Chris Gohl saddler reviews?

[adsthelad]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had had any experiences with Chris Gohl? He's coming over to me soon, unfortunately I live on an island so I'm quite limited with saddlers as I'm restricted to who is over. I've previously used another fitter but I found that he was really no good, I need someone who can adjust and remove flocking from two saddle - and knows how to actually fit a saddle.

Thanks

 

[Tyssandi]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had had any experiences with Chris Gohl? He's coming over to me soon, unfortunately I live on an island so I'm quite limited with saddlers as I'm restricted to who is over. I've previously used another fitter but I found that he was really no good, I need someone who can adjust and remove flocking from two saddle - and knows how to actually fit a saddle.

Thanks

Yes and it is not good I am afraid, I was also in the belief (told in 1990's)he is not a master saddler http://www.mastersaddlers.co.uk/. He sold a badly fitting hard saddle to a horse with back issues and the mare was bright chestnut and the saddle was pigskin orange and it looked gross and cause no end of problems later on. I use the Marlow Saddler now even though I am out of her area I pay extra for her.

I suggest you look through the website link I posted and try find someone else

 

[adsthelad]

Well, at least I know! I'm not sure if anyone else actually comes over, I will need to check. The last thing I want is an already badly fitting saddle to be made worse.

 

[ihatework]

Your problem will be trying to get a refund from him if the saddle he sells you either isn't what you ordered or doesn't fit.
I started court proceedings against him, he only refunded once the papers were issued

 

[Brunocat]

No and no and no!! Wouldn't ever deal with him again. Ordered made to measure saddle (twice) and both times they were made to measure.....just not me or the horse. And had to fight to get a refund.

 

[D66]

Have had personal experience - please look elsewhere.

 

[neddy man]

its so nice that there are good things that come out of this forum, 0-4 is a brilliant score to save you money and horse suffering.Well done for your honest replies

 

[Shay]

Sorry - I use Chris and I've not had a problem with him. He's fitted our saddles for years. No - he isn't a member of the Society - you don't have to be. Its not for me to give his reasons for this - ask him yourself. But there are quite a number of excellent saddlers who are not. Or at least around here.

I've never had a badly fitted saddle from him - I have from others so I do know the difference. I'm trying to think how many saddles he has sold us, re-sold for us or fitted over the years and it has to be 15 or so.

His only "quirk" if you want to call it that is that he doesn't like throroughgood saddles. Won't sell them and isn't keen to re-fit them. But as I don't like them either it presents no issues for me.

Part of the problem with any forum - not unique to this one - is that people with bad experiences are quick to post and those who have no issue don't respond so your views can be skewed by that. Having said that - I don't plan to stop using Chris. But OP will clearly want to consider their position and understandably so.

Edited to add.... No I'm not him!

 

[gunnergundog]

It's over twenty years since I used Chris; had two or three saddles off him without issue. The last one I ordered was a made to measure close contact xc saddle. Between ordering it and Chris turning up to fit it, it was decided to retire my eventer to the hunting field - veterinary reasons. I knew that I didn't want a close contact saddle for hunting but never said a word to Chris; he turned up, noticed that I was a bit glum, asked me what was up and when I told him he immediately said, 'well, you're not going to want this then are you!' He never asked me for a penny to it, but sold me something else at a fair price.

Can only speak as I find based on my experience.

 

[D66]

I have had two made to measure saddles from him and they were fine and fitted well - no issues - good experience. I had to threaten court to get money for a saddle he sold for me.

 

[Dougal9]

I used Chris recently and found him to be very good. Got a fantastic Black Country saddle from him and he didn't charge for coming out to check it after 6 weeks. I had initially not heard good things about him, and tried the saddle doctors out of Oxford - they were awful so decided to try Chris and was pleasantly surprised.

 

[Greylegs]

I have to say I've used him in the past too (although it was a few years ago tbh ...) and he was fine. Sold me a nice dressage saddle for my then horse, came back to check it 6 weeks or so after delivery and I generally had a good experience. Sorry to hear others have had problems ... can only speak as I find.

 

[FfionWinnie]

Know your rights and document everything so you are prepared if things go wrong.

I know nothing of this man, but it is good practice to protect yourself by paying by credit card for any big purchase.

General advice to anyone buying a saddle, don't be fobbed off, if you buy a custom made saddle and it does not fit, it is not fit for the purpose it was bought and it matters not a jot that it is custom made, it still has to fit! Any issues should be made clear in writing as soon as possible (email is fine).

 

[eggs]

Hmmm, well I've used him in the past and never again. Funnily enough he sold me a Throwgood saddle which did not fit. He also took another saddle of mine to sell - it was only by threatening legal proceedings that I got the money for that one. Having said that though another saddler disappeared off the scene completely with a saddle of mine that he had taken to sell.

 

[adsthelad]

Such mixed reviews, not sure what to think! I do need these saddles checked/possibly adjusted but I don't want to be wasting my money...

 

[wills_91]

Get onto youtube and arm yourself with as much saddle fitting knowledge as you can, it's really not rocket science to fit a saddle. I feel your pain as I live rurally and it's hard to get saddlers etc to visit.

