Buying secondhand saddles - please help!

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Luckylocalian

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I need to buy a secondhand jumping and dressage saddle. I don't want to buy new as my boy is going to change shape as only 5 and is a warmblood. Thing is buying from saddlers you have limited stock and they are much more expensive than buying from say ebay or classifieds BUT if I buy from ebay/classified how can I get a good fit. Obviously I would have it checked by a saddle fitter afterwards but can save £100s by buying privately but don't know where to start with getting the right size! Any suggestions? x
 
Changeable gullet ones can be really good, but can be not the right shape front to back even though the gullet is the right fit.

A cheeky friend of mine once got the master saddler over, who worked out which saddle fits the horse and said "bye" then went and bought one on ebay which was that exact make and size, but cheap!

I don't know whether I'd dare.
 
ebay is very hit & miss re fit unless you are lucky

changeable gullet can be good for some , done that also personally

i nearly always buy second hand saddles but experience has taught me that a good saddler with a large stock does seem a bit more expensive but in the long run isn't really given the cost & hassle of saddles that don't fit properly & need selling on
 
You could get a saddle fitter to come out and fit some saddles to find out what size you need, some saddlers will do this for a small fee, or you could get the seller to fax/email a template of the width of the front of the saddle, all they do is put the saddle pommel down on a piece of paper and template the inside from point pocket to point pocket, you use a piece of bendy plastic/wire and do the same over your horses whither and back and match them up. if you buy a saddle online and it doesn't fit just put it back on line and sell it. as you said it is important to get someone knowledgable to check the fit, but my saddler says there are that many saddle pads, raisers etc now a days you can get a saddle to fit that almost fits. unless it is too narrow, which is my pet hate, grrr!
 
Why don't you get a saddle company saddle? You can buy second hand on ebay for about 200 and then get them adjusted to fit by a saddler. They are adjustable so as your horse grows you can have them changed to fit. I've got 3 now and love them! I've also got 2 WOW saddles which I love and of course, they are adjustable & you can buy seperate flasp for jumping & dressagee. Again, you can buy them on ebay and get them fitted.
 
Oh my so many options! Is a Saddle Company saddle a particular type of saddle? Which makes of saddle do changeable gullet? I really love the Albion K2 but not sure whether it will fit etc.... oh decisions decisions!
 
I have just posted a thread about a new saddle, a saddle company saddle is the one I have that no longer fits and I found it very comfy and great leather, definately worth a look
 
i got a lovely K2 off ebay for my cob, it fits him beautifully and is very comfortable. I bought a nice GFS saddle with him which fitted fine but when he started having 'baby' moments i needed a saddle with a deeper seat and knee rolls.

I got the saddler out and she recommended the Albion or an Ideal. I went to the saddlers shop and sat on both and decided that I preferred the Albion. Unfortunately I wanted it in Havana and needed a MW. I waited 6 months for the saddler to find me one second hand. Anyway looked on ebay followed a few to see what they went for and finally bid on one. (Took a while still to get the right size and colour).

As it wasn't that far away I said I would pay cash on collection so I could have a good look at it before I parted with my money. Thankfully it's turned out to be a good buy, the lady selling it was gutted as she loved it so much but didn't have her horse any more! Obviously i got the saddler back to check the fit and she agreed that I had got a good bargain it just needed a little flocking! So there's a happy story from ebay!
 
I can reccommend Albion for a variety of horses/fittings (I've had 7 in total!!). Have you the cheek to get a saddler to being some out to see what fitting is needed? Then you can show around - I did find that fittings varied between SJ and DR saddles, as an example my K" jump is wider that my K2 DR, on the same horse.
 
Thanks everyone. I really need something with a deeper seat and knee rolls for exactly the same reason - I am just not hugely secure up there when he starts which (with the fields closed at the moment) is often!! I can go to the saddler and ask him to fit and then ask him to look for a second hand would that be too rude? What measurements do you need to take tho - I understand it;s not just as easy as saying - medium and 17'5 inch for example? I really don't want to make an expensive mistake but an quite desperate at the moment!!
 
I tend to go to the saddlers and get some second hand saddles to try.

Find out which make/size fits best and the look for it on Ebay!

Alternatively, make your own template to work out how wide your saddle needs to be and get the sellers to give you good info on measurements between D rings and panels.

I love Albion's but while my dressage saddle is a medium, my jumping saddle is a narrow medium.
 
And then people moan about saddlers charging callout fees- are we not entitled to a living? Is there a car that runs on fresh air so we dont have to pay for fuel?
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Thats why this fully qualified Master Saddler said "Sod IT" and changed career. Still get so many phone calls from timewasters wanting free fittings. I was always happy to fit saddles bought elsewhere and charged the outrageous price of £15 to visit their yard
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I've bought both my saddles on eBay then taken them to a local saddler who has made the necessry adjustments to them. As long as you know the rough size then it should be ok - not saddlers will adjust something that wasn't bought from them tho. I had to ring round from the yellow pages
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My saddler was Ok about me getting a second hand saddle and after all they couldn't get what I wanted, second hand after 6 months of trying! i was honest and said I couldn't afford new. They also said that the Albion can be altered quite a lot, including width. my horse is 6 so no doubt he still has a bit of shape changing to do. I have had this saddle about a year now and it's done really well just the usual regular check ups and a bit of flocking.

I know a lot of people rave about the saddle company saddles, I have ridden in 2 and didn't like either, thought they were really uncomfortable and I didn't feel like I was riding in them but on them if you know what I mean and one squeeked!!! But each to their own, so it's prob best to try and find a saddler, even if it means a bit of a journey, where you can have a sit on a few, even if not on a horse, to see what suits you. Also you can see what the different materials are like, e.g. leather or synthetic. I think my saddle is better for being second hand, it was looked after very well and is lovely and soft and supple.

It's a big purchase and you want to be sure of getting the right thing. Also if you get a recognised make like Albion (for example) it will have a good resale value if it's not right/your horse changes shape etc.
 
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