Childeric Saddles....

BeepaStar

BeepaStar

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Has anyone measured the seat of their Childeric saddle?
My saddle is stamped as a 17.5" seat, but measures 18".
My friend has an 18 inch saddle, but the seat measures 19". Is this normal for Childeric saddles?
I have spoken to a Childeric rep about this, but I didn't get a satisfactory answer (IMO).
TIA
 
there was a thread about them some time ago-although they didnt name the saddle directly so unable to search for it. they do seem to come up on the large size-guess it depends on whether it fits the horse and you?
 
This used to be normal for saddles, because the size was the size of the tree, and once covered with leather it was bigger. It sounds like the Childeric still measure that way. So do some UK saddlers.
 
ycbm said:
This used to be normal for saddles, because the size was the size of the tree, and once covered with leather it was bigger. It sounds like the Childeric still measure that way. So do some UK saddlers.
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So does that mean if the tree measures 17.5, the seat could be 18”?
I need a 17” saddle, but have been told I need a 17.5”, however the seat is too big for me to sit in and I measures 18”.
 
BeepaStar said:
So does that mean if the tree measures 17.5, the seat could be 18”?
I need a 17” saddle, but have been told I need a 17.5”, however the seat is too big for me to sit in and I measures 18”.
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Yes. If they measure the tree not the saddle, the made up saddle will be around half an inch bigger. So if you normally ride in a 17 inch measured by the saddle, you would need a 16.5 measured by the tree.

You should be sold the saddle that fits, irrespective of what it measures. Measurement is very imprecise. It's from the centre of the cantle to the button at the front, and whether it fits you or not will depend on exactly where the button is and how high/what shape the cantle is on any particular make and style.
 
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but that doesn't work as they seem to frequently recommend going up a size, not down a size? Or am I just confusing myself?
 
ester said:
but that doesn't work as they seem to frequently recommend going up a size, not down a size? Or am I just confusing myself?
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If no idea what Childeric do, you wouldn't ever catch me paying that for a saddle!


But the following scenario fits:

Childeric measure by tree but know that the tree shape causes the sizing to come up small so recommend one bigger, assuming the buyer is measuring by the tree.

People who are measuring by the made up saddle are ordering one size up and getting two sizes up instead.
 
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Thank you YCBM, this is helpful information.
So I have a 17.5” tree and a seat that measures 18”.
Ideally I would need a 16.5” tree in order for the seat to measure 17”.
I really don’t understand why the Childeric rep couldn’t explain this to me.
#frustrated.
 
ycbm said:
If no idea what Childeric do, you wouldn't ever catch me paying that for a saddle!


But the following scenario fits:

Childeric measure by tree but know that the tree shape causes the sizing to come up small so recommend one bigger, assuming the buyer is measuring by the tree.

People who are measuring by the made up saddle are ordering one size up and getting two sizes up instead.
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but if they measure their current saddle seat at 17" why would they want one that measures at 18"?

It would work if it did mean their sizeing comes up small but the tape measure seems to say otherwise.
 
ester said:
but if they measure their current saddle seat at 17" why would they want one that measures at 18"?

It would work if it did mean their sizeing comes up small but the tape measure seems to say otherwise.
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It depends entirely on whether you are measuring the tree or the saddle after it's made up.


If they ride in a 17 inch as made up, it has a 16.5 tree. They tell Childeric they need a 17 inch and Childeric think they mean a 17 inch tree, a 17.5 made up saddle.

Childeric know their tree comes up small to ride in, so they advise a 17.5 tree. The customer orders a 17.5 saddle and Childeric deliver one that measures 18 inches made up.

There, clear as mud now :D ?
 
Im talking about people measuring their saddles, so they have a current saddle that measures 17" seat wise, childeric say they need a 17.5 and they end up in a 18" seat.
 
I've hunted high and low for that thread, and can't find it, but I'm sure the scenario was the same and that the poster ended up with a saddle that didn't fit either her or the horse. Although that thread didn't actually quite name the company involved ....
 
Rowreach said:
I've hunted high and low for that thread, and can't find it, but I'm sure the scenario was the same and that the poster ended up with a saddle that didn't fit either her or the horse. Although that thread didn't actually quite name the company involved ....
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yeah, I cant find it either. think it was a made to measure childeric that was way too long for the horse that they then wouldnt take back. then a couple of other posters said they'd been told the same thing by the fitters.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
yeah, I cant find it either. think it was a made to measure childeric that was way too long for the horse that they then wouldnt take back. then a couple of other posters said they'd been told the same thing by the fitters.
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And how many hundreds of search keywords have you tried? :D I've completely run out of vocabulary :D
 
ester said:
Im talking about people measuring their saddles, so they have a current saddle that measures 17" seat wise, childeric say they need a 17.5 and they end up in a 18" seat.
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I've explained exactly how that can happen Ester, step by step, above your post. What bit am I explaining badly?
 
Friend is going through this at the moment. Fitter ordered her a 17.5, and although the horse can take the length the seat is far too big for the rider. They actually sent her the wrong coloured saddle (all made to measure), which doesn't fit. She has tried to get them to send the new one with a smaller seat but the fitter isn't having it, and has basically refused to change the order.
 
ycbm said:
I've explained exactly how that can happen Ester, step by step, above your post. What bit am I explaining badly?
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but how someone who has and is comfortable in a 17" inch seat (by measure of the seat only) then be comfortable in an 18" seat (by measure of the seat only)?

