Cheap Saddles

Chellebean

Chellebean

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chellebeanequestrian.com
Last night, I went to see a potential loan and he was gorgeous and reminded me so much of my old boy I had on share! Shall we say I was slightly over the moon :)
However, there is one issue! He has no tack :(
Can someone point me in the right direction for a cheap saddle, other than Ebay?
Thanks in advance
 
I would personally go for a wintec. You can pick them up for about £250, well the VSD you can. Try equestrian clearance. On ebay they go second hand for about £100. I bought a VSD to tie me over until I had the funds to purchase a posh leather one. When I had the master saddler out she told me that the wintec had the best fit I was ever going to get for him. Obviously there would be leather saddles that fit just as well but I dont live in fear of breaking my wintec or having it stolen which is one way to look at it.
 
You could probably get a perfectly serviceable leather saddle secondhand for that price too. Just get a saddlefitter out and try as many as possible really :)
 
Saddles off of ebay can't be all bad!! :D

I bought a Kieffer Zugspitze off of there for £400, and a Kieffer Garmisch for £295!

Bargains ;) Good luck with the hunt though!
 
Chelle, I've got a small selection of saddles you could try if you give me an idea of what size/fitting you need - even if it is a short term borrow while you find one of your own
 
im looking for a cheap or borrowed dressage saddle for my young 4 yr old TB. i know he is going to change shape dont want to be spending a fortune until he is fully mature.
anyone got anything going cheap?
 
Remember the fit is the most important part! No good buying a collection of cheap saddles online that don't fit the pony and you can't return, and it's never as easy to sell as saddle on, as it is to buy one.
 
Cheap saddles are cheap for a reason! The cheap leathers (i.e gallop) are truely **** and will give your pony a sore back. The workmanship is appalling and the materials no better. The cheap synthetics are no better (shires/rhinegolds etc)

If the saddle costs under #300 brand new, avoid like the plague! :eek:

If you're buying off somewhere like ebay (i.e don't get to try it out first - same applies for all internet bought saddles) you'll need something adjustable as it's more likely to fit (though not guaranteed - the front gullet is only one part of the fit) OR have a well known brand fitted by a saddler then buy the exact same make and model off ebay. Synthetics are ideal for that as they are readily available of ebay.

Wintecs are cheap and easy to buy off ebay but rarely fit well, esp if the horse is flat or wide. Wintec cob's are a better fit on most horses but are more expensive, and come up long so not great for short-backed horses. Well made but poorly designed.

Thorowgoods are good saddles but the old (ancient) ones are often twisted and only the newest models of T4 and T6 are adjustable. However, if you know what size, style and width you need (i.e have one fitted) then keep an eye out for them. They are well made and well designed.

Saddle company saddles are also adjustable but need a special SC saddler to do it as it requires a machine. Well designed and well made but more expensive and getting a good fitter can be difficult.

Good quality branded leather saddles are cheaper to buy on ebay and other websites but you need to know what style, width and size you need, and even then you're not guaranteed it'll fit as each brand and model vary a little - a 'medium' in one saddle isn't the same as a 'medium' in another. You COULD get a real bargain or you could, more likely, end up with a saddle that doesn't fit and you need to sell on again, loosing money.

You best first stop would be a couple of local tack shops and tell them what you want and see if they can help. I think you'll struggle to buy a decent (i.e fits the horse well and is comfortable for them - comsmetics unimportant) for under #200 unless you have a very straightforward-to-fit horse.
 
Kallibear said:
Cheap saddles are cheap for a reason! The cheap leathers (i.e gallop) are truely **** and will give your pony a sore back. The workmanship is appalling and the materials no better. The cheap synthetics are no better (shires/rhinegolds etc)

If the saddle costs under #300 brand new, avoid like the plague! :eek:

If you're buying off somewhere like ebay (i.e don't get to try it out first - same applies for all internet bought saddles) you'll need something adjustable as it's more likely to fit (though not guaranteed - the front gullet is only one part of the fit) OR have a well known brand fitted by a saddler then buy the exact same make and model off ebay. Synthetics are ideal for that as they are readily available of ebay.

