Buying a second hand saddle...

metalmare

metalmare

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I won a saddle online the other day... I'm waiting for it to arrive.

I asked the seller for the dimensions D to D and compared it with my saddle, which I know is correct as far as the gullet goes as it was recently checked (7.5 inches from D to D). The measurements D to D were the same. It's shorter than my current saddle, so no worries there. Obviously I'll have the saddler out to adjust the flocking and double check when it arrives, but is the D to D measurement the best thing I could have gaged it on so far as making a 'blind' purchase goes?

A bit late asking now, I know, it's just terribly suspenseful waiting for it to arrive!!

Worst case scenario, I can always resell and try again.

But it's a nice old Stubben and I've rather set my heart on it fitting; I shall be sad if it doesn't.
 
I asked the same question of Martin Wilkinson looking at a second hand saddle on their website and they said not to bother with D to D. And this was when I was trying to compare a saddle they have in stock with one I was sitting looking at, exactly the same make and model, as I had borrowed a friend's to try on.

Firstly different makes have the D rings in different places, and the flocking starts in different places, so it's completely irrelevant. And everyone measures a bit differently so you can't be sure.

That said, it's probably a closer guess than a completely random purchase!

Sorry if it's not what you wanted to hear but it still doesn't mean your new saddle won't fit. Hope it does.
 
What is d to d please? I'm trying to understand how one can actually buy a saddle without someone there fitting it, but it sounds common enough, so I'm just trying to figure out the details! (sorry to reply with a question not an answer!)
 
Instead of asking the width between the D rings, I usually ask the width between the panels where the flocking starts. D-D isn't reliable as some saddles have more flocking than others and not all D rings are in the same place
 
Personally when I buy a second hand saddle, not from a saddler, I always ask my saddle fitter what he recommends based on the horse's and my size and shape, what I want to do with it, what style I've said I like (maybe big blocks or a flat seat etc). He will then give me a list of makes/models he thinks will be best suited to the two of us. There's usually one in particular that he thinks will be best then a couple of others that would be OK too, and there's always a list of "do not buy it will never fit / you will hate it".

I then have to trawl through ads until I find something that's right. Sometimes things come up that I like the of which I will call him about and he'll tell me his thoughts. When it arrives I get him out to fit it.

I don't think you can go on just the D to D measurement as saddles are all so different. One make with a 9.5in D-D might not come anywhere near to fitting my horse whereas a different make might. With my last horse we knew he had some issues so I was told to look for an Ideal Jessica or Event, or a Thorowgood T4 as they both have flat panels and a tree shape that would suit his back. Current horse I was told to get a Jeffries Elite (there was one other on the list), which I duly did and it fit like a glove. I tried an Ideal Event on him and a couple of others, all in the "same" size but the fit was horrendous. Same with the other horse. One size Isabell Werth DR saddle looked terrible whereas the "same" size Ideal Jessica was a super fit.
 
I guess it depends on your horse, my TB needs quite a 'flat' saddle, so the old Jeffries falcon event i bought was ideal... I got it so cheap i said to my saddler if its not going to fit, it doesnt matter, but with the addition of a point strap and a prolite while i'm fittening him up its been fine!

Its trial and error with unseen second hand saddles i think! best of luck OP hope you can get it to fit!
 
Thanks cc, that was really helpful. When you say you get him out to fit it, does that mean he checks the fit then goes off to chop and stuff till it's perfect?
 
Hmmm, I did wonder this, but I've not paid much for it, so worst case I should resell it at what I've paid. It'll be a pain though as it's time wasted, too.

Ah well, fingers crossed. Hopefully it will be here tomorrow.
 
Another question, again I know there are a million variables depending on the horse, etc... but to what extent are gullets adjustable?

Let's say, for sake of argument, the saddle was either a fraction too narrow (which I'm guessing would be a complete write off as it would pinch) or a fraction too wide (which I'm thinking could possibly be made narrower using inserts).

I have only ever owned a saddle with an adjustable gullet, you see, so I'm not too au fait with this yet.
 
Floxie said:
Thanks cc, that was really helpful. When you say you get him out to fit it, does that mean he checks the fit then goes off to chop and stuff till it's perfect?
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Yes, basically. Because I get him to recommend what I should buy (what he thinks will suit) then hopefully there isn't actually that much work to do once the saddle comes. I have a Jeffries Elite ATM for him and saddle fitter told me straight away that's the make/model which would suit and why. I kept calling him saying "what about X and Y saddles?" and he'd give me an opinion then say "but the JE would be best, perfect fit for that pony". I got one after a couple of months (I'd been using my T4 which was "OK" on him) and when the fitter put it on he said it was near perfect. He just put some new flocking in (it was v flat, had never been reflocked from new as it's not an old saddle) and checked the fit again.

I am basically told "get an XXXXX in 17.5in, MW fit". So I'm not buying completely blind as fitter has already seen the horse and told me what will suit.
 
metalmare said:
Another question, again I know there are a million variables depending on the horse, etc... but to what extent are gullets adjustable?

Let's say, for sake of argument, the saddle was either a fraction too narrow (which I'm guessing would be a complete write off as it would pinch) or a fraction too wide (which I'm thinking could possibly be made narrower using inserts).

I have only ever owned a saddle with an adjustable gullet, you see, so I'm not too au fait with this yet.
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Depends on the saddle but some saddles can be adjusted up or down by a width fitting. I had a Harry Dabbs adjusted from a M to a MW; it was sent back to the manufacturer to be done. Took about a month then fitter came back out and flocked it to suit.
 
