Cost of saddles.

[blitznbobs]

I've just bought a saddle... I needed to cos the last one didn't fit. I see this as an essential cost of keeping a ridden horse, but I see increasing numbers of 'bad back' threads and also 'what saddle can I get for a difficult to fit horse for *insert sum of money* I'm personally of the belief that if you can't afford 'the right' saddle, you can't afford the horse but I recognise that this opinion might be contentious... so how much should a decent saddle cost?

 

[fidleyspromise]

My most expensive saddle has been £400. Why? Because that's what fit my pony. My other pony has a second hand saddle that has been fitted to her each year (6 years ago) and cost a whopping £30.
My current saddle on my other pony is adjustable, fits like a dream and pony goes fab in it.
Expensive doesn't mean quality or a perfect fit as many threads on here have shown however I do agree with you that it shouldn't be so much of an I need this to fit Y. Don't have the money, keep saving.

 

[MissTyc]

I tend to buy second hand good quality saddles. Never needed anything fancy, despite a difficult to fit horse. I went through a lot of saddles on that one, so it's possible that one super custom, more expensive saddle would have worked; however "going through" saddles means selling them on so in the end I've rarely spent more than £500 on a saddle (second hand).

 

[JillA]

I invested in a Schleese because my horse is very difficult to fit, and very quick to let you know if everything isn't just right (we call him sensitive ) It does cost serious money and also has regular follow up fitting and adjustment which also cost money, but the alternative was keep throwing good money after bad trying to get a saddle which would fit him all year round.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I have spent around 7k in saddles for one horse. Numerous saddle fitters.

I gave up and fitted one myself- a 150 quid old Ideal H&C and she likes it in a way she has never liked or accepted any of the expensive ones.

It's not about the money. The problem is you might not find a cheaper second hand version of what the horse needs at the time you need it.

 

[DabDab]

Are you asking how much new or how much second hand?

Dabs has one saddle that I had fitted and bought new and one that I bought second hand and fitted myself - cost for the two around £2300 (which is comfortably more than double the amount the horse cost ). The newer fitted saddle is the one that is now the less good fit and I will change in a couple of months as soon as I have the spare cash.

I have an old adjustable synthetic saddle that I use to back everything and it's brilliant - never met a youngster that had a problem with it. That's worth about £20, but it's weight in gold to me

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

I paid £2400ish for my Wow, but bar the hand me down when I first got him it's been his only saddle for nearly 8 years as I can get it so easily adjusted. That's still far less than my friends have spent in the numerous ones they've bought in half the time for their horses.

 

[Tiddlypom]

OP, if you are still using the same saddler as you have previously posted about (and who I previously also used), then you may well have spent a lot of ££££s on your saddle. He has a lot of high end stuff. Fair enough, as long as your new saddle does indeed fit your horse, though quite a few folk don't rate his fitting skills highly. He's a good salesman.

There are plenty of folk who have spent ££££s on saddles and fitters and still ended up with a duff product, as FW posted above.

My most recent purchase was a £425 SH Ideal event from Saddles Direct, which I had flocked to fit my horse by a local fitter who is recommended by, and works with, my ultra high powered equine Physio. All good.

My homebred 6yo has been a bit of a nightmare, she has a wide tube like profile, and I was lucky to get an ex demo Black Country jump for £1200 reduced from £1800. We did previously try lots of cheaper SH saddles, inc all the usual adjustables, on her, but no good. Same saddle fitter as above said 'absolutely not a WOW' for her, though she thinks one might suit my own horse.

So just spending a lot of dosh does not necessarily guarantee a good fit, though deeper pockets do, of course, give more options

 

[MotherOfChickens]

In the last 13 years on my own horses I have used a Wow on one and a SH Thorowgood endurance on the other. Use what fits and for most horses, saddle fitting isnt rocket science if you do some reading up and get people to show you. the horse with the Wow was interesting because the saddle he had before seemed to fit him perfectly, he just hated it and being Portuguese was a slightly difficult shape. He's long gone but I still have the wow and wont part with it.

 

[Auslander]

I'm all for decent second hand - properly fitted, and listening carefully to the horse.

Alf has a Wintec Isabell dressage, which cost me £250, and has always been acceptable to Mr Fussy. I had an XW gullet in it for ages, and although I never had any trouble from himself, I felt that it was too wide, and rolled a bit. Got the local saddle fitter out, and he agreed with me, so I changed to a wide gullet. Saddle fitted perfectly, stopped felling roll-y, and everyone was happy. Except they weren't. Alf went all doggy on me, and started plodding everywhere with an expression of misery on his face, and then he started humping his back when I got on.
Got my preferred saddle fitter out, and she said "If it fits perfectly, but he doesn't like it, it doesn't fit". We put the XW gullet back in, and flocked the saddle to fit him with a sheepskin half pad - and he's as happy as larry again.

