Buying a saddle off Ebay

[Dumbo]

Those of you who have bought saddles off ebay-
How do you know it will fit your horse? Do you buy it then get a saddle fitter out to check it?

I've just got a new horse who's come with a very nice jumping/event saddle but I've seen a lovely affordable GP saddle that has the same measurements of his current saddle but ofcourse all saddles sit differently on each horse. I've only ever bought through a saddle fitter.

 

[*hic*]

I have bought several saddles through ebay. I know what will fit my horses and/or get saddler fitter's recommendations, buy the saddle, then take the horses to get them properly fitted by the saddle fitter.

 

[Tiddlypom]

As j*a. Be prepared though that the saddle may not fit, for whatever reason, so don't pay over the odds, in case you need sell it on.

Double check the measurements with the vendor. Visual confirmation showing a tape measure in action is advisable.

 

[smellsofhorse]

Yes ask lots of questions and get lots of pictures.
Remember you can't always see things clearly on photos and sellers can lie or exaggerate.

 

[PorkChop]

I would only buy a saddle unseen if it was a make and measurement of one I already had, yes I may need to have it tweeked, but in principle I know that it fits the shape of my horse.

 

[_Annie_]

I would only buy a saddle unseen if it was a make and measurement of one I already had, yes I may need to have it tweeked, but in principle I know that it fits the shape of my horse.

^ this

 

[Red-1]

HI,

I bought a beautiful Butet saddle from ebay, it did not fit, I sold it and was £60 down. Bought another, it fitted, smiles all round as it was far below price on Sederholm Selected web site.

With big purchases I now limit myself to those within striking distance to home, and ask a question re visiting to examine the item. One seller even drove a saddle to my house to put it on the horse - good job as it would not have fitted.

I pay regard to not infringing ebay rules, but once you have asked a question, and if the item does not sell, it is no longer "listed" and then there is nothing wrong with asking the seller if you can come with your horse and cash, or paying a sum to have the saddle brought to your horse.

If you prefer the protection from ebay they can always re-list the item and you can then buy it that way.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

I take a chance. Buy saddle and check over for soundness and safety, uneven flocking etc. If no good it goes in the bin or gets a full strip out and reflock from the saddler, depending on the problem.

If ok I put on horse. If the tree is the wrong width and that's the only problem then I'll keep the saddle for if the horse gained/lost weight. If the tree is totally the wrong shape, then depending on the saddle I'll either keep for a future horse it may fit or sell it on. If all appears fine I'll lunge and ride the horse to see if the saddle moves excessively and take the horses opinion into account.

When I eventually get round to riding in a saddle regularly, if its uncomfortable for me it gets sold on. I find the effects of an uncomfortable saddle to be cumulative, so I won't know if a saddle is suitable for me or not until I've ridden in it for a few weeks.

Buying local so you can go see the saddle first is better than eBay and buying from a friend or someone at your yard so you can try it on the horse first is even better. But I've had some fabulous bargains off eBay that I'd either never have afforded at second hand price from a fitter, or in the case of old fashioned saddles, never even found them.

 

[mandwhy]

I do extensive Internet research to see if it is likely to fit the type of horse, then decide on the models I want to look for and take a chance. Also got to be cheap enough to know I can make my money back or near enough.

There is a saddle place that tells you the width according to wintec gauges which I think is useful, there really needs to be a universal measurement I think. I know mine is an XW/XXW in thorowgood gullets so I have something to go on but I have a flexible treed one now which was a punt that really paid off. I thought it would be too long for her but it's great and actually fits me Yay!

 

[FfionWinnie]

Take a chance if the price is right and sell on if its no use.

Made to measure big company that just went bust 1400 saddle never fitted me or the horse, first one I bought off eBay for 500 but worth £1500 did. You win some you lose some, I did get very lucky with the eBay one but I count it as karma after the first one was such a disaster!

 

[Cheshire Chestnut]

I bought a goregous Black Country on Preloved, totally unseen (only photos). I kind of knew which saddles would fit my Welsh D and which ones were toally wrong so I took a chance. I used Paypal but also paid on my credit card through Paypal so it was extra protection.

I was lucky - the saddle was exactly how described and it is lovely. It was a tad too tight but it had recently been fully reflocked. My local saddler flattened the flocking and now it's perfect

I knew if it hadn't fitted, I could have sold it on and got my money back.

 

[Dumbo]

I won the saddle! Absolute bargain. I will get the saddle fitter out to check it if I'm happy with it. If it doesn't fit, I'm pretty confident I'll make a profit selling it on! Going to collect it tomorrow as seller only 20mins away. Happy!!

 

[rara007]

I take the risk- have won and lost both buying and selling on ebay but that's the gamble!

Hope it's a goer

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I have bought four off Ebay, only one was as described and that was a new - ish Wintec which never fitted the horse anyway , £500 One was absolute crap, rings rusty and ancient, I went to collect it and was a wimp not to leave it with vendor who was unpleasant person, £52 One was described as narrow Stubben ......... it was extremely narrow, I cannot imagine any horse that would fit it, cant recall price, maybe £250 or more.... I bought an older Jeffries, described 17 1/2 but it was 17" , nice saddle, fitted horse, not me though £208. All in all I have lost about £400 over four saddles, its a risk.

 

[xspiralx]

I've bought two saddles off eBay - a Barnsby Whitaker and a Prestige Paris D. In both cases I'd tried similar models on my horse so knew that the fit should be there or thereabouts, although it is a gamble.

I was lucky with both saddles, but even if they hadn't fitted I estimate I could resell for about the same price, and the price I paid was probably about £500 less across the two of them than what I would have paid from a saddle fitter. So worth the gamble.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I've bought three treeless saddles on either E-bay or Preloved, and two Wintecs!!

I bought my first treeless saddle as I wanted to try treeless to see if it would suit me/horse and didn't want to spend a fortune! I always have made sure that the saddles I've bought were good makes, well-known brands, which I knew would wipe their face at least, if not make a small profit to cover the postage, when sold on. To date I have sold one of the treeless saddles I bought, and after deducting what I had to pay for postage, it wiped its face nicely and left me about a tenner over.

I wouldn't buy a saddle on E-bay or Preloved UNLESS I knew specifically what make & brand I was looking for, and the size. My current treeless saddle, I bought on e-bay after having one on trial from the makers: and saved myself at least £500 by buying "used"