Buy a saddle on ebay, stupid or not?!

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PonyclubmumZ

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I am thinking of buying a saddle on ebay. Is this is a completely stupid idea?!

We have had horses for years, I know what I want, the size of the pony and the size of saddle I need but.... it seems like a lot of money to spend on something I have not seen and I can't send back.

Anyone done it and got any tips for me please
 
I have sold 3 saddles on ebay, and bought one.

The ones I sold were top condition, and the buyer got a good saddle at a low price.

The one I bought did not fit, and was not in as good condition as I was led to believe, but I sold it back again and only lost a small amount.

My tip would be to know it is a gamble. Only buy off someone who has impeccable feedback. Only buy one that you have an idea will fit (as in I bought a Butet dressage, the same size as his Butet XC - and it still did not fit!!). Accept it is a gamble and don't do it if you could not manage if the saddle turned up broken and the dispute did not go your way. Final tip - if it is not right swallow the loss and sell it again.
 
Hiya I recently bought a saddle off ebay and it was a real bargin and was delivered with no problems :) just make sure the person has good feedback
 
I've sold a couple of very nice saddles on ebay, they were several years old but in excellent condition, the buyers got a good deal and I got more than I would have done if I'd used saddles direct. There are some really good deals around but as others have said if it doesn't fit just sell on.
 
I bought a new Ideal Event that had been used as a demo model from a well known saddler with excellent feedback. It arrived beautifully packed and seemed excellent, but it is 'wrong'. It doesn't sit straight on a saddle stand let alone the horse. I showed it to a saddler who was shocked that such an item was passed on.

Sadly, the horse it was for was very poor and not well, having just arrived from Ireland, so it was 6 weeks or so before I tried it on her and contacted them. They have never replied.
 
Had a dressage saddle that fitted daughter's horse like a glove, bought same make and width in a GP - perfect - and very reasonable too
 
What you want is a saddler who fits but doesn't sell, and who will look at your horse and tell you exactly what make, model & size to buy and any important info (e.g. before x date the gullets were too narrow and won't be suitable, you need to buy one made after y date if you want an adjustable tree etc.). And my advice would be to collect in person so you can check the tree isn't twisted/broken and you're generally happy before handing over the money, and have the option to try and negotiate down the price for any cosmetic blemishes that weren't clear in the description/photographs.
I've had success online buying a wintec which did the job to bring a horse back into work when I knew he was going to change shape significantly. Wasn't a great saddle and wouldn't have been suitable for either of us long term, but it was cheap and did the job I bought it for. I had less success subsequently when I bought one my saddler told me was only fit for the bonfire. My friend, however, had much better luck and picked up a really good value GP she got years of use out of and which her horse found really comfortable.
You could also try Preloved or local FB pages?
 
I got a great saddle from ebay. It's a Camelot, and whilst old, the leather is in good condition. It had been over-flocked to the point that the lacing stitches had split. I bought it thinking I'd have to re-flock from scratch, but in the event it took me just a few minutes to remove half the flocking, stitch it back together and it fits like a glove... cost £5 plus postage!

It's a gamble worth taking for a cheap saddle, but personally I wouldn't buy an expensive one unless the seller was local and I could view.
 
Brought several, one was not right so I sold it on for a profit, tried a LM saddle which made our highland really wide and my mums hips pulled sold again for profit. Got a lovely native pony saddle and fits like a glove! Always got them fitted.
 
bought and sold several over the years-never lost any money on them either and never had anything dud-although not fitting is a different matter. At least with eBay you have feedback and Paypal protection-unlike other methods. I bought mostly synthetic and treeless though, not sure I would be spending loads unless its something sought after (have yet to lose money on a secondhand treeless but they were good makes in good nick). Don't overbid - its likely the same model of saddle will come on offer fairly quickly, don't be afraid to ask for more photos. As mentioned, accept the gamble and be prepared to move it on
 
Thanks for the feedback, seems mixed views really. I am definitely not buying a £1500 saddle without seeing it! However, there seem to be lots in about the £150-£300 range which could be a bargain. I have had the current saddle fitted by 2 different saddler who say I need the same thing, something narrower and slightly bigger. Neither of the saddlers that I have used sell 2nd hand as they say there is no market in it, but all the saddlers locally who sell 2nd hand think that a cheap saddle is £800 from my phone discussions with them, which is not really my definition of cheap!