I recently lent him to a couple of girls from the marketing team at Devoucoux, to be a photographic model for the new Makila dressage saddle, and it fitted him like it was made for him. Very pretty saddle, and I was dying to have a sit in it - but didn't dare, as they were under pain of death orders to bring it back pristine! I'm not a massive Devoucoux fan, but did have a bit of a drool over it. Luckily it's so far out of my budget that it's not even worth thinking about!

 

[ycbm]

If I could have bought the mark three, lightest weight, WOW second hand I would have, but they were so new that there were none for sale. So I'm in the top band, but not by choice, and the most I've ever paid before was £1500, once and other than that never more than £1000.

In saddles, price equates neither to value, nor fit. There are many non-name little saddleries that make beautiful saddles much cheaper, and there are super synthetics available today that suit lots of horses.

 

[Wagtail]

As others have said, it is not the cost of the saddle, but the skill of the fit. I have never paid more than £800 for a saddle (new Pessoa reduced from £1300). My two latest saddles cost £550 each (new treeless Ghost saddle and an as new Pessoa). I had a saddler to my mare who tried umpteen saddles and none of them fitted her and me, and so she recommended a close contact. I sourced the saddle myself off eBay. I am confident at fitting saddles myself but always get a good saddler to check afterwards if I have done this. Luckily, when she checked the Pessoa, it fitted my mare well. I have known countless people pay £1500 or more for a saddle and still had no end of problems.

 

[ycbm]

I'm all for decent second hand - properly fitted, and listening carefully to the horse.

Alf has a Wintec Isabell dressage, which cost me £250, and has always been acceptable to Mr Fussy. I had an XW gullet in it for ages, and although I never had any trouble from himself, I felt that it was too wide, and rolled a bit. Got the local saddle fitter out, and he agreed with me, so I changed to a wide gullet. Saddle fitted perfectly, stopped felling roll-y, and everyone was happy. Except they weren't. Alf went all doggy on me, and started plodding everywhere with an expression of misery on his face, and then he started humping his back when I got on.
Got my preferred saddle fitter out, and she said "If it fits perfectly, but he doesn't like it, it doesn't fit". We put the XW gullet back in, and flocked the saddle to fit him with a sheepskin half pad - and he's as happy as larry again.

This is interesting, Auslander. I've often fitted a gullet plate one wider than it 'should' be, and the horse prefers it.

 

[case895]

When my horse's dressage saddle was fitted, 2 fitted him and suited me. A £400 one and a £2000 one. I went for the former, but would have had the latter if it was better.

 

[blitznbobs]

OP, if you are still using the same saddler as you have previously posted about (and who I previously also used), then you may well have spent a lot of ££££s on your saddle. He has a lot of high end stuff. Fair enough, as long as your new saddle does indeed fit your horse, though quite a few folk don't rate his fitting skills highly. He's a good salesman.

There are plenty of folk who have spent ££££s on saddles and fitters and still ended up with a duff product, as FW posted above.

My most recent purchase was a £425 SH Ideal event from Saddles Direct, which I had flocked to fit my horse by a local fitter who is recommended by, and works with, my ultra high powered equine Physio. All good.

My homebred 6yo has been a bit of a nightmare, she has a wide tube like profile, and I was lucky to get an ex demo Black Country jump for £1200 reduced from £1800. We did previously try lots of cheaper SH saddles, inc all the usual adjustables, on her, but no good. Same saddle fitter as above said 'absolutely not a WOW' for her, though she thinks one might suit my own horse.

So just spending a lot of dosh does not necessarily guarantee a good fit, though deeper pockets do, of course, give more options

I have bought all sorts of saddles over the years but have never found one under about 400 quid(wintec) I was an Albion girl for many years but since the new wave of dressage saddles I prefer the lighter trees. My mare was in an equine (which I loved too) but gained 5cm in width so the factory refused to widen it further hence a new saddle. I was offered everything from a Kent and masters to the top of the range stuff and I sat on a lot of saddles before I chose the pds . I do rate my saddle fitter (who you seem to despise- fair enough) and this is not really a comment about expensive saddles but more the very bottom end which I struggle to find anything that is stable on any horse... I use more than one saddle fitter btw and find this true of all of them. But I do like saddles to be v stable and hate any kind of roll so like them to have a flocked panel if the horse is v wide so I guess that is personal preference as is a preference for leather.

 

[Goldenstar]

It's perfect possible to get a very nice rider and horse friendly new saddle for between 1and 2k.
Second hand is a good option particularly if you buy through a good fitter who acts as an agent .
With saddles the fit is all .
All my saddles would come onto the over 2k range but happily I have quite a few squirrelled away so usually can sort a new horse out without buying .

 

[tristar]

i fit my saddles a bit wider and use prolite pads to adjust or lift, comfort is everything.

 

[Goldenstar]

I am not a fan of over wide saddles I have them flocked to fit .
It takes a bold and experianced saddle fitter who will do this as I am told clients prefer saddles a tad wider than ideal .
I am able to do this because I have a lot saddles to choose from as I ferret them away in the attic .
My hunters have two - a fat and slim saddle .
I never skimp on the saddler visits it's too important I would put only the farrier above the saddler on list of people who can lame or be a great asset to keeping your horse right .