Hmmm. For how little I've paid I'm not sure whether it will be worth sending it back to the manufacturer.

Hopefully it'll arrive tomorrow, then at least I'll know either way. I knew it would be a gamble really.

I should have asked this before though then I could have asked different questions.

I'm not 100% convinced by my current saddle fitter so I'm planning on trying somebody different this time... which means I'm out on a limb a little between whiles. Hopefully I'll find the right saddler, never mind the right saddle, then I'll have some sound advice.

I believe the narrow / medium sizing can vary massively between manufacturers anyway, so I've read.
 
I have a flexi curve measure make a template of my horses back draw it out on cardboard cut it out and post it to really nice helpful sellers (you have to ge tlucky here) and ask them to check the fit of my cut out on the saddle this can help narrow it down alot and i have bought 3 stubbens this way all for under £200 and they have always fitted quite well so i've been lucky there im also familiar with the fit of old stubbens so usually know which size i want before i buy
 
Hawks27 said:
I have a flexi curve measure make a template of my horses back draw it out on cardboard cut it out and post it to really nice helpful sellers (you have to ge tlucky here) and ask them to check the fit of my cut out on the saddle this can help narrow it down alot and i have bought 3 stubbens this way all for under £200 and they have always fitted quite well so i've been lucky there im also familiar with the fit of old stubbens so usually know which size i want before i buy
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Why didn't I think of that?!

So how narrow is a narrow Stubben? I'm hoping not too narrow, more of a M and S size 8 rather than a Primark size 8, if you get my meaning.
 
metalmare said:
Why didn't I think of that?!

So how narrow is a narrow Stubben? I'm hoping not too narrow, more of a M and S size 8 rather than a Primark size 8, if you get my meaning.
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I find them to be quite a true size, i go on there number fit so:
27 = Narrow
28 = Narrow / Medium
29 = Medium
30 = Medium / Wide
31 - Wide
32 = X Wide

My last youngster who filled out alot after initially being backed started in a 29 ended up in a 31 and she was a luso x quarter horse she looked so fine in build but was incredibly broad i thought she'd be a 28 when i first looked at her thank god i measured her chucnky moneky!
 
Oops! There is no way it'll fit. It's only a 28 and my horse is currently in a medium/wide with inserts in (so I suppose somewhere between a medium and medium wide).

My last hope would be that the Wintec he's in is horribly generous, but failing that I'll have to resell and try again :-(
 
If you're really struggling to find a suitable saddle what about getting out a saddler who deals in second hand (I know these are like gold dust now!!)? You can try lots on then, hopefully, and decide what fits and what you like.
 
metalmare said:
Oops! There is no way it'll fit. It's only a 28 and my horse is currently in a medium/wide with inserts in (so I suppose somewhere between a medium and medium wide).

My last hope would be that the Wintec he's in is horribly generous, but failing that I'll have to resell and try again :-(
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Stubbens sell on easily i sold most of mine for what i bought them for and that was after i'd used them for a year or 2 but i take very good care of my tack. i can't get on with wintecs they don't seem suited to my lankey legs my knees stick past the knee rolls even without my legs in the stirups and they seem to tip me forward i feel so unbalanced and unseated in them that i rode bareback instead in between saddle growth spurts on my youngster i bought the changeable gullet one thinking it would eb handy till she stoped growing but was so awful for me position wise i was safer with no saddle!
 
I probably will end up doing that; I just thought if I could find the right thing I might be able to cut out the middle man, so to speak, but it's proving hard! I'm just perusing the auction site now and I really can't see anything that looks like a good bet!

Bearing in mind I only paid 130 pounds for this Stubben, I thought if it works, brilliant, if not, just sell it.

But if I have to keep going through this process it could be a month or so before I ifnd something!

There are a couple of saddlers around me that cary second hand, but I'm not sure how much stock they hold.
 
Hawks27 said:
Stubbens sell on easily i sold most of mine for what i bought them for and that was after i'd used them for a year or 2 but i take very good care of my tack. i can't get on with wintecs they don't seem suited to my lankey legs my knees stick past the knee rolls even without my legs in the stirups and they seem to tip me forward i feel so unbalanced and unseated in them that i rode bareback instead in between saddle growth spurts on my youngster i bought the changeable gullet one thinking it would eb handy till she stoped growing but was so awful for me position wise i was safer with no saddle!
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That's good news (that they sell on easy). I've got someone coming to collect my saddle tonight - I'll be in the saddle dealing trade at this rate!!! Perhaps I should open a tack shop? :-)

I'm not crazy on synthetic... not for any good reason, I just like good old fashioned leather.
 
i seem to be a terrible saddle hoarder use to work in riding schools so always swapping tack around and sourcing good 2nd hand stuff for the school horses/ponies, i now ride western due to a dodgy leg and finally sold the last of my english saddles few years ago but my last rescue didnt grow big enough for me to ride and my western was too big for her so i ended up with 3 more stubbens for her while she grew and have jsut sold them off last year as won't use them on the new lad otherwise i would probably of had one for you.
I dont like the synthetics either agood old stubben seigfired is my fave though i also am now rather patial to the hdr event and these seem to fit the same as my stubben which is nice lovely big knee rolls and deep seats!
 
My problem is I really need a 16 or 16 1/2 inch as I'm only a little bit of a thing and my pony is quite short so there aren't so many to choose from :-(
 
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