 

[ihatework]

Such mixed reviews, not sure what to think! I do need these saddles checked/possibly adjusted but I don't want to be wasting my money...

Well I didn't have fitting problems per se and did have one good secondhand one from him.
But don't buy into the whole 'it'll never fit, I'll do you a good deal on a new made to order' spiel ....

 

[FfionWinnie]

Best not get him to sell anything for you!

 

[Hannahgb]

Well I didn't have fitting problems per se and did have one good secondhand one from him.
But don't buy into the whole 'it'll never fit, I'll do you a good deal on a new made to order' spiel ....

Haha I got that exact spiel from him! And the issues the 'new made to measure saddle' caused was horrific!! Wouldnt go back again!

 

[ihatework]

Haha I got that exact spiel from him! And the issues the 'new made to measure saddle' caused was horrific!! Wouldnt go back again!

Or the saddle that you order (eventually) arrives and it's in completely the wrong leather ie standard rather than calf - so you reject the saddle and go to court for a refund !

 

[Hhequestrian]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had had any experiences with Chris Gohl? He's coming over to me soon, unfortunately I live on an island so I'm quite limited with saddlers as I'm restricted to who is over. I've previously used another fitter but I found that he was really no good, I need someone who can adjust and remove flocking from two saddle - and knows how to actually fit a saddle.

Thanks

I use him for all 7 of my horses and can not fault him! He has re fitted saddles to our undeveloped youngster and has had some made to measure saddles made for our eventers. He is extremely quick to fix/make saddles and get them delivered back to us.

If you are looking for an amazing quality and stunning saddle (made to measure or normal) I would definitely use him as the saddles he uses and makes are Black Country Saddles. All of our saddles are now black country and I couldn't imagine riding in any other type of saddle.

 

[Bav]

I've had chris, as have the majority of my yard. I think he's fitted 7 saddles for the liveries since Christmas. At the 6 week free checks two needed adjusting as were too tight thanks to the opening of our Spring/summer field but he sorted that within two days.
He doesn't charge for checking the fit, the only time I've been charged was to buy the saddle. I liked that he was very to the point and didn't sugar coat things.

 

[Dougal9]

I take back what I said about him in my earlier thread i.e. that I had no issues with him..... My horse is now unrideable due to a wrongly fitted (if you call plonking the first saddle that comes to hand on a horse fitting .... !) saddle. I have had the saddle 3 months i.e. 12 weeks, had it checked at 6 weeks (he tweaked it in his van but didn't want to see me ride in it). It is now as flat as a pancake with uneven flocking on either side. I am now having to pay for physio for my horse who confirms that his pain is something that has been building up over a couple of months. Being the character that he is, he has been trying his best and not showing discomfort until it has become too much and bucked when the saddle was put on him. I will undoubtedly need a new saddle at some point - we don't know yet how soon I will be able to ride him again. After paying 1600 for my saddle I will be going after Chris big time .... this is my first horse and I trusted him but NEVER AGAIN !!

 

[maletto]

VERY slippery character. avoid like the plague to be honest. I feel that he completely ripped me off, luckily not to the tune of some others on here but I wish I had read this thread first!!!

 

[402562264]

Hi I’m having issues with Chris Gohl at the moment
I purchased a made to measure saddle from him and it never fitted the pony I had him out four times in under 6months… I paid £2600 for the saddle and he would give me £1800 back for it… this was late feb and still haven’t got my money I have messaged him in texts and what’s app and just ignores finally got hold of him on a different phone and said payment would be made two weeks ago…. Still haven’t got my money and yet again still ignoring me….. the pony he fitted the saddle to has now got back and neck problems from his crap saddle…. He is a nasty snake and wouldn’t trust him with any animal

 

[Pinkvboots]

I've not heard good things about him from several people over the years.

Go to trading standards if his ignoring you

 

[ihatework]

Hi I’m having issues with Chris Gohl at the moment
I purchased a made to measure saddle from him and it never fitted the pony I had him out four times in under 6months… I paid £2600 for the saddle and he would give me £1800 back for it… this was late feb and still haven’t got my money I have messaged him in texts and what’s app and just ignores finally got hold of him on a different phone and said payment would be made two weeks ago…. Still haven’t got my money and yet again still ignoring me….. the pony he fitted the saddle to has now got back and neck problems from his crap saddle…. He is a nasty snake and wouldn’t trust him with any animal

Don’t waste your time and energy on him. When it goes wrong he doesn’t want to know. All I can say is when I issued small court proceedings then he refunded reasonably quickly …

 

[402562264]

I’ve spoken to trading standards yesterday and they are now going to intervene… they were not very happy when I told them he is advertising as a master saddle on there page when he was struck off by them…. Don’t get why he has to be like this… you’ve had me over, I’ve accepted the £1800 for a quiet life… I even gave him the option to give me the saddle back and still ignores…. He has the saddle and the money

 

[Pinkvboots]

I’ve spoken to trading standards yesterday and they are now going to intervene… they were not very happy when I told them he is advertising as a master saddle on there page when he was struck off by them…. Don’t get why he has to be like this… you’ve had me over, I’ve accepted the £1800 for a quiet life… I even gave him the option to give me the saddle back and still ignores…. He has the saddle and the money

Because he is an arse well done for reporting him.