6 months off, as otherwise I fear she'll need a refit / reflock / news saddle every other week because she's changed shape so much through not being in work ...
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swear i replied to this lol

Will send you updates as we go along :) My YO is the reason behind me getting one lol
I just hope it sorts Sailor's shoulder issue out :D
 
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