An SC saddle update, i'm sorry it's very long!!!!!

[charlimouse]

So Sue Carson herself came out his afternoon to see my horse. And to be honest i'm rather annoyed

, more at myself actually, as I don't feel that I really made my point very well. Also my dad being non horsey got completly taken in, so my allie soom became another person tellin me I was wrong! But anyway i'll start from the beginning............
So Sue Carson and Andrea (my area rep who fitted the saddle) arrived bang on time at 1pm. We discussed the problems I was having, and then had a look at my horse. She took templates of his back, and yes he had changed shape since he was last fitted in July. SC saw him trot up, and then announced she thought he was lame on both hind legs!

So again explained he has seen vet for flexion tests, seen physio, and farrier, and they all say he is completly sound! In fact the farrier saw him less than 1 hour before SC announced she thought he was lame!!! SC then said she had worked with a vet in Newmarket who could pick up lameness when other vets hadn't, and I should take him to Newmarket!!!!

So I made it quite plain to her that if my vet (who I have used for years and is brilliant) my farrier (equally brilliant) and my physio (who came reccommended from my vet) said he was 100% sound, IMO he is sound. So she said as I refused to ride my horse in my SC jumping saddle, could she see him ridden in his dressage saddle. So I got on him and he went well. Sue tried to tell me my dressage saddle was restricting his shoulder, however when she came to demonstrate this point she found it actually wasnt, so very quicklt changed tack!

So then she wanted to see that it wasn't a jump problem, so off i went over a jump in my dressage saddle no problem. So next we tried a different SC jumping saddle on him as a comparison. As soon as I got on his ears went back and he tensed, and went around the arena completly rigid. SC then tried to tell me he was goin much better and was a lot freer in his shoulder

. so I popped the jump a few times, and he was really drifting as he jumped, which he is prone to doing, but the point was he didn't drift in my Dressage saddle, and the jump hadn't changed. When I took that saddle off I found he had just a small bit of sweat right on his shoulders, but nowhere else, when I pointed this out SC quickly changed the subject! SC still insisted he was going better. But as I felt differently she suggested I try him in my own Black Country Jumping saddle I have for one of my other horses. So got on him again (by this point the poor horse was getting rather annoyed!) and he immediatley relaxed and I felt he went alot softer, especially over his back as in the othe SC saddle he had completly tensed it. Again popped a few fences, could keep him alot straighter

. So of course SC disagreed with me and said that my saddle was blocking his shoulder. (I had made it clear that he had never worn that saddle before, and that it wouldn't fit him that well as it is fitted for my TB) . So finally put my poor horse away. Went to have a cuppa to talk things over. When I asked SC what she would do now she said he should go to Newmarket to see the vets there. I said I didn't think that was the problem, as i trust my vet, farrier and physio far more than I trust her

! I asked why the airbags had moved in the first place, and she said that they do tend to as the airbags don't always fit the saddle very well

. But that they didn't cause any problem by moving at all!!!!! So I asked her why, whatever saddle cloth I used, it would slip back to the point of loosing it out the back of the saddle??? She said that saddlecloths ofter did that, and I should use a cloth that attatches to the saddle, I said I had and the force pushing the cloth back was so stong the velcro had pulled apart, to which she said, that was fine, and didn't mean the saddle didn't fit

. So Dad being non horsey was taken in hook, line and sinker, and therefore didn't back me up

. So in the end I said I was going to get a new saddle for my horse, with good old fashioned flocking in. At which point Dad being not v helpful said I could use the saddle on any future horse I get so I should keep it as it was obviously a very good saddle

, and to just get rid of it as it didn't work on my horse would just be "throwing my toys out of the pram" as I could not prove it was the saddle causing all the issues, to which I said I could prove it, and the way I felt my horse had gone this afternoon to me also showed it was the SC saddle. But at the risk of sounding a spoilt brat (which i assure you at 22 i am not!) I told SC I would keep the saddle for the moment just incase a new saddle made no difference to my horse. And that was that really, and SC and Andrea went.
So I am rather annoyed as I don't think I really made the point to SC that the saddle doesn't fit, and never has fitted. I am worried SC now feels she can walk all over people, as she does have a way of charming ppl to think that she is right and you are wrong. So I havn't really got anywhere, other than the saddle is now going to be put on ebay. I would rather eat my own foot than ride any horse in that SC saddle

!