I dont do facebook anymore and I have not really used preloved, I find it a bit hard to navigate, I might give it a whirl though. Thanks for the advice.
 
It's always a risk, and more so in the lower end of the market. IME it's like everything else, if it looks too good to be true it probably is, but I've bought some nice branded leather saddles for the £250ish mark and sold a few more with no issues.
 
one thing-many people don't know how to measure saddles, from width the seat size so if saddle is not stamped, asked how they measured or even better, get them to photograph them measuring it.
 
I got a beautiful leather 'fusion' dressage saddle on eBay for a fraction of what it was worth in near perfect condition and it fitted my mare like a glove. Just remember to ask loads of questions. I got the seller to take a photo from the front with a tape measure going from the points of the tree. From this I was able to gauge that it was roughly the same tree size as my jumping saddle and that it would just depend on the flocking. Saddler checked fit which she was really happy with it.
I took a risk when buying it as I wasn't familiar with the make but I got lucky. I would say buy but be prepared for it not to be right so don't go spending a fortune. If it doesn't fit, no worries, just sell it back on.
 
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Seems to be a 50/50 gamble.

I've bought two, one was perfect. the other one very weirdly smelt of something dead..camel possibly....I ended up putting on it the bonfire as it was scaring the horses.
 
I bought 3 saddles from Ebay, none fitted but I sold them on relatively easily. I then learned my lesson & tried before I bought. However, I got one for the Sec.A mare for £25, it's old, but in fab condition & fits like a glove. Luck of the draw I suppose.
 
I have bought and sold on eBay with only one issue, seller did not send item. I think she was disappointed with the price. If that happens or item is not as advertised you go through the dispute procedure. It's heavily weighted towards buyers and while it does take time, it usually works .

I have been very pleased with the saddles I have brought and pleased with the price for the saddles I have sold.
 
I have bought and sold saddles on e-bay. The one I sold was an old Stubben which I hated, came with the horse and we needed a dressage saddle. I put as much information on as possible and loads of photos and sold it with a low reserve.
The one I bought was and English WHP, it was a local saddler badged Ideal type, I paid half of what I would have paid from a saddler, it was a really nice saddle and when I sold it I made £150.
I agree with what every one else has said, seller feedback and know what you are looking for and do not be too disappointed if it does not fit, its a lot cheaper than getting a dodgy saddle fitter and a lot less frustrating.
 
I have bought and sold saddles on both ebay and Preloved.
As a buyer ask lots of questions, ask for lots of pictures and measurements. Agree with others it's amazing how many people don't know how to measure a saddle. If you can buy locally so you can go and see the saddle before purchase, check 'by distance from postcode' on websites if you can. Research exactly what you need to buy too and don't overbid, unless you require a really specialist saddle another will surely come along. All my purchases have been successful, even the Thorowgood that the seller didn't realise had an adjustable gullet!
As a seller also provide as many pictures, measurements, details etc as you can. The people who bought my saddles were pleased with them.
With Preloved it is easier to get a phone number too, talking to a seller helps a lot.
Hope you can find what you need.
 
I got a bargain saddle from a seller on eBay. Beautiful condition. Saddler agreed it was a bargain but it sadly didn't fit. I managed to sell it via Facebook for what I bought it for, so no monetary loss.

Have since bought another via Facebook, I was concerned for a short while that it wouldn't turn up, but finally it did... sigh of relief and I've got myself another bargain!
 
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