Cheap saddles and why you should avoid them

Over the years I have found cheap trees, flocking that is not much better than minced knitting wool, head plates that are no thicker than the metal in a bean tin, rivets that are too weak, head nails broken off, cheap ply trees, and these are branded English saddles,

There are highly respected saddles made in Europe that are even worse once you get them apart.

as for the cheap imported saddles, I rest my case.

I dont think there are any large scale saddle makers using tacks anymore, nearly all saddles are stapled together now, only a few are flocked with real wool, have a look under your girth straps, above the straps under the webbing, and you should find a split in the panel, have a look at the colour of the flocking, if its a pinky colour its synthetic wool.
 
Why is real wool not being used for flocking? The price of wool is so low that, surely, it is cheap to the point of it being almost waste material! :eek:
 
Yes, it's sad how the trade has deteriorated isn't it, I was trained to make a saddle using hand tools only, hand made threads, hand made bellies for the tree and even flocked the seats!
AND I used tacks, no staples, plastic or nylon, been told I'm an antique by many and not sure if they were referring to my work!

mrhsaddler said:
Over the years I have found cheap trees, flocking that is not much better than minced knitting wool, head plates that are no thicker than the metal in a bean tin, rivets that are too weak, head nails broken off, cheap ply trees, and these are branded English saddles,

There are highly respected saddles made in Europe that are even worse once you get them apart.

as for the cheap imported saddles, I rest my case.

I dont think there are any large scale saddle makers using tacks anymore, nearly all saddles are stapled together now, only a few are flocked with real wool, have a look under your girth straps, above the straps under the webbing, and you should find a split in the panel, have a look at the colour of the flocking, if its a pinky colour its synthetic wool.
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Another one I have just remembered was a pony saddle that the skirt had been snapped off at the front saddle nail, it was a modern plastic tree, expensive and again a well known brand, all £1650 worth!
It took me literally 3 mins to take the panel out only 3 stitches holding it in!
The saddle nail should be about 1/8" mild steel but this was an aluminium nail with their brand name badge glued on top!
No wonder it broke!
CHEAP and nasty, a man in my day would take 3 weeks (if you are as slow as I am) to make a hand made saddle that would last a life time if cared for, now with modern machinery he can make one in a day.
 
My horse needs a new saddle too and I'm totally confused about how to make sure I get a good well fitting one.
I'm beginning to think the only thing to do is train as a saddler myself!
 
When I reflock or do any job that requires me to split the saddle, the look of horror on the saddle owners face when i cut the two threads, one at the pommel beside the badge, and the one at the cantle under the seat by the back of the flap, and unlace the two halves.
The saddle has been made like that for hundreds of years.
 
Have the saddle fitter out this week and buying a new saddle, so now also worried. Please can you pm me brands to avoid. Thanks.
 
Eek so what are classing as cheap here? Like the European leather ones you can get for 200 quid or even less on eBay or like 700 pounds 'cheap'?

I wish I could have found a second hand saddle to fit my horse as I would have happily spent the same amount, but would feel I was getting better quality with less depreciation if I needed to sell, who knows if that would be true or not!
 
neddynesbitt said:
I would be really grateful for a PM of the brands to avoid please. What a worry when I'm about to embark on a saddle hunt :(
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same!!! im o the hunt for a saddle for the youngser - need brands to avoid!!

i have a lovely barnsby saddle waiting for her once she grows but i need a "trash" saddle!
 
rachaelstar said:
Someone please tell me saddle company saddles are okay? These posts make me paranoid!
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Well they use injected moulder plastic tree for a start ... and real wool flocking.

Lots of saddles are complete horrors; you can see how lopsided they are when you hold them by the cantle and look down the seat you dont even need to open them up!
 
CBAnglo said:
Well they use injected moulder plastic tree for a start ... and real wool flocking.

Lots of saddles are complete horrors; you can see how lopsided they are when you hold them by the cantle and look down the seat you dont even need to open them up!
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Not mine it wasn't. Any of them. The tree is plastic but the wool was synthetic. And 3 out of 5 saddles had the panels on squint. One was stapled almost 2 inch squint to one side. They're started on, not laced in, so they're a right ****** to alter too!
 
I recall a fantastic thread on here last year with simple checks for bad saddles with photos. Checks on whether the tree was in one piece, whether it was symetrical etc. Not good in situations like this, but this and that thread are the kind of ones I'd like to see as stickies.
 
Ok, so when we are buying a saddle, is there anything we can do ( other than taking a knife to the saddle ) or that we can look for?
I know about checking if the tree is broken, but other than that, if its a nice looking saddle, which is a brand name, not necessarily that cheap, most consumers don't have a hope of knowing if they are rubbish inside.
Kx
 
Circe said:
Ok, so when we are buying a saddle, is there anything we can do ( other than taking a knife to the saddle ) or that we can look for?
I know about checking if the tree is broken, but other than that, if its a nice looking saddle, which is a brand name, not necessarily that cheap, most consumers don't have a hope of knowing if they are rubbish inside.
Kx
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Some saddles do look well made on the outside, even to the likes of me, so really unless you at least drop the panel out and have a good look you can't always tell. Liken it to a MOT on a car, you check the basics you can see but that doesn't mean there's nothing wrong internally within the engine, only way to tell properly is to strip it down.
 
I'm needing to get my saddle sorted out, plus the baby cob is going to need one soon. I'm worried now!

Do I get my Bates repaired or give up on it and find something else? I also have a Kent & Masters.

Concerned of Devon.
 
CBAnglo said:
Well they use injected moulder plastic tree for a start ... and real wool flocking.

Lots of saddles are complete horrors; you can see how lopsided they are when you hold them by the cantle and look down the seat you dont even need to open them up!
Click to expand...

I used to work in Injection Moulding... It's shocking in terms of waste and pollution especially, I'd urge anyone to use natural materials whenever possible. Plastic of all kinds is horrible dirty stuff.
 
This thread is fascinating. I took a wintec to be checked over by a saddler yesterday, i'd not used it on my horse as thought the panels were hard. She pulled out the flocking and it was full of synthetic wool which is apparently much less springy.

I felt guilty even contemplating using a wintec on my horse, but I actually feel better about it now - I know there won't be any dodgy plywood tree in there, and once it has had a reflock with real wool it should be a bit nicer.

This saddle is a compromise as I can't find an English leather one to fit, but if they aren't all they seem... Maybe we are OK after all.
 
Why all the PMs? If these companies are producing cruddy saddles, why not name and shame? You're not lying, just stating facts as you find them. Like a review. "Which magazine" do it all the time, as do zillions of reviews all over tinternet. I realise lots of the real dross are unbranded foreign saddles, but please tell us what you find inside the suspect British/European ones:confused:
 
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