 

[ycbm]

Flocked to fit what, though, GS?

The horse when it's standing at a check, trotting down the road, galloping flat out, or jumping a hedge?

That's why I love air 'flocking', it fits what the horse is doing at the time.

I know some people hate it, and a few horses don't like it, but it's filling of choice for me. Choice of gullet plate is made by the horse

 

[9tails]

It's hard to give a correct answer to your question when one has 4 saddles for one horse. I've paid £1000 for a new one, £400, £250 and £80 for the secondhand ones. They all fit, they're regularly checked by a saddler and they each serve a different purpose.

 

[milliepops]

I have two over £2k saddles which were both new when acquired (one I bought, and one I won), and one that cost me 65 quid off someone on facebook.

All 3 fit nicely, horses go well in them and physio is happy.

FWIW the horses cost nothing in one case, and £2 in the other case. I think that the cost of the various elements is fairly irrelevant!

 

[ycbm]

It's hard to give a correct answer to your question when one has 4 saddles for one horse. I've paid £1000 for a new one, £400, £250 and £80 for the secondhand ones. They all fit, they're regularly checked by a saddler and they each serve a different purpose.

Show off.

 

[Auslander]

I am not a fan of over wide saddles I have them flocked to fit .

So was I, until the horse told me very clearly that he preferred the technically too wide one. His saddle is flocked to fit him, plus a pad - and it works better for him than the same saddle, gulleted and flocked to fit just him.

 

[Wheels]

Fitting a saddle SLIGHTLY too wide with a decent pad can work very well, especially for horses that have extensive rotation of the shoulder. It can also work well for horses that really lift through the ribcage. Some will do that more than others.

However it needs to be done very carefully because if it is too wide it can cause real problems, just as much as a saddle that is too narrow. If a saddle is too wide it can cause pressure points at the sides of the withers, it can move in all directions, cause slip to one side and can rock which can create muscle problems both underneath the saddle and also over development of the musculature behind the saddle in the loins.

 

[Goldenstar]

Flocked to fit what, though, GS?

The horse when it's standing at a check, trotting down the road, galloping flat out, or jumping a hedge?

That's why I love air 'flocking', it fits what the horse is doing at the time.

I know some people hate it, and a few horses don't like it, but it's filling of choice for me. Choice of gullet plate is made by the horse

I used to be a big fan of flair when I had more young horses and more horses going through my yard .
Now I have fewer horses and it's easy enough to keep them well checked and adjusted so I have tradional wool flocking .
Flocked to fit the horse at work with a thin pad under .
Of course I go with what the horse likes one of our prefers a winter raiser pad between the saddle and his pad he is quite sure about it the saddler shuts her eyes a bit when she sees it but he's very clear about it .
My new horse is still weak he shifts his saddle forward of making it wider would stop this I am using a point strap on the dressage saddle , I don't like point straps but this horse needs one for a while I expect in six months it will be off as the horse gets stronger and starts to sit the issues will melt away .
I hate padding under saddles but I use it if I need to .

 

[MuddyMonster]

My horse has a made to measure sadfle that cost about double what I paid for him

But, I also understand having a budget and needing to stay reasonably within that budget.

 

[Landcruiser]

You can't get a decent western saddle for under about £1000. Mine's an Equiflex, £1800 6 years ago, and pretty much bottom of the range. That said I have a lovely 2nd hand Simco that was £120 on ebay and fits my other horse like a glove.

 

[WelshD]

all saddles = £120 if you speak to my husband

the key to having more than one saddle for a horse is to get matching saddle covers and not keep the two (or three, or four...) in the same place at the same time


Joking aside I've usually managed to find what I need in the £250-600 range, thats decent saddles second hand

 

[spacefaer]

I had a really interesting experience a few years ago - I went to a big saddlers and spent the day riding in several different makes of saddle, different models of those makes - in a very wide price bracket. The saddle I loved was the most expensive, the saddle the horse went best in was a) the cheapest b) the one I hated!

I've only ever bought one new saddle in my life - a Jeffries GP - many years ago. I called it my magic saddle as it fitted absolutely everything on the yard and they all went well in it. Stupidly, I sold it and I have regretted it ever since.

My best horse has been promised a "proper" saddle when he grows up and finishes changing shape, but at the moment, he has a close contact Wintec jump saddle, as that is what he likes. I'm hoping he will learn to like non synthetic saddle, but for now, it's what makes him happy!

 

[spacefaer]

Most expensive I've ever bought was a second hand Devoucoux for £600 - I sold it a couple of years later for £800. Most expensive saddle I have ridden in was my mother's dressage horse which was an Amerigo, which I think she paid £2400 for.

Currently ride in a selection of Stubben jumps - haven't paid more than £200 for any of them - or a couple of Wintecs (£40 and £160)