By tape measure their saddles do not seem to come up small to ride in, though they seem to think they do.

Does that make more sense?
 
mavandkaz said:
Friend is going through this at the moment. Fitter ordered her a 17.5, and although the horse can take the length the seat is far too big for the rider. They actually sent her the wrong coloured saddle (all made to measure), which doesn't fit. She has tried to get them to send the new one with a smaller seat but the fitter isn't having it, and has basically refused to change the order.
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That does not really make sense as a customer care model. Surely if they have to make a new saddle anyway they would be better to do it as the customer wants?


I just bought a Kruger saddle, it is strange as they are not as well known but Kim who came and did the fitting could not have been nicer, and the saddle is fabulous and a lot cheaper than other calf skin models. I have always gone for a better known brand before, but when I am ready for a dressage saddle I think Kruger will get my custom for that too.


I dislike custom saddles as a rule as I know that there are less consumer rights, but I asked Kim what would happen if the Kruger saddle was not a hit with either myself or the horse. She said that it had only ever happened once and then she simply made the customer a different saddle. This seems like a good customer service model, can't see why Childeric would choose to alienate their customers?

Strange indeed!
 
ester said:
but how someone who has and is comfortable in a 17" inch seat (by measure of the seat only) then be comfortable in an 18" seat (by measure of the seat only)?

By tape measure their saddles do not seem to come up small to ride in, though they seem to think they do.

Does that make more sense?
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But that isn't the way Childeric are measuring, and that's the issue. OP has a saddle stamped 17.5 that measures 18. I think the issue is that buyers and fitters are talking at cross purposes.
 
ycbm said:
But that isn't the way Childeric are measuring, and that's the issue. OP has a saddle stamped 17.5 that measures 18. I think the issue is that buyers and fitters are talking at cross purposes.
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Well you'd think by now that they would have got the message from their disgruntled customers if that were the case - however, I think that the issue with the previous poster was that at the fitting/trial she wanted a 17" seat, they insisted she had a bigger saddle, she said she didn't want it, they said that's what you're getting, she (and horse) didn't like it, they said give it more time, and then when she said nope don't like it take it back they stopped communicating with her.

So the customer knew that she wanted a 17" seat and the company/fitter told her otherwise. Which is not talking at cross purposes really, is it?
 
Rowreach said:
Well you'd think by now that they would have got the message from their disgruntled customers if that were the case - however, I think that the issue with the previous poster was that at the fitting/trial she wanted a 17" seat, they insisted she had a bigger saddle, she said she didn't want it, they said that's what you're getting, she (and horse) didn't like it, they said give it more time, and then when she said nope don't like it take it back they stopped communicating with her.

So the customer knew that she wanted a 17" seat and the company/fitter told her otherwise. Which is not talking at cross purposes really, is it?
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I'm not talking about specific cases. I'm talking about how confusion can arise if the manufacturer is taking tree size and the customer is talking made up saddle size.

And clearly Childeric are talking tree size at the factory, because they are shipping saddles marked 17.5 inches they measure 18 inches.

Their fitters, on the other hand, appear to be talking compete ********. They aren't a company I would touch with the proverbial bargepole.
 
Rowreach said:
Well you'd think by now that they would have got the message from their disgruntled customers if that were the case - however, I think that the issue with the previous poster was that at the fitting/trial she wanted a 17" seat, they insisted she had a bigger saddle, she said she didn't want it, they said that's what you're getting, she (and horse) didn't like it, they said give it more time, and then when she said nope don't like it take it back they stopped communicating with her.

So the customer knew that she wanted a 17" seat and the company/fitter told her otherwise. Which is not talking at cross purposes really, is it?
Click to expand...

in the case, with my friend, that seems to be exactly what is happening. she trialed a saddle which she liked, fitter came to take templates and ordered a 17.5 (in 'normal' measurements that would be fine for horse but rider could go down to a 17", but went with the 17.5 on advice from fitter). saddle arrived and was the wrong colour. Childeric said they would make a new one and to use that one in the meantime. it is too big for the rider and does not fit the horse (tilts to one side) fitter called back out, and really pushed to keep to a 17.5 saying it wouldn't make any difference to the riders position, even though the rider felt swamped and thought it was bigger then the one she had trialed.

I read the original thread that can no longer be found and I remember a few people saying that they wanted a 17" but the fitters pushed them for a 17.5. it seems to be a theme running through.
have not been impressed with the customer care on the fitter front at all. Maybe its a one off, or just that fitter in particular, but I hadn't heard good things previously and have now been completely put off.
 
I so often put riders into smaller seats as mine tend to be flatter than most and many riders are amazed how well they fit, and actually find their "preferred" seat size to be too big, and realise their old saddle was too big.

Saddles do indeed measure bigger, quite often, than their stated measurement. The tree IS consistent, but the way the seat is made up (including occasionally adding an extended cantle to deliberately make it measure longer, great for flat seated jump saddles to avoid interaction with the cantle!) and the individual placement of the nail head means they can measure more.

I do think it sounds like an odd policy and would encourage everyone to have a cope of your saddle order before confirming it, and if in doubt about tree size versus seat size or even panel length (after all the most crucial thing in many cases) to have it clarified before going ahead with a custom order.
 
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