arrrrgggghhhh saddles!!!!!

N

native eventer

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Hi everyone, just needed to rant!
So i have been on the hunt for jump saddle for a tb since xmas time. He is usual tb with high withers and big shoulders so isn't the easiest to fit. I have had 3 saddlers out. The first had nothing, the second sold me a saddle, I tried it for a week and it wasn't forward cut enough. The third saddler I went to, who is supposed to be the best thing ever around these parts, costing me an arm and a leg sold me a VERY expensive saddle of is own make.........which initially I was happy with, fast forward 6 weeks I have an incredibly sore horse, who has a back problem anyway, physio has despaired as she sees him every six weeks, as the horse is uber sore. So i now have a very expensive addle, that doesn't fit and a saddler being rather rude and is blaming everything but the saddle......and will make me wait 5 weeks for an appoitment, costing a fortune again!! I cannot go eventing now and have pulled out of 2 events, what would you do in my situation.....?? I now have no saddle to jump in and alot of extra physio to pay for to get him right again :(
 
If the saddler is registered with the Society of Master Saddlers they have a complaints procedure. But if you used the one I think you might have they are no longer registered. But try the Society website. Otherwise you will have a bit of an uphill struggle to prove either the saddle was not fit for purpose or that they did not exercise reasonable professional competence.
 
Sorry no advise re saddlers. However my TB is a very awkward shape - very narrow, high withers and big shoulders. I got an Ideal Patriot last May and its amazing, fits the horse perfectly and is so lovely to ride in. Now I would never get any other jump saddle.
 
Thorowgood is a good budget brand at about £400 new, does not help with the fitter though and you would need one to adjust the flocking to your horse (according to my fitter they don't come fully flocked so will always need a first adjustment). Ideal saddles are a good brand as well and you can find some at a good price second hand.
Interested to know who the 3rd fitter is if you want to share/give a clue.
 
If you were happy with the saddle what is indicating that it doesn't fit now?
If he was previously having to see the physio every 6 weeks anyway are you sure that there isn't another physical issue causing him pain?
If I were you I would get the vet to the horse for a work up and give the saddler a chance to make right. Was a second appointment not made at fitting to check the flocking post settling anyway or is it a foam saddle? Was the saddle off the peg or made to measure - this changes your consumer rights a bit, I would have to look at an old thread from sbloom to check what exactly.

Being originally from Somerset I am a bit curious if the saddler is down near that way or not (feel free to PM if you don't want to say on here.
 
Valonty said:
Sorry no advise re saddlers. However my TB is a very awkward shape - very narrow, high withers and big shoulders. I got an Ideal Patriot last May and its amazing, fits the horse perfectly and is so lovely to ride in. Now I would never get any other jump saddle.
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My mare was like that. The best fitting saddle I had for her was a Lemetex. Hard as nails on your bum mind you!
 
One of our horses is high withered & broad shouldered (Hann x TB) & we found that a 'Harry Dabbs' jump saddle fitted him fine. So many others just wouldn't accommodate his withers.
 
Hiya everyone. Thanks so much for all of the helpful replies. They are much appreciated. The horse has an old injury on the inside of his thigh, so has physio every 6 weeks to keep him soft and supple. He's gone from being lame when I got him, to now eventing. We have spent 2 years rehabbing him, so just a bit disappointed really. I admit he's no easy to fit. It was a second hand jump saddle but cost me nearly 1500 so it wasn't cheap and i don't have much money, so had saved hard! Th saddler did not reflock at all, and was very happy with fit. I said did I need to rebook in for a few months time but was told only if I wasn't happy. I am giving saddler the chance to rectify the saddle, have physio reports and will get second opinion if this is needed. I just don't think saddle suits my horse who needs bigger panels, the saddler was aware of the horse problems and is supposed to be remedial! Thank you so much for all replies, ideal may be the way forward as have suzannah for dressage! Lemetex may be worth a thought, Harry dabbs tree doesn't seem to fit mine, shame as they are nice saddles I don't even have 400 fo , budget saddle at present :( so even thorougood isn't an option till I have resolve this!! :/
 
native eventer said:
Hiya everyone. Thanks so much for all of the helpful replies. They are much appreciated. The horse has an old injury on the inside of his thigh, so has physio every 6 weeks to keep him soft and supple. He's gone from being lame when I got him, to now eventing. We have spent 2 years rehabbing him, so just a bit disappointed really. I admit he's no easy to fit. It was a second hand jump saddle but cost me nearly 1500 so it wasn't cheap and i don't have much money, so had saved hard! Th saddler did not reflock at all, and was very happy with fit. I said did I need to rebook in for a few months time but was told only if I wasn't happy. I am giving saddler the chance to rectify the saddle, have physio reports and will get second opinion if this is needed. I just don't think saddle suits my horse who needs bigger panels, the saddler was aware of the horse problems and is supposed to be remedial! Thank you so much for all replies, ideal may be the way forward as have suzannah for dressage! Lemetex may be worth a thought, Harry dabbs tree doesn't seem to fit mine, shame as they are nice saddles I don't even have 400 fo , budget saddle at present :( so even thorougood isn't an option till I have resolve this!! :/
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If second hand the flock will have already settled so can kind of understand not needing a routine check up then.
 
Valonty said:
Sorry no advise re saddlers. However my TB is a very awkward shape - very narrow, high withers and big shoulders. I got an Ideal Patriot last May and its amazing, fits the horse perfectly and is so lovely to ride in. Now I would never get any other jump saddle.
Click to expand...

I have ahem quite a few of these saddles and they are great .
 
I am watching this post closely as I have exactly the same problem, a TB with shark fin withers but wide shoulders. She has been out of work for 5 months now as we have had to let her back and shoulders heal after 3 botched attempts since January at having her saddle re-fitted. We are going to get a new saddle for her in two weeks time, and instead of getting the saddler (a different one!) to come to us, we are taking the horse to them so that we can try on every single saddle they have (if that is what it takes). They have also said that they will not sell us a saddle if they don't have anything that fits.
We have tried on (static fit) all of the saddles owned by a friend (she has a lot!) and now we know what the individual parts of the saddle need to be, so we just need to find a single saddle that has all those bits.
I think that saddlers need better training of fitting high withered horses but muscular horses as they immediately go to the narrow or medium fit trees and it is clear that after playing with the saddles it was the medium-wide that is needed. For my horse we know that we need flat flocking panels at the back rather than rounded ones as they sit better.
 
Gazen, glad to hear it's not just me!! :/ sounds like you've had it a lot worse than me to b fair. I went to saddler as thought they'd have more chance of finding something to fit and we tried on 5 I think it was in the end. But most expensive one was the perfect fit, surprise surprise!! Let me know how you get on, I'm beginning to think I'm not going to get a conventional saddle to fit (am happy with my dressage) so am beginning to think of semiflex, nick dolman and barrie swain saddles or looking at the wow! Expensive!
 
haha it took me ages to work that mythical creature out!
I would have the chap NE has had to fit over said mythical creature most days of the week tbf, though they do stock ideals too, or always used to as friend got her impala from him.
 
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