 

[Tiffany]

PM'd you

 

[spaniel]

Ive been wondering how you got on. To be honest im not surprised at the way the afternoon went.

If your dad says keep the SC and get something else as well then I would do it. Someone may want the SC at some point, you never know, its best to keep the parentals sweet even if they dont know what they are on about sometimes!

 

[daphnebs]

You poor thing

. Why is there such a big difference between all the saddlers?? A friend of mine has the same problem though not with SC, She got her saddle fitted several times now but it just does NOT fit her horse

. The horse is getting more and more annoyed and saddlessore but she cant afford to just buy a new saddle

. She too is gonna sell hers and get a different saddler to fit a different saddle. These are meant to be proffesional and qualified people but somehow us horseowners seem to know more then them!! I am getting so fed up with people posting messages with ill fitting saddles due to bad saddlers!!

Maybe one of us should gat a van and drive round the country with every tyoe of saddle so we can try our horses in them and see what works best ourselves!! If only that was possible!! We should have a nationan saddle swapping service!!

 

[millimoo]

Hi there,

What a flippin' nightmare!!!
Still trying to get hold of my friend who had a problem but no joy yet - i'll PM you as soon as I do.
And regards to lameness, if you ever need a specialist there is Peter Schofield from Hird & Partners at Halifax.... not that your horse is lame, but just making the point that just going to Newmarket is a load of bull***t.
A lot of Dressage people use Peter, and he's one of the top lameness specialists in the North - he's often used by other vets for referall too.
Anyway, slightly off topic ??!??!

 

[fingers_crossed]

Ecxactly the same issues I had with another very well known company - I gave up in the end too!
Chin up tho - at least you are on the way to making your horse happy again!

 

[Patches]

I agree. I also had a problem with a well known make of saddle and struggled to get the saddle fitters from the company to come and sort it out. After six months of cancelled fitting appointments, and a horse starting to show obvious discomfort, I gave up and got shot of the saddle.

It's not on. It really isn't. I was surprised to learn that the well known company I had my saddle from isn't registered with the Master Saddlers Association either.

 

[Black_Horse_White]

Pity you didn't know all this when you recommended them to me. Although my saddle is fine and saved me from potential nasty falls.

 

[eoe]

This just reminds me why I stick to the Ideal range of saddles, I don't have any problems with them, I have an independent saddler maintain my saddles, they don't sell saddles just look after them, they come out with their lump of plastacine, mould it round where the saddle would go on the horse, draw round it noting nearside and offside, cut out the template on a lump of card and off I go to the saddle shop and find the perfect saddle, they come back when I have the saddle check the fit and then after six months, take all the stuffing out and put in pure lambswool and then come out every Spring and Autumn just to check the fit, very rarely do they have to do anything to my saddles, just a little lambswool here and there.

I suggest you get a wire coat hanger as these are just as good as the length of plastacine mould it to the horse draw round it and go and find your own perfect saddle, you will be surprised how easy it is even with close contacts.

 

[0ldmare]

Poor you, what a nightmare and how frustrating not to be able to get SC to LISTEN to you. You know your horse and if he wasn't comfy you would know.

And her comments about the (so called) lameness and the numnah, well that defies belief!

I think some saddle fitters begin to believe their own marketing blurb and think they always know best. Well sorry but they don't always know best!

It sounds like you have arrived at a solution, but frustrating as hell none the less.

I remember some years ago I had a well known saddle company out and I was riding my horse bleating ineffectually that my horse was moving oddly. Saddle company diva was telling me it was perfect, when my wonderfully blunt northern friend wandered up and said 'The fooking horse is lame, are you fooking blind?'. Cue one saddle company leaving the yard

 

[icestationzebra]

There are a couple of saddle companies out there that are very good at steamrollering people and it makes me sick! The saddle does not fit your horse therefore it is not fit for purpose. Please contact your local trading standards for advice. I would also email SC and say that following your meeting you are still deeply unhappy about the saddle and the discomfort it causes your horse and you are seeking consumer advice.

 

[Rouletterose]

I can' believe this woman gave you so much Sh*t, I am sat here in utter disbelief at the crap this woman has sprouted to you! Please go to trading standards, or as above poster says, and get this so-called professional saddler checked out for your poor horses sake and I would absolutely insist on a full refund. You are the customer and you have been treated appallingly.