Wintecs are cheap and easy to buy off ebay but rarely fit well, esp if the horse is flat or wide. Wintec cob's are a better fit on most horses but are more expensive, and come up long so not great for short-backed horses. Well made but poorly designed.

best first stop would be a couple of local tack shops and tell them what you want and see if they can help. I think you'll struggle to buy a decent (i.e fits the horse well and is comfortable for them - comsmetics unimportant) for under #200 unless you have a very straightforward-to-fit horse.
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Deffo agree with all this.....Wintecs have been rubbish for mjy 2 flat-backed broad natives ....BUT its been the only saddle that fits my high withered old lad...after trying multiple leather ones I had to go back to the dreaded wintec and he's been fab since then....so, needs must:rolleyes:

Have a look at Rideaway on line...they have a massive selection of second hand saddles and they can send them out for you to try....also Saddles Direct on-line but I think they are a bit more expensive.
 
I have a medium 17inch throwgood jump that i want rid of (will sell it with the throwgood leathers as well) hardly ever been used as i don't like it at all pm if you are interested!
 
synthetic ones :)

i bought mine from robinsons after riding bareback for ages as i couldnt afford a sadle :o

mine cost £260ish? but there are some for much less than £200 :)

:)
 
I have a 17 inch medium saddle with blocks and leathers. It is only for sale as I managed to get another Pessoa. £200
 
I have a wintec GP (I generally have ridden dressage in the past but wanted something I could put on youngsters) which I admit I bought new but it is totally adjustable, My fitter has fitted it to 2 horses for me with different shapes and gave me the inserts etc to adjust it.

I love it... It can be x wide or narrow ish and everything in between apparently the only width it cant be is x narrow - but considering I only ever have cobs and BIG warm bloods I doubt that will be an issue.

Much as people have said they are cr*p I would have to disagree... I love my wintec (Not as much as I love my old albion dressage saddle -- all suede and warn but SO grippy and fab) but I truely would consider an adjustable tree wintec if I was you.

Blitz
 
blitznbobs said:
I have a wintec GP (I generally have ridden dressage in the past but wanted something I could put on youngsters) which I admit I bought new but it is totally adjustable, My fitter has fitted it to 2 horses for me with different shapes and gave me the inserts etc to adjust it.

I love it... It can be x wide or narrow ish and everything in between apparently the only width it cant be is x narrow - but considering I only ever have cobs and BIG warm bloods I doubt that will be an issue.

Much as people have said they are cr*p I would have to disagree... I love my wintec (Not as much as I love my old albion dressage saddle -- all suede and warn but SO grippy and fab) but I truely would consider an adjustable tree wintec if I was you.

Blitz
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I would have to agree. If chiropractors/bowen therapists tell me what great condition my horses back is in and a master saddler said it was a perfect fit then I have no reason not to agree.
 
I understand what people are saying and I won't be getting an ill fitted sddle as I have seen the results of those, however if it fits it fits no matter what make it is. :)
Unfortunately tho he is a high withered horse being a ID x TB, so I don't really fancy riding him bareback... it could hurt lol
 
Chellebean said:
I understand what people are saying and I won't be getting an ill fitted sddle as I have seen the results of those, however if it fits it fits no matter what make it is. :)
Unfortunately tho he is a high withered horse being a ID x TB, so I don't really fancy riding him bareback... it could hurt lol
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yes it did hurt if i didnt sit properly lol!

spirited x racer with no saddle. but fun lol!..
 
Whilst it's true that a cheap make may FIT, it's quite likely to be so poor quality that it will eventually damage the back. The cheap saddles have rubbish flocking (if you could even call it that - it's usually chopped up rug filling), dodgy trees (bits sticking out, rarely ever symmetrical, saw one with a cola can used to bridge a crack :eek: ) and squint panel - they all come as standard in cheap india made saddles (Gallop/Shires/Rhinegold etc). They often look a decent fit and the outside looks ok too, but if you ever saw what's inside them (which I have) you wouldn't let them anywhere near a horse.

Get a decent, well respected brand, second hand. A wintec may fit if he's a TBx and high withered, and they are the easist to get ahold of second hand.
 
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