Best Saddler in Gloucestershire/Cotswolds?

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Dizzle

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I need a new saddle fitter. Have battled with current saddle and saddler for over a year now and it’s still not right, checked by another saddler who has declared it will NEVER fit my horse, he doesn’t sell saddles though so cannot help me unless I buy a second hand one and he fits it.

I’m not sure I want to go down that route so trying to find a saddle fitter locally, ideally someone that will part ex my Falcon Hawk Event as I have no spare cash :(

I’ve emailed Stroud but firstly they won’t part X but secondly they don’t really have 2nd hand so I’d be looking at forking out £1,200, the Hawk is worth about £600/500 but that still leaves me a rather large short fall. (Although I am going to be asking original saddler for a full refund as work was really below par and I believe in breach of the Sale of Goods act)

So, looking for a saddler! I do though want the best of the best as horse has been though enough with the last saddler.

If there is someone you think I really need to avoid please could you PM me?

Thank you :D
 
Wholeheartedly recommend lindsey in Cirencester.... Cotswold saddlery I think.

You've already spoken to the people I don't recommend..!
 
Cop-Pop said:
Thats a shame about Stroud - they always used to have an excellent second hand selection and take PX :(
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They come highly recommended too which is a shame, I can’t afford to shell out £1,200 for a new saddle not knowing how much I will get from the old saddle.

It’s so hard to know who to trust with saddles and I really can’t afford to make another mistake, part of me thinks ‘eff it and shove a new Ideal on my credit card...

Cedars, why don’t you like Stroud?
 
Oh really, that's interesting!

I like Lawrence at stroud-but someone else there fitted a totally ill fitting saddle to a mare who had ks-three weeks later reared up and over and nearly killed her rider, aggravated by the awful awful saddle.

Xx
 
When I lived up your way I used the Malvern Saddle Company - can't remember the guys name, but I was very impressed and got a saddle that fitted me and the horse. I think they are SMS registered. I was in Cheltenham at the time and it was not that costly for him to come there.

Think their number is 01684 572 485.

Good luck!
 
Cedars said:
Wholeheartedly recommend lindsey in Cirencester.... Cotswold saddlery I think.

You've already spoken to the people I don't recommend..!
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Just investigating now and there is now record of Lindsey being a SMS Saddle Fitter, I thought she was but apparently she's not currently registered (or that my friend can see anyway).
 
Laurence at Stroud is the only person I would use (well, and Mike Norton from Saddle Drs in Oxon, but you'll have a hell of a time getting him to travel over as he is so busy!).
You will be hard pushed finding someone who will part ex as there just isn't the market for second hand saddles so saddlers can't offer much for them as people aren't prepared to pay the saddles true value. Your best bet is to get a price from Saddles Direct, or sell on ebay. Then get Laurence out. What are you after saddle wise? He has a very good selection up to £1k so you might not blow your budget totally!
If you want him out I would book sooner rather than later as he is stupidly busy, unless you have transport and you can get over to Cirencester, in which case they can probably fit you in sooner (they have use of a fab school there to try them in).
Best of luck, it is such a minefield!
 
porkpie said:
When I lived up your way I used the Malvern Saddle Company - can't remember the guys name, but I was very impressed and got a saddle that fitted me and the horse. I think they are SMS registered. I was in Cheltenham at the time and it was not that costly for him to come there.

Think their number is 01684 572 485.

Good luck!
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the guys name is Rob Jenkins and id reccommend him as a brilliant saddler. he sorted a saddle out for me that peter lewis (from Bath) stroud saddlerly and also cotswold saddlerly couldnt sort all because he listened to me and what i know my pony likes and sorted it! should have just got him out to begin with!!
 
I wouldn't recommend rob jenkins at all! Not even interested in seeing how the saddle fits with a rider, I had to make a point to get on when he was talking to some one else, and then showed him that it didn't fit - to which he then agreed. But he would have let me buy the saddle though!!
 
Cedars said:
Lindsey isnt registered?!?!
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Exactly what I though when told!

If you look on the SMS website:
http://www.mastersaddlers.co.uk/
There is no listing for anyone called Lindsey, Lindsay, Lewis or Cotswold Saddlery! In fact I searched for all Gloucestershire members and couldn't see a single one that was even likely to her.

I'm going to try and dig out an old receipt from her to see what that says as I was convinced she was.
 
Lindsey isn't reg as far as I'm aware.

She did refund me the total cost for saddle, pro lite pad diff gullets etc when she made my horse wonky. !!

Would only use Stroud saddlery now.
 
lionman said:
I used to go to Roy Mangan in Stow-on-the-Wold, t'was a long time ago but I think he is still going strong. Such a nice and good looking chap too!
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They also have a good selection of second hand too.

Laurence 'fitted' my old horse with a saddle that didn't fit him and marked his back (big patched of white hair) and refused to accept that the saddle he 'fitted' was at fault. Was over ten years ago now but I wouldn't use him again. I can accept that not everyone gets it right every time, it was the denial that I didn't like.

Can't stand Maurice, expensive, miserable and rubbishes other saddler's work, I avoid lining his pocket if I can.

Rate the kingtons highly, but John my have retired now.

Out of interest, OP, who fitted your Hawk originally and who said it will never fit? PM if prefered.
 
So he's like that with you too?

Not the best way to be when you're running a business, IMO anyway.

Seeing as this is supposed to be 'the most horsey county', you'd have thought that we'd be spoilt for choice when it comes to saddlers. Not so, I'm afraid!
 
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He's not that well known as he's independent but Clive Whereatt is both a qualified fitter and saddler and is based out of Chipping Sodbry - he travels. He also fits Native Pony saddles alongside me which is how I know him. Definitely recommend.
 
moandben said:
Lindsey isn't reg as far as I'm aware.

She did refund me the total cost for saddle, pro lite pad diff gullets etc when she made my horse wonky. !!

Would only use Stroud saddlery now.
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Have PM'd you as would love further details from you if that's okay, I'm asking for a full refund and for her to have the saddle back, I was actually advised to also go after costs of physio but willing to leave that lie.

I just want my horse to be happy, looking at all our pictures for the last year it's striking me how braced and hollow he looks, I feel gutted :(
 
Have just had an email from SMS. My 'saddler' attended a 'Two Day Basic Saddle Fitting Course' in 2003.

That is it!

FUMING!!!!
 
Dizzle said:
Have just had an email from SMS. My 'saddler' attended a 'Two Day Basic Saddle Fitting Course' in 2003.

That is it!

FUMING!!!!
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That course is designed for all sorts of people - the first thing you have to do to progress to training for your SMS QSF, but also aimed at tack shop staff etc who have no intention of being fitters, definitely not a saddle fitting qualificatino as such.

However, I will say that there are good and bad SMS qualified fitters just as there are good and bad non-qualified fitters out there.
 
Am interested in this thread, had Lindsey out to fit my saddle and have always been happy, am due to get it checked at the moment and was going to have her back out but not sure now!! May try Lawrence from Stroud instead....!! As above any suggestions welcome!!
 
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