 

[Fransurrey]

This reminds me very much of a demo I saw of Imbalance Saddles as I like to call them. The woman was giving it all the chat and the instant her saddle went on the demo horse, he was very tense. However, the crowd were told, 'Look how much freer he's moving...blah blah blah' and she did sound convincing. If I hadn't been watching the horse, I might have been taken in, too. Same woman tried to come and sell me a 17.5" saddle for my 12hh exmoor, despite knowing his height and that an adult saddle would swamp him. Luckily I found out before the day, so I cancelled. I went for a made-to-measure bespoke design in the end.

I'd insist on a full refund in this instance, too. You will probably never use this saddle on anything, on account of your experience with it. You will always wonder, even if a horse seems to be ok in it, whether this is the reason for any run outs, stops, napping...

 

[kerilli]

that is unbelievable, i can't believe your dad not backing you up!
trading standards, full refund. get someone to video you riding the horse in your dr saddle, and then in the SC (just for 5 mins, if you can bear it.)
btw, that is, as i'm sure you know, UTTER **** about the saddlepads etc etc. a well fitting saddle does not do that. jeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzz, i am angry for you, and for your poor horse.
btw, i was told by someone on here of a top eventer (i know her name, won't put it on open forum though) who ordered a new SC saddle for her top horse (GB team horse etc) received it, rode in it once and put it in the bin. seriously.

 

[unicornleather]

Hope you get it sorted soon, Oz

 

[teddyt]

Her comment that the airbags dont always fit the saddle means she has admitted the saddle is not well made!

As for the numnah moving, they do with flair if they dont fit the saddle properly. I have found that you need velcro straps tight on to the D rings to keep them from moving backwards. But if the airbags are moving too then im not surprised the numnah is!

 

[kerilli]

[ QUOTE ]
Her comment that the airbags dont always fit the saddle means she has admitted the saddle is not well made!

As for the numnah moving, they do with flair if they dont fit the saddle properly. I have found that you need velcro straps tight on to the D rings to keep them from moving backwards. But if the airbags are moving too then im not surprised the numnah is!

[/ QUOTE ]

i totally agree. i'd be LIVID if she'd said that about the airbags. what an admission that her saddles are crap.

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

sold fit for purpose? trading standards? i would write her a letter highlighting your points of dis satisfaction!! ask for a refund or a new saddle that fits with airbags that dont move. a numnah only moves on a saddle which doesnt fit be it flock filled, panel filled or air filled!!. a vets assessment at newmarket will cost you hundreds and put god knows how many exclusions on your insurance. i personnally would go for a refund, buy a similar saddle to your dressage one that horse is happy in. you could threaten court action but need evidence by qualified persons to carry through. and if you thraten you must be prepared to go to the end. if you can get back 90% of purchase price take it. havent heard one good thing about SC saddles. good luck and dont give in or back down!! is she a sms fitter? BETA registered?

 

[Glayva]

How awful!

If your horse isnt lame, i bet he is sore because of that saddle making him sore. You should have told her yes he does look off doesnt he, your crap saddle has caused it!

If i was you i would get someone impartial (a good RI who is highly qualified ) to come out and assess the horse. Might cost you £30 but might give you some more evidence.
Get them to watch him being ridden in both saddles and also get them to ride in both saddles.

I know your pain when it comes to people who fit saddles incorrectly and try to convince you it is okay!

I ended up with a very sore young horse who went from placid gentleman to kicking out if you came near him with a saddle, bucking if anyone sat on him. Yet fitter was still telling me it fitted and he was naughty! sold me another saddle (mug that i am)

i gave up, got a different fitter who came out told me the horse was in agony, 4 weeks off work and 4 weeks long reining, physio etc etc, bought a new saddle and horse hasnt put a hoof wrong since. cost me about £2000 just to get him back to being in no pain and trusting people to get on him.

Def go see trading standards.

 

[duncarabonni]

I would definately send a letter as per trading standards. Everything you do must be in writing and send it recorded delivery. State you are prepared to get a second opinion from the Society of Master Saddlers. Has your physio noticed any problems from the jump saddle? SC has been known to give refunds if you are prepared to